Preparing for an Interview on Talking to Beginners in the Future
How to Shoot High-Quality Interview Footage
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Camera Position
① Viewers usually prefer scenes with a sense of depth, so place the camera along the longest diagonal of the room, and have the interviewee sit near the background at about one-third along the diagonal.
② If the background is a wall, make sure no one outside the door interrupts the interview; you can open the door in the wall to extend the space visually. -
Eye Line
① Set one main mid-shot camera to capture the upper body, and another close-up camera focusing on the shoulder and the interviewee’s facial expressions.
② Capturing footage is more important than filming perfectly; you can place a phone next to the main camera as a secondary angle to provide more material for post-editing. If only one camera is available, shoot at a higher resolution to allow for cropping during editing.
③ If there are multiple cameras, position them on the same side as the interviewer to avoid the interviewee’s gaze wandering left or right, which would affect viewing (following the 180° rule).
④ To shoot an interviewer looking directly into the camera, the interviewer can start a video call on their phone and place it where the teleprompter would be; this allows the interviewee to face the lens more naturally and relax. -
Composition
① It is recommended to use a relatively long focal length; telephoto lenses cause less distortion compared to wide-angle lenses, have shallower depth of field, and better highlight the subject (main camera 50mm, close-up 85mm or longer).
② When talking, shoot the person centered in the frame; during the interview, it’s better to position the person slightly to one side to leave space for their gaze. Leave about three to four finger-widths of space above the head, though unorthodox compositions can be used depending on the atmosphere desired. -
Lighting
① Place the key light 45° above and to the side of the face, creating a Rembrandt lighting effect with a triangle of light on the cheek and a shadow under the chin, which makes the subject’s contours clearer.
② Use fill light on the side of the face facing the camera to create a cinematic look.
③ A tungsten lamp around 200 watts can also produce good effects. If the light is too harsh, you can soften it with a diffuser like a foam board or a reflector costing 20-30 yuan to bounce or soften the light. This can widen the light’s range and brighten the background, so in this case, cover the tungsten lamp with blackened foil to control the light. -
Sound Recording
① Add soft materials (acoustic foam, foam pads), or use carpets, blankets, or quilts between the person and the walls/floor to reduce echoes.
② Get the microphone as close as possible; you can place a shotgun microphone at about 45° above and in front of the person’s throat (other highly directional microphones or a phone can also work).
③ For more professional setups, use strong tape to stick two triangles back-to-back facing outwards, attach a lavalier mic head facing upwards in the middle, then stick it inside the collar for hidden recording with better sound quality.
④ Keep monitoring volume moderate to detect noise and turn off noise-producing devices such as air conditioners, fans, or computer towers.
⑤ Set gain as high as possible to reduce noise ratio while ensuring the sound does not clip.