Stage 1
In stage 1 you need to determine what the topic of your interview is going to be and thinking about the questions you are going to ask.
Stage 2
In stage 2 you need to research into the topic that you have chosen to do an interview on and then you need to write out the questions that you have concluded form your research.
Stage 3
In stage 3 you need to select who you are going to interview and make sure you have contacted them so that you are able to interview them. You also need to do research into the interviewees as you need to have a good reason to interview them.
Stage 4
Stage 4 is where you structure your interview and you do this by putting all questions in order by following the rules of confidence building and key questions and a wind up at the end.
Stage 5
Stage 5 is when you conduct the interview therefore you go and do the interview and record it.
People use this structure for many reasons the main one being is that by using this structure it will appeal to the audience watching the interview and it will make sense and be interesting. Also another reason why this is a good structure as it is the best way to get the answers you want out of the interviewee as you relax them first and then go into the questions so it is also a way of making the interviewee comfortable and getting the best possible answers out of them.
Friday, 4 February 2011
Communication Skills: Body language
Body language is the way you present yourself in an interview. When doing an interview you need to be natural and stay in your own space and do not invade your interviewee's space as it will put them of answering and responding well. The only time you could go into someones space would be if you already knew the person you were interviewing.
Here is a clear case of bad body language as the interviewer (Russell Harty) has his back to one of the interviewees(Grace Jones) making her feel uncomfortable and left out therefore she gets angry and starts hitting the inrerviewer. Therefore from this video you can clearly see how body language can affect the interviewee.
As you can see the interviewer (Ellen Degeneres) has good body language towards the interviewee (Ellen Page) as she is looking at Ellen Page and making eye contact with her yet keeping in her own space therefore making Ellen Page feel comfortable and therefore good answers are said and she feels realxed to answer all the questions.
Here is a clear case of bad body language as the interviewer (Russell Harty) has his back to one of the interviewees(Grace Jones) making her feel uncomfortable and left out therefore she gets angry and starts hitting the inrerviewer. Therefore from this video you can clearly see how body language can affect the interviewee.
As you can see the interviewer (Ellen Degeneres) has good body language towards the interviewee (Ellen Page) as she is looking at Ellen Page and making eye contact with her yet keeping in her own space therefore making Ellen Page feel comfortable and therefore good answers are said and she feels realxed to answer all the questions.
Communication Skills: Active Listening
Active listening is when you as the interviewer listen to the response that they are giving to you and then you show them that you have in fact listened to there response. You would do this by responding with a question that summarises what they have just said so they know that you are listening.
It is a good idea to use active listening as it shows communication between the interviewer and interviewee and this can also be shown by the eye contact between them and this therefore might make the interviewee comfortable as they know that they are being listened to and therefore will carry on talking and answering to in depth questions.
As you can see in this interview when the interviewee (Natilie Portman) is speaking and answering the questions the interviewer (Ellen Degeneres) is active listening as you can see this by the way she nods her head and agrees throughout when Natilie Portman is speaking and then she responds with a question that summarises what was said, therefore this way Natilie Portman knows that Ellen is listening to what she is saying.
It is a good idea to use active listening as it shows communication between the interviewer and interviewee and this can also be shown by the eye contact between them and this therefore might make the interviewee comfortable as they know that they are being listened to and therefore will carry on talking and answering to in depth questions.
As you can see in this interview when the interviewee (Natilie Portman) is speaking and answering the questions the interviewer (Ellen Degeneres) is active listening as you can see this by the way she nods her head and agrees throughout when Natilie Portman is speaking and then she responds with a question that summarises what was said, therefore this way Natilie Portman knows that Ellen is listening to what she is saying.
Communication skills: Building Rapport
Building rapport is when you as the interviewer get a good understanding with the interviewee. This can happen even if they do not agree on all things but as long as you have an understanding of each other you can get a good interview out of it. People who are good at this are people like Jonathon Ross and Alan Carr.
