Condensed from a workshop on best practices for working with non-actors on camera, given by Amy DeLouise at GVExpo.

1. WORKING WITH
REAL PEOPLE ON CAMERA
© Amy DeLouise. All Rights
Reserved.
@brandbuzz GV Expo 2018 – Video examples removed – those were for
attendees only!

2. Other Resources
 Lynda #LinkedInLearning Courses
 http://bit.ly/ArtofInterview
 http://bit.ly/HowtoScript
 Corporate Video Weekly
 https://www.lynda.com/Video-tutorials/Having-pre-interview-session/590838/659164-
4.html
 https://www.lynda.com/Video-tutorials/Researching-your-subject-before-video-
interview/590838/659168-4.html
 https://www.lynda.com/Video-tutorials/Staging-video-interview/590838/659172-4.html
 The Producer’s Playbook: Real People on Camera from Focal Press
 https://www.routledge.com/The-Producers-Playbook-Real-People-on-Camera-Directing-
and-Working-with/DeLouise/p/book/9781315686936

3. Getting in Touch
 Slides on slideshare.net/amydelouise
 Slides are also on my website at
www.amydelouise.com/speaking
 Follow me on Twitter @brandbuzz
 On Instagram: adbrandbuzz
 www.Lynda.com/AmyDeLouise

4. Today
How can we…
 Be more effective storytellers?
 Overcome obstacles?
 Make the best use of
technology and budget?
 Bring out the best from real
people?
 Even challenging people (or
about challenging subjects)

5. Agenda
 Why Real People
 Planning
 Research
 Preparing Your Subject
 Location Scouting
 What Type of
Learner?
 Defining Your Story Arc
 Tips for Challenging
People
 Production Tips
 Sound
 Picture
 Lighting
 Wrap-Up

6. WHY REAL PEOPLE

7. With Real People We Can…
 Enter their lives for a moment
 Gain an emotional connection for viewer
 Give a “window” into main issue or story theme
 Have a natural narrator rather than actor
 Be authentic to an issue, cause, or environment
 Provide an expert with specialized information

8. Research Tells Us…
 When we connect with other people on screen, we
develop “Narrative Transportation”
 Empathy
 Proximity to content
 Identification with characters
 Emotions experienced
 Our brain chemistry even changes when we are
engaged with characters in a strong narrative!

9. When NOT to Use Non-Actors
 “Because it’s cheaper.” It’s not.
 Mountains of dialogue or teleprompter copy
 Story is not connected to their personal experience
 Not enough time
 Producer doesn’t have time to get to know them/pre-interview
 Subject doesn’t have time for camera set-ups, retakes
 A subject who doesn’t take direction well
 A subject who is self-conscious in front of others

10. PLANNING

11. Pre-Production Road Map
 Get to Know Your Subject
 What role will real characters play in your story?
 Prepare Your Subject
 How can you make them most comfortable and ready?
 Avoid over-preparing
 Get to Know Your Location
 What role does location play in your story?
 Challenges and solutions?

12. Getting to Know Your Subject

13. Why Pre-Interview?
 Personal connection before on set
 Phone can give you insights (better than Skype or in
person)
 An opportunity to reinforce WHY you want to tell
their story
 Understand their perspective, THEIR goals and
concerns

14. Pre-Interview Keys
 At least 2 wks prior to shoot when possible
 Record (with permission)
 Use it to…
 Share the game plan
 Finalize logistics (including wardrobe)
 Map out key themes
 Uncover visual and audio elements
 Begin to build your story arc
 Develop questions that elicit best answers

15. After the Pre-Interview
 Create a shot list
 Create an elements list
 Send an email with follow-up on any wardrobe or
logistics discussed
 Themes will be shared prior to shoot
 Begin to reverse engineer your interview questions
 Consider other platforms/versions
 Think about how to elicit “evergreen” answers

16. Additional Research
 Use multiple background sources
 Talk to validators – family, friends, gatekeepers
 Read articles, blogs, book summaries
 Know stories he/she is likely to tell
 Who are the gatekeepers?
 What are their concerns? How can you help them?
 Learn views, biases, concerns

17. Preparing Your Subject to Be On Camera

18. Prepare Interviewee for the Experience
Three areas to prepare:
1. Content Delivery
2. Appearance
3. The Shooting Environment

