How do you conduct interviews and capture sound bites effectively in the field?

1 Plan ahead

Before you head out to the field, you need to do some research and planning. Identify your interviewees, their roles, and their relevance to your topic. Contact them in advance and schedule a convenient time and place for the interview. Prepare a list of questions that are open-ended, clear, and focused on your main objective. Also, scout the location and check for any potential noise or interference issues. Make sure you have the right equipment, such as a microphone, a recorder, headphones, and batteries.

2 Set up the scene

When you arrive at the location, you need to set up the scene for the interview. Choose a spot that is quiet, comfortable, and visually appealing. Avoid direct sunlight, strong backlight, or distracting backgrounds. Position your camera and tripod at eye level with your subject and frame them slightly off-center. Test your audio levels and adjust your microphone placement. Use a lavalier or a shotgun mic for better sound quality and noise reduction. Always wear headphones and monitor the sound throughout the interview.

3 Conduct the interview

During the interview, you need to establish rapport and trust with your subject. Introduce yourself and explain the purpose and format of the interview. Ask for their consent to record and use their voice and image. Start with some easy and general questions to warm them up and then move on to more specific and probing ones. Listen attentively and follow up with clarifications or elaborations. Avoid interrupting, leading, or judging their answers. Keep the interview short and focused, but also flexible and spontaneous.

4 Capture sound bites

Sound bites are short and catchy segments of speech that convey a key message, opinion, or emotion. They are useful for creating interest, variety, and impact in your audiovisual story. To capture sound bites effectively, you need to ask questions that elicit strong and concise responses from your subject. For example, you can ask them to summarize, compare, contrast, or evaluate something. You can also prompt them to share a personal story, an anecdote, or a quote. Be alert and attentive to any memorable or meaningful expressions that emerge during the interview.

5 Edit the audio

After you finish the interview, you need to edit the audio content to make it clear, coherent, and compelling. First, you need to review and transcribe the interview and identify the best sound bites that support your main objective. Then, you need to trim and arrange the sound bites in a logical and smooth sequence. You can use transitions, pauses, or music to create breaks and connections between them. Finally, you need to balance and enhance the audio quality by adjusting the volume, equalization, and noise reduction.

6 Use the audio

Once you have edited the audio content, you need to use it effectively in your field production. Depending on your genre and format, you can use the audio as a standalone piece or as a complement to your visual content. For example, you can use the audio as a voice-over narration, as a background commentary, or as a direct dialogue with your subject. You can also use the audio as a source of information, as a way of creating contrast, or as a means of eliciting emotion.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?