Also other people who are good at 'building rapport' are politicians as building rapport also means that you need to have respect for each other even though you share different views. Therefore this is why politicians are good at this as they all have polarised views but they have respect for what each other has to say even though they do not agree with it at all.
Also other people who are good at 'building rapport' are politicians as building rapport also means that you need to have respect for each other even though you share different views. Therefore this is why politicians are good at this as they all have polarised views but they have respect for what each other has to say even though they do not agree with it at all.
Thursday, 3 February 2011
Structuring - Windup
The windup is the very last thing in the interview and it literally just winds up the interview and brings the whole thing to a close. You would generally end on a nice light hearted question and also then thank the person for being interviewed.
As you can see at the end of this interview Jonathan Ross winds it all up by complimenting her on her movies and then saying thank you for the interview. The wind up is always polite at the end of the interview and also signals to the audience that the interview is ending.
As you can see at the end of this interview Jonathan Ross winds it all up by complimenting her on her movies and then saying thank you for the interview. The wind up is always polite at the end of the interview and also signals to the audience that the interview is ending.
Structuring - Summary
At the end of the interview you need to summarise all the questions you have asked in a question so that you can get a good conclusion on the topic of the interview.
Structuring - Sound Bites
Sound Bites are little sections that can be cut out of the interview so that you can use them to advertise the interview as a whole. If after you have asked your key questions in the interview and you realise that you have nothing that can create a good sound bite you would then ask a question that would give you this. A classic example of a sound bite would be if you are watching the adverts on your television and then an advert for an episode of Jonathon Ross comes on and you get a slight glimpse of the interview this would therefore be the sound bite in the interview.
Above is an example of sound bites on the advert for Piers Morgan's Life stories where the interviewee is Cheryl Cole. As you can see there are clear sound bites here which help advertise this show so people will watch it. This sound bite like all other sound bites implies that there is some interesting scoop to be seen therefore it gets the audience hooked and will make them want to watch the show as it may reveal something that we as the audience have never even heard.
Above is an example of sound bites on the advert for Piers Morgan's Life stories where the interviewee is Cheryl Cole. As you can see there are clear sound bites here which help advertise this show so people will watch it. This sound bite like all other sound bites implies that there is some interesting scoop to be seen therefore it gets the audience hooked and will make them want to watch the show as it may reveal something that we as the audience have never even heard.
Structering - Key Questions
In your interview the key questions are the most important part, this is because your key questions is what you base the rest of your questions around. Your key questions also tell you what the whole of the interview is based on so without these you would not have an interview at all. Key questions are also generally places towards the front of the interview as this is to signal what the whole topic of the interview is on and what the more complex questions will be about. However if the topic of the interview is more emotional and personal then the key questions will be placed more towards the middle of the interview as then by this point the interviewee will be secure to answer these questions as the interviewer will have had time to relax them and make them feel comfortable enough.
Structering - Confidence building
Before you start asking questions about the topic that you are planning to question your interviewee on, to structure your interview well you would need to do confidence building. This is where you help the interviewee get some confidence so that when you do ask your questions they will respond with confidence and give you nice long detailed answers. A good way to build up someones confidence is compliment the person for instance on the work they have done or what they have achieved.
This is a very good example of confidence building as you can see at 1:40 you can see that the interviewer(Ellen) is praising her on how good the movie is and also talking about Oscars slightly before hand. This therefore makes Mila Kunis feel good about herself and gives her this confidence. It also relaxes her and by the interviewer using eye contact it puts the interviewee into this relaxed state and therefore makes them gain this confidence.
Also you can see at the beginning that Ellen introduces the whole interview which shows a good example of that and you can see how she engages the audience in this way and shows a clip of the movie so we know what the interview is going to be talking about.