19. Content Delivery
 You are the expert
 We’re here to work with you
 We want you to look and sound
your best
 Send in advance
 General themes and topics
 Prompts to think of examples
 What NOT to send in advance
 Your story arc
 Your exact questions

20. Appearance
 Send in writing
 Repeat 24-36 hrs before shoot
 Repeat day of shoot
 Personal grooming
 Men may need to shave right before taping
 Do you want women to groom their own hair?
 Explain makeup artist’s role, if you plan to
have one
 Ask for multiple clothing options
 Extra ties, scarves, jackets, tops, accessories

21. The Shooting Environment
 On camera subject
prepped for seeing gear
and crew
 Reassured we are having
a conversation
 We are on their side—not
a confrontational setting

22. Get to Know Your Location

23. Setting is a Character
 Sets tone
 Supports theme
 Defines characters
 Can add or detract
from emotional impact

24. Setting Decisions
 Interior or Exterior?
 Real or Studio?
 Green screen?
 Impact on non-
professionals
 Comfortable
 Distracting
 Intimidating
 Welcoming

25. Plan ahead for obstacles
 Sirens, busy times of day, internal noise issues
 Parking, load-in, staging area for gear
 Location permits and permissions
 Look for copyrighted images, buildings, sculptures

26. Location Scouting Tips
 If you can’t scout, use
tools
 Websites
 Flickr
 Google Map street view
 OpenStreetMap
 Foursquare
 LightTrac

27. Questions?

28. What Type of Learner?

29. What Kind of Learner?
 Visual – needs to visualize; may want to see
your questions or a diagram of action first
 Auditory – conceptualizes; good storytellers
 Kinesthetic –learns by doing; may need to
walk through the process several times; or
describe process if an interview

30. What Kind of Learner?
 Visual – up
 Auditory - side
 Kinesthetic –down/right

31. Now That You Know…
 Adapt question style to learning style
 Consider other locations for interview
 Consider how person will be most comfortable
 Let them look at their notes – it depends

32. IN PRODUCTION WITH REAL PEOPLE

33. Start with Sound

34. Sound Environment
 Who/what is nearby?
 If noise, is it part of the
story?
 Room tone for long
interviews
 Planning for wild sound
and other natural elements
 Authenticity

35. Audio Tools for Filmmakers on the Move

36. Shot Coverage for Sound
 Shooting sequence
 Tight to wide, rather
than wide to tight
 Share early with
mixer/designer

37. Picture

38. The Visual Environment
 Minimize distractions
 Plan ahead to cut lingo
 Watch eye lines
 In larger setups, use a
silk to hide people and
video village

40. Lighting Decisions
 Key Light
 Natural, sourced or mixed?
 Lighting Options
 LED Panels
 Genaray Bi-colors
 Nila
 Kino Flos
 3200 and 5500k tubes
 Other Options

41. Framing Your Shot
 Information that
informs us about this
person
 Interviewer in or out?
 2 camera options

42. Re-enactments
 What constitutes a re-enactment?
 Broll retake of action
 Full-scale re-enactments
 Shot coverage and multiple angles
 Sliders
 Hang a Go-Pro

43. 2nd Camera Options
 Camera in motion
 Jibs
 Sliders
 Parabolic
 Manual

44. Plan for Assets to Support Story
 “Interstitial” shots (even in
studio)
 BTS photos for social shares
 If OK with subject!

45. Other Camera Considerations
 Hand held, on sticks or dolly?
 Multi-cam or single?
 Always consider impact on real people

46. Releases
 Use this time to connect with your interviewee
 Resources
 iRelease
 ReleaseMe
 https://asmp.org
 Be careful about
 Copyrighted buildings, sculptures, artwork
 Logos on T-shirts, soda cans, computers
 Put release PDF with your interview files!

