Codes and Conventions of filming and editing interviews

After watching a variety of documentaries we came up with the typical codes and conventions of filming and editing an interviews the are:

· Interviewee positioned to left or right of the frame
· Interviewees are filmed in medium close-up, mid-shot or close-up
· Questions are edited out
· The mise-en-scene (background) of interviews is relevant. It reinforces the content of the interview or is relevant to the interviewee, providing more information about them in terms of occupation or personal environment
· Graphics are used to anchor who the person is on screen and their relevance to the topic of the documentary
· Interviewee looks at the interviewer not directly at the camera
· Positioning of the interviewer is important. If the interviewee is on the right of the frame the interviewer is left of the camera and vice versa. The interviewer should sit or stand as close to the camera as possible
· Framing follows the rule of thirds. Eye line of interviewee is roughly a third of the way down the screen
· Interviews are never filmed with a light source behind the interviewee (i.e. in front of a window or with the sun behind them).The light source is always behind the camera
· Cut aways are edited into interviews for two reasons. To break up interviews ad illustrate what they are talking about. To avoid jump cut when the questions are edited out
· Cut aways are either archive material. Cut aways are also suggested by something said in the interview and therefore filmed after the interview. Sometimes aspects of the interviewee are filmed with another camera such as extreme close-up of eyes, mouth and hands
· All interviewees are sat down. Makes for consistent filming

Below are examples of documentaries that we watched and others
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42Zj8R0kumw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orLGl7c5oHc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSt9x5TSWnU&feature=related