This is a very good example of confidence building as you can see at 1:40 you can see that the interviewer(Ellen) is praising her on how good the movie is and also talking about Oscars slightly before hand. This therefore makes Mila Kunis feel good about herself and gives her this confidence. It also relaxes her and by the interviewer using eye contact it puts the interviewee into this relaxed state and therefore makes them gain this confidence.
Also you can see at the beginning that Ellen introduces the whole interview which shows a good example of that and you can see how she engages the audience in this way and shows a clip of the movie so we know what the interview is going to be talking about.
Structering - Developmental Questions
Developmental questions are generally light hearted questions to get the interview started. The developmental questions often also set the mood to the interview for instance the interviewer would ask short light hearted questions which will make the whole interview feel more relaxing for the interviewee. An example of a developmental question would be: How are you?
Structuring - Introduction
You need to start your interview off by having an introduction. This will introduce the interviewee into what the topic of the interview is.You would need to relax your interviewee before going straight into the questions as otherwise it will put them off completely and you will not get good answers.
Structuring
Structuring an interview is very important as because you are the interviewer you can not just jump straight into the hard long questions as it will put the interviewee of and you will not get very good answers out of it. You as the interviewer want to get the best possible interview that you can so therefore you have to structure it so that it will interest the target audience, you also have to structure it so that you get the answers you are wanting.
Overt and Covert
Overt means that the interview is done so that the interviewee knows that they are being interviewed. Whereas covert is the complete opposite to overt as covert is where the interview is hidden and completely secret so the interviewee does not know the interview is going on. To do a covert interview you would need to use surveillance and things like this so that the interviewee has no idea that they are being interviewed at all.
This is a clear example of an overt interview as you can see that Jake Gyllanhaal knows he is being interviewed by Jonathon Ross. Whereas if this interview were to be covert then Jake Gyllanhaal would not know he is being interviewed and the cameras would be hidden so he cant see them.
This is a clear example of an overt interview as you can see that Jake Gyllanhaal knows he is being interviewed by Jonathon Ross. Whereas if this interview were to be covert then Jake Gyllanhaal would not know he is being interviewed and the cameras would be hidden so he cant see them.
Promotional
If the interview has a promotional style than this means that the interviewee will be promoting something generally something to do with the media. Therefore it could be a band promoting their new album or an actor or director promoting their new movie that is coming out.
Below is a classic example of a an interview which has the promotional style. As you can see Emma Watson and Rupert Grint are doing an interview which is promoting the first Harry Potter movie. By them beign asked questions about the movie it is promoting it and people watching the interview will then want to go watch the movie.
Below is a classic example of a an interview which has the promotional style. As you can see Emma Watson and Rupert Grint are doing an interview which is promoting the first Harry Potter movie. By them beign asked questions about the movie it is promoting it and people watching the interview will then want to go watch the movie.
Investigative
Investigative news is in some ways a lot like hard news by the fact it is generally about current affairs and the fact that investigative news has a slight political feel to it. Investigative is also either biased or unbiased and would in some cases would be covert and undercover as to get the answers they want out of the interview.
Wednesday, 2 February 2011
Entertainment
Here is a typical interview which has an entertainment style. As entertainment is all about celebrities and entertainment in the media therefore focusing on celebrities and their lives. I have chosen an interview with the pop star Justin Bieber as this would interest people and they would watch it because it is about him and what he is doing therefore this interview follows the entertainment style.
Combative
If you use a combative style then the interviewer is considered as quite aggressive towards the interviewee and can also come across as very determined to get the information out of the person. The interviewer also comes across quite hostile towards the interviewee.
A person who is very good at combative interviewing is Jeremy Paxman and he is known for being very intimidating and aggressive yet tough towards his interviewees especially politicians. Below is a famous interview with the conservative politician Micheal Howard, this interview shows a clear combative style as you can see how Paxman is quite hostile and blunt and is trying to get information out of Micheal Howard. Some people have even claimed that he is even out of line with the questions he asks Michael Howard yet this is just the combative style.
