Codes and Conventions of filming and editing interviews

After watching both these interviews, one about the simpsons and another about the making of jaws the movie, as a class we drew up the codes and conventions that were showin in the two clips. The codes and conventions of filming and editing interviews were used thoughout the two clips and are shown below.


Codes and conventions of filming and editing interviews

• Interviewee positioned to the left or right of frame - if more than one it alternates

• Filmed in medium shot, medium close up and close up

• Questions are edited out

• Mise en scene- background 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 the relevance to the topic of documentary-sub line

• The interviewee looks at the interviewer, not directly at the camera

• Positioning of the interviewer is therefore important. If the interviewee is on the right of the frame, the interviewer is on the left of the camera.

• The interviewer should sit or stand as close to the camera as possible

• Framing follows the rule of thirds-eye line roughly a third of the way down the screen.

• They're never filmed with a light source behind the interviewee i.e. in front of the window or the sun behind them

• Cutaways are edited into the videos for two reasons- break up interviews and illustrate what they're talking about- to avoid jump cuts, when questions are edited out.

• Cutaways are either :archive material suggested by something said in interview and therefore filmed after the interview

• Sometimes aspects of the interview are filmed with another camera e.g. extra close-ups of eyes, mouth and hands and used as cut aways