Original Questions to Ask During Author Interviews

50 Brilliant, Original Questions to ask an Author - Bookfox

Start with Why....then:

Who is your audience and why will they care about the story and the characters? How has the book evolved during the creation process? How has writing this book changed your life? --- 11. Do you think someone could be a writer if they don’t feel emotions strongly? 14. If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be? 26. What does literary success look like to you? 29. Do you view writing as a kind of spiritual practice? 46. What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?

Microphones for Interview and Outdoor Recording

Unidirectional Lavalier/Lapel Microphones
When filming wedding interviews and business promo interviews, background noise can be a problem.  Unidirectional microphones do a great job of eliminating background noise.  The only thing to watch out for is that the person speaking does not turn their head too far away from where the lav mic is pointing.

Olympus Microphone ME-52W Noise Cancellation Mic
$20
4.1 stars on Amazon
* 3.5mm microphone jack for uni-directional recording in high-noise environments.
* Requires "plug-in" power in your recorder (Works with the DR-05 and the Zoom recorders that have 3.5mm jacks.)
* Some reviewers have said it does not work with smart phones...probably because it's not the right type of connection for an iPhone or because of the plug-in power requirement.


Handheld Wireless Microphones

Fifine UHF Wireless Handheld Dynamic Microphone
$50
4.2 stars on Amazon
* Seems to be one of the only inexpensive wireless handheld mics on Amazon that actually has a good rating.
* Reviewers said it was heavy and seemed to have a solid build quality.
* Does not have an antenna cable hanging off the end of the mic (most cheap wireless handhelds have this).







Hisonic HS308L Portable Wireless and Wired 2 in 1 Microphone
$25
3.4 stars on Amazon
* Primarily for Karaoke use
* Build quality is mentioned in a few reviews where people were suprised how good it was, but the weight and overall build quality is probably lower than the
* Silver color is not as professional



For Smart Phones:

iPro-Max pro Lavalier Lapel Microphone Clip-on Directional
$34
4.5 stars on Amazon
* Uni-directional
* Includes two windscreens, two clips, extended mic wire length, velvet protection bag and Smart Conversion Adapter Cable for ultimate connection with all devices


Unidirectional Handheld Microphones

GLS Audio Vocal Microphone ES-58 & Mic Clip - Professional Series ES58
$30
4.4 stars on Amazon
* No on/off switch

How to Get Great Interview Footage

9 Tips to shoot an interview Documentary Style
Create an outline with several points you want to cover.

Have the subject repeat the question in their answer.

Shoulder rig with follow focus used during documentary interview.
[frame from Shooting a Documentary Style Interview - Video Tutorial - YouTube]

Shoot your interview with two cameras. Choose the camera positions by where you would like the subject to look. One wider shot showing the subject in their environment, and a close up camera that creates intimacy with the subject.

Capture two audio sources in case one of them has a problem. A wireless lav mic is great for interviews because it cuts down on background noise. A shotgun mic can capture a second audio source.

When a question sparks emotion, follow it up with questions along the same line.

Make the interview conversational and always look at your subject so they feel comfortable.

Get B-Roll about everything possible that your subject talks about.  It will make the editing process go much smoother and makes the piece a lot richer.

Don’t give out specific questions in advance
I cannot stress this point strongly enough. It’s perfectly acceptable to give someone a general idea of what the interview will be about, but do not give them your list of questions. If you do, they will try to memorize their answers in advance and you will lose spontaneity and freshness. Your interview will end up feeling stale, unauthentic and rehearsed. [via: Top 10 Video Interviewing Tips for Documentary Filmmaking]

Learn more:

What I Learned After Conducting 40+ Interviews for My First Feature Documentary

Top 10 Video Interviewing Tips for Documentary Filmmaking