A person who is very good at combative interviewing is Jeremy Paxman and he is known for being very intimidating and aggressive yet tough towards his interviewees especially politicians. Below is a famous interview with the conservative politician Micheal Howard, this interview shows a clear combative style as you can see how Paxman is quite hostile and blunt and is trying to get information out of Micheal Howard. Some people have even claimed that he is even out of line with the questions he asks Michael Howard yet this is just the combative style.
Soft news/ Light-hearted
Soft or light-hearted news is not seen as important or serious as hard news.Soft or light-hearted news is so much different than hard news as it is not serious at all yet is still shown on places like the news. This type of news is also presented towards the end of a news program as it is uplifting for the audience rather than having more serious hard news. This way by having it at the end it puts people in the happy mood to sit and watch the rest of prime time television.
Below is a video of a dog trying to save another dog. The video was showed on the news and you can hear the interviewer talking about the event that has taken place as it is not about current affairs or anything serious like murder or current wars it is therefore considered soft or light-hearted news.
Below is a video of a dog trying to save another dog. The video was showed on the news and you can hear the interviewer talking about the event that has taken place as it is not about current affairs or anything serious like murder or current wars it is therefore considered soft or light-hearted news.
As you can see this video will put people in an uplifting mood as they have just seen something positive and happy rather than some serious hard news which could result in quite an upsetting mood or a negative mood.
Hard News
Hard News is all factual and is seen as mostly important and serious news. It sets a serious tone and atmosphere to show the importance of the information that is being put across. Hard news would be things about murders or any news about wars that are going on, so in general any current affairs.
Below is an example of hard news. This is hard news as it is about current affairs which is serious and important, the video tells you exactly what is going on with interviews as well therefore this is considered Hard News.
Below is an example of hard news. This is hard news as it is about current affairs which is serious and important, the video tells you exactly what is going on with interviews as well therefore this is considered Hard News.
Hard news is always placed towards the beginning as this way it gets all the important and serious information out of the way so that soft news can then be shared. As hard news will put people down therefore you will not want to hear that right before watching a show as it will give the whole thing a bad vibe therefore you have it first so that soft news can then be placed at the end to put people in a happy state for the rest of their evening.
Style of an Interview
In the interview the style is how the story is delivered and written. There are many different styles of an interview which would be used in different situations such as Hard news, Soft news, combative, entertainment, investigative, promotional, overt and covert. Each of these styles would be used for different reasons and you would get a different type of response from the interviewee when interviewing them.
Suggestive Questioning
Suggestive questions are a very useful style of questions as by using them you can get the answer you want out of a person. A suggestive question is a 'leading technique' as it makes it known that there is a certain answer is expected of the question. Also like closed questions, suggestive questions keep the interviewer in control of the interview. Suggestive questions are also commonly used by news journalists as it gets the specific answer they want. However suggestive questions can sometimes be seen as aggresive as you as the interviewee can feel that you have no choise but to answer in a particular way as suggestive questions generally start off with "surely.." Therefore as you can see if it starts off like that then you feel as though you have to agree which is why it can sometimes see quite aggresive. On the other hand Louis Theroux is much more subtle at using suggestive questions therefore it does not come across as agressive.
Indirect Questions
Indirect questions are questions that do not necessarily need a responce yet it is aksed in a certain way that their is a responce from the interviewee. An example of an indirect question would start of with "I wonder...." Therefore you can see that you would get an answer even though you are not really expecting one, so as you can see indirect questions tend to be quite subtle and not obvious questions.
Direct Questioning
Direct Questions get straight to the point when asking a question and are also considered potentially blunt. This is because direct questions often start with any word beginning with the letter 'W'. For example 'what', 'why', 'when' 'where' and 'who'. As you can see questions beginning with the letter 'W' always get straight to the point and also tend to lack subtlety. Direct questions can also be used for clarity as you are therefore getting directly to the point.
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