Tips for an Awesome Interview

Completing an interview isn't always such an easy task. These five tips will help an interview go over smoothly.

1. Research about your interviewee and the topic. For example if you are interviewing a football player, research the team, stats, positions or things specific to the individual. You don't want to make yourself look like you don't know what you are talking about.

2.   Prepare your set before the interviewee arrives. Make sure your set, lighting, supplies and camera                               are all ready to go. It's awkward for the interviewee to stand and watch you set up.

3. During the interview it is okay to deviate from your pre made questions list. If you think of any additional questions as you go, just ask it. Any clarifying questions may be helpful for you to develop the story.

4. Make sure you always always always have the interviewee restate the question. Even if this means stopping the interview to re-ask the question. The video will sound better if they restate the question.

5. Make sure the interviewee feels comfortable in the interview. Having a chair on set will help. Ask some basic warm up questions before asking about a touchy subject. Making the interview feel like a conversation will make them less nervous overall.

BONUS TIP

Wait a couple seconds after they answer the question. This will be easier to edit if the sound bites are easily identified. Interrupting the interviewee (besides from being rude) makes it harder to edit.

EXTRA BONUS TIP

Let the interviewee read the pre made questions before you ask them, this way they have some idea of what the interview is about and how to respond to the questions. If not their answers might be shorter and more choppy than if they have background information.

The Best of 2014

Dr. Poss' Ice Bucket Challenge was all shot and edited in the same day. I didn't shoot the footage but I was able to put the package together in about forty minutes with the help of Ryley DeMaro and Jessie Payne. The video was a response to RFC's challenge to Dr. Poss.

We had a wide variety of shots to choose from which helped the composition of the package. The overall concept of the video also made it very popular. It was hard to edit with a lack of B-roll so the end result turned out pretty well.

Next time I would add different angles and line up the shots more. It was challenging to do with the small amount of footage, so next time if possible I would try to gather more film to use.

For homecoming week Olathe Northwest put on their first annual parade. Again with this package I was not the one who filmed the footage, however I edited with the assistance of Jessie Payne.

Again with this package there were a variety of shots to choose from thanks to the three fellow journalists who filmed the parade. The interviews throughout the package worked really well to tie everything together.

If I had the chance to redo this edit I would make the package tie more together with a constant audio component like the fight song and maybe add more shots.




I have not completed many individual videos, however I have helped edit and shoot interviews for other packages like the feature on Cameron Gueldner and the football hype video. This year I've been able to expand my photography skills by taking pictures for the fall media guide and shooting the varsity boys soccer team. Below are some of my favorite pictures I have taken so far this season.

I have been able to use these pictures to use writing stories about the team. 

http://www.onwravens.net/ravendaily/?p=14726

Below are the photos I took that were used in the fall media guide.