COWCH Guidelines

Before the Interview

Contacting the Subject and Making Arrangements

The success of an interview depends on the preparation of both the interviewer and the subject. Once you have selected a subject, become familiar with his/her career and role in the development of the wildlife profession. Conduct background research on the person by obtaining a resume and/or biographic sketch, talking with former work colleagues and peers, and reading some of the subject’s published work.

Contact the subject in advance to get acquainted; describe the COWCH Project purpose and how the subject’s career is relevant to the project. This is also a good time to request a resume and/or a biographic sketch if you were unable to obtain it from any other source.

Familiarize yourself with the list of suggested questions and give your interviewee a general sense of what you want to discuss. Avoid providing the subject your questions ahead of time as it limits spontaneity, making your interview sound rehearsed. If the subject would like to show any pictures, letters, maps, etc., ask him/her to prepare them ahead of time.

Choosing a Location

Arrange to meet the subject in an appropriate location, either in the subject’s natural surroundings or in some way relevant to the interview. If you cannot make a visit to the location before the interview, this is a good time to ask a few key questions. What kind of lighting is available? Is there any type of constant background noise (like window A/C unit, fan, electric generator etc.)? How large is the room and will it have an echo? Is it next to a busy road, highway, railway, in the line of major airline traffic? Is it close to a fire department or police station where sirens are audible? Is it close to another location hosting special events that day?

Traveling to the Location and Setting Up

Arrive early and get comfortable talking with the subject before you set up. Try to establish a connection and show the person that you care about him/her and his/her interview is valuable to you.

Lighting

If you decide to shoot outdoors, make sure the natural light is good enough and does not require any supplemental lighting. Make sure the sun is not directly behind the person or right in his/her eyes. Choose an evenly shaded place.

If you shoot indoors, choose a room that has enough space and allows you to control lighting. You may need to use lamps to counter other bright lights. If you mix various types of lights, make sure you white balance the camera to avoid blue, orange, or other shaded video.

To see more about lighting, and the three-point lighting scheme, visit mediacollege.com/video/interviews/lighting.html.

Setting

The key to a successful interview is the right setting. Pick a neutral background that does not distract from the interview. Make sure it is uncluttered, and does not contain any moving objects, sources of light (lamps) or any object or action that can distract. Avoid framing the subject against a reflecting window or mirror, or against a blank wall decorated with vivid pictures. Look out for signs with obscured letters that could form unwanted words. Avoid objects that appear to be growing out of the subject’s head (particularly poles and trees). If you cannot find a neutral background, you can make up one by draping a bookcase with a simple, darker patterned sheet hung like drapes and clipping it with clamps.

Ask the person to avoid wearing thin stripes or patterned clothes and to wear minimum jewelry. Sit the person down in a comfortable chair. Avoid using swivel chairs because people tend to move in them. Avoid placing any object directly between you and the subject because it acts as a barrier in communication. If you are taping the interview without any other help from a camera or sound person, seat yourself close to the camera but not in front of it and not directly behind it. This way, your subject will be looking at you without looking directly into the camera. You will also be able to look at the LCD display and wear the headphones to listen to the sound.

Framing/Composition

Make sure the camera is set at the eyelevel of the subject. Shooting a person up or down may give an unintended message.

Remember that even if you have the best equipment, you are still the mind of the camera and the quality of the footage depends on how you organize objects in the frame. If there is a third person operating the camera, you can open with a few wide shots, showing the interviewer and the subject and then zoom in on the subject. Get close! Remember that a big face is good on video. Make sure the subject is facing slightly left or right of the camera. Avoid severe profile shots – a good rule of thumb is to be able to see both eyes at all times. Use tighter shots, only when the subject is presenting personal information or to show emotion. Avoid extreme close-ups as they are often unflattering to both the subject and viewer.

Respect the rule of the thirds and give the subject enough head room (space between the top of the subject’s head and the top of the frame) and look room (space between the tip of the nose and the edge of the frame in the direction the person is facing). More on rule of the thirds and composition: simplydv.co.uk/; mediacollege.com/video/interviews/studio.html.

Look at the LCD display or the viewfinder and focus on the person. Use manual focus, when possible.

Sound

Wear headphones. Do a few sound checks and make sure the microphone is working correctly. Listen for any echo or background noise. Suggest closing the window, turning off all phones, pagers, alarm clocks, etc.

During the Interview

Begin the interview gently, asking single open-ended questions.
Be yourself and be relaxed, because it will help your subject feel comfortable as well. If you notice any problem with the sound, lighting, camera, etc. during the interview, politely ask to pause the interview and adjust the problem.
Stay engaged, maintain eye contact, smile. Show interest by leaning forward, nodding, using appropriate facial expressions, or occasionally asking relevant follow-up questions.
Keep the flow going. Ask questions that evoke the subject’s personal history and reflections.
Allow the subject time to think or collect thoughts. If there is an obvious break, ask a question from the list, or clarify points from notes taken earlier in the interview.
Don’t challenge the subject. If you think you may have heard a different side of the story/event described, casually mention it and give it a source.
Stay focused. If your subject strays into subjects that are not pertinent to the interview, gently pull him/her back as soon as possible.
Postpone sensitive questions for later in the interview. Approach topics from different angles. End on a positive note.
Accuracy is important. Try to get the role of the person right in the events she or he is describing.
Keep the footage upbeat. Alternate frames, do very slow zooms or other camera movements.
Keep track of time. Plan a short break after 45 minutes or an hour for bathroom needs and coffee, to change tape and/or battery, and to discuss topics left to cover. Do not tire people. Generally after 50-60 minutes people start to lose focus. Do not exceed an hour and a half of interviewing. If the subject needs significantly more time, schedule a second interview.
Have fun and enjoy the interview. Remember, this is a celebration of our profession!

After the Interview

Thank the person for the interview and time.
Make sure you calrified any spellings. Ask for permission to call back and double check things if you need to.
Ask the subject to sign the Gift and Release Agreement.
Explain the subject what will happen to the material and how it will be used. Ask if they would like a copy of the interview.
If the subject used visual aids, maps, or photographs, identify these and if possible include a copy with the interview disc/tape.
Create a keyword index with personal and place names, project titles, events, and years.
Ask the subject if they have any photographs or documents to donate, share, or copy, as well as any wildlife-related equipment.
If possible, obtain a resume and bio to accompany the disc/tape.
Complete the Tape Identification and Interview Report form.
Transfer your video to a DVD or CD-R (for audio files) and review the interview to make sure the transfer is done correctly, audio and video are in-sync, and that the interview can be played back without any problems.
Label each tape/disc with subject's name, interviewer's name, date, tape number, and location of interview.
Provide transcript of the interview, typed in a Microsoft Word or Txt document.