47. Define Your Story Arc

48. Secret to a Great Interview
 A list of questions isn’t
enough
 A great subject isn’t
enough
 An interesting person isn’t
enough
 Story plan is essential

49. Story Arc
The Hook and
the Climax
are related.
(Hook hints at
Climax or
Turning Point
in the story)

50. Questions to Build a Story Arc
 Preamble
 Your first questions are throw-aways, confidence-builders
 This is not really the open for your show
 Exposition
 What info does our audience need to know?
 Challenge & Resolution (and Hook)
 Ask “how” “why” and examples questions
 Get a short version for your hook—”it all started with…”

51. Questions to Build a Story Arc
 Impact / Resolution Get big-picture answers/Thematic
 Elicit a call to action if relevant (better than using text or a
narrator)
 Call to Action
 If you would say one thing to someone in your same
situation…

52. Questions to Build a Story Arc
 Conclusion
 The conclusion of the interview should be a high point, but it may not
be your ending in terms of the edit
 Build in a satisfying end to your conversation for interviewee
 Opportunity to continue relationship
 Give them the opportunity to share anything additional
 Don’t start throwing in extra questions or go back to the big story
now
 Help them wrap up by asking big picture” questions: “What’s the
ONE THING you think people should know about X?”

53. Review: Questions to Build a Story Arc
 Preamble/Warmup
 Exposition
 Challenge/Climax
 Hook
 Resolution
 Call to Action

54. More on Story Arc
 FREE RESOURCE http://www.lynda.com/Video-
Shooting-Video-tutorials/Creating-story-arc-your-
questions/141499/155890-4.html

55. Thinking Ahead for Transcripts

56. Transcript Workflow
 Record Timecode and Track Info (speaker name, frame rate,
sample rate, bit rate)
 TC Recorders: Sound Devices 744t, 788t, 664, and 633 and
the Zaxcom Nomad and Maxx
 Mixer: Sound Devices 552
 Need to record TC to audio track: Tascam DR-05 and -07 and
the Zoom H4N and newer H5 and H6
 Output mp3 or wav files of audio only
 Outsourcing transcriptions
 Note alternative sound bites for future versions or related
web/social media

57. Transcript Tools
 Builder by Lumberjack (FCP)
 LumberjackSystem.com/builder.html
 Transcriptives (PP) $299
 https://store.digitalanarchy.com/vi
deoplugins/263-transcriptive.html
 Speechmatics – AI - .08/min
 Human Transcribers - $1-2/min
 Discern accents
 Recognize acronyms
 Noble Transcription

58. INTERVIEWING STRATEGIES

59. Build Rapport
 Pre-interview chat
 Introduce crew
 Makeup artist can
break the ice —or that
might be you!
 Don’t let tech issues
distract your subject

61. Make a Human Connection
 For interviews, don’t break
eye line
 Lean…sideways
 Confidence-building
 Show them you’ve spent the
time to learn about them.
 Make reference to a speech,
book, etc.
 Constant smiling and
nodding

63. Can You Repeat That?
 Try body language first
 Or a quick gesture
 Or a “sorry, I didn’t…”
 If you must ask them to repeat, ask another way
 Avoid “as I said before”
 Get them to use your words
 “Can you tell me why this is a bold new program?”

64. Can You Please Stop Talking?!
 Try body language first
 Or …break eye contact

65. INTERVIEWING TIPS

66. Interviewing Experts and VIPs
 Come prepared
 Writings
 Lectures
 Give big-picture project goals
 Encourage storytelling
 They may want to give a thesis
 Ask “for laypeople…”
 Be prepared for them to be distracted
 Know the Handlers
 Give them a place to sit out of
eye line
 Give them an opportunity to talk

67. Limited Time Situations
 Build rapport during release-signing or walk to set
 More like a conversation
 No more than 4 questions, if interview
 Maximize multiple cams for re-enactments
 Keep as many handlers out of the room as possible!
 Big picture wrap-up “the one thing”

68. English as a Second Language
 Seated best
 Q&A format may not work
 Offer more background on Q
 Ask for a story
 Get clarifications, definitions
 Be Prepared to Wait

69. Couples
 Get to know their style
together
 Prep them on which
order for interviews
 Capitalize on the
relationship for re-
enactments

70. The Very Young
 Avoid Yes, No Answers
 Encourage storytelling
 Ask “how,” “why” and feelings questions
 Get declarative descriptors to edit into overly short answers
 Interview standing up
 Try to avoid parents cueing (speak with them before-hand)
 Play the invisible game!

71. This slide deck is at https://www.slideshare.net/AmyDeLouise
WRAPPING UP: FINAL THOUGHTS

72. THANK YOU!
@brandbuzz www.amydelouise.com