One camera interview
 

I have an interview coming up in a few weeks and it will be the interviewer and one maybe two being interviewed. I have one 5D mk2 and one Rode SVM mic and a Manfrotto tripod with fluid head
My idea is to take a contextual first shot of the interviewer over the interviewees then the rest of the interview with the interviewees in focus over the interviewer's shoulder.
Any gems of wisdom from those with one camera interview experience?

spend enough time finding perfect lighting combination, don't move your camera during interview, watch your timing (12 min limit), get as much cutaways as you can before and after the actual interview, so you'd be able to edit it looking like 2 cameras shoot, anything will do, just don't show moving lips so you don't have audio sync problems later :)

Kicker is I won't know the conditions, lighting etc until right before the interview. Wonder if the over the shoulder of the interviewer is best or perhaps a perpendicular front angle showing both the interviewer and the those being interviewed. So put it on the tripod and leave it alone then.....cept stopping and restarting in <12 minutes sets.

I wouldn't worry about lighting as much as I'd worry about getting a lav mic or hanging a boom mic. On-cam mic will be miserable.

Also, disagree with the previous poster - I'd get several different angles throughout the interview.... wide/med/tight based on the content at that point.

I would shoot everything from behind and to one side of the interviewer.

I'd pick up a couple of reversals after the interview.

Good luck.

What would work with the 5Dmk2 or are you talking having it rigged to standalone recorder hooked up to lav mics.
anyone ever hang the RODE SVM?
Appreciate the comments

I would probably get an XLR lav mic and a juicedlink.

Alternately, you could get a lav mic with a 1/8" jack and a super long extender.

I wouldn't put that rode mic on a boom.

I would watch this: Take 5: Awesome Interviews - Digital Juice TV

These guys did a great job showing how to do a one-camera interview with an on-screen interviewer.

Then follow the rest of the posts to get great audio.

Audio is key. If your audio stinks, your production is ruined. That's my opinion anyway.

Good lighting is also important. If you can show up early, do it.

Do go with a side shot, do an over-the-shoulder as shown in the Digital Juice video. The profile stuff only works if you have more than one camera.

Can you bring in some lighting gear?

Also, it sounds like you're going to have more than one person being interviewed at the same time, is this correct? That's going to make it more difficult to get great audio unless you have a boom operator or lav each interviewee.

Hope this helps.

Thanks James!

When I read the ops post I remembered that video but couldn't remember who did it or where it was. I am bookmarking it now for future reference. It's about the best tutorial on the subject of 1 camera interview shoots that I have seen.

Great video from Digital Juice!! all of this has been helpful!!
why not an extended RODE svm? I have strobes but of course need continuous if i bring my own lights - this may be on a broadway stage so the lighting may be optimal but may not be too.
I bought a quartz 500 watt light at Lowes today and goinf to play around with my softboxes...too DIY?

Too DIY? Depends on how ghetto you want to look. IMHO, lights from Home Depot look like... lights from Home Depot. As in, "where's the drywallers? We need to get this job moving!"

That said, with the right diffusion, you could get decent results with HD lights. You just look ghetto while you're doing it.

I really did laugh out loud at that one, Mike!

I think DIY lighting is generally not a good idea. Lighting is they key element in getting a great image and getting it set right can be very time consuming. Hardware store light stands are not tall enough for many things and the lack of barn doors is a deal killer. They are handy to light background elements if you have a really big shoot, but they are not impressive when put right in front of an interviewee. Your subject may initially be confused by you shooting with a DSLR so try not to add to your "unconventional" appearance on the set. I learned this the hard way by shooting great video but having embarrassing comments about some of my lights. Learn to shoot with as few as possible and buy at least two professional lights and a reflector. Just because the 5D is good with low light doesn't mean it doesn't need light. In fact, to get a more reasonable depth-of-field, it is necessary to shoot at f2.8 or higher which means you need just as much light as with any other camera except in extreme situations where you can live with f1.4.

LOL at the ghetto comments too. I'm after good results first and formost - if i can get it ghetto so be it. Not really there to look professional though I know what you're talking about. I'm pretty sure I'll have stage lighting so it ought to be optimal. The DIY light was bought since it was $20 and I love a deal. Already have added a dimmer and will put an umbrella in front - that's for my persoanl experimentation not the interview by the way.

Absolute valid point about need the light since the DOF will require higher Fstops.

Think I will boom my Rode SVM with extension back to the camera. (no i'm not going to glue egg cartons to the chairs)

Some good tips in that Digital Juice clip but I have a hard time taking anything they say seriously when they have so many egregious samples of copyright violations in that clip. Someone at Digital Juice must think that this is fair use, but I don't see how. This is a commercial venture and I doubt that they obtained permission from Harpo for the Oprah clips and all of the other shows that they hi-jacked clips from. Wow.

My clearance people would have a heart attack on the spot if they ever saw me try to get away with this.

Dan

I think those clips could all be considered fair use as both commentary/criticism (they are specifically addressing their use of a specific technique and it's appropriateness in specific situations) and as educational use - although the video is branded by digital juice it is substantially educational in nature. They also constitute a minute fraction of the original works, are not used with an intention to supplant the original works, and have no appreciable impact on the value of the original works - so they essentially meet all of the typical criteria for determining fair use.

New Twist
Now the interviewer is a celebrity too so I nedd to capture three people sitting in chairs with one camera and a RODE SVM mic on a ten foot boom stand. So I'm thinking the interviewer in the middle now with an interviewe on either side at 45 degrees
Shot from the front with the boom mic high in middle just out of frame. I'll have the camera on a tripod with fluid head but am very hesitant to try to pan or zoom much if at all. Lighting will be standard stage lighting.
Will set audio levels manually before the interview.
any tips past this?

TIA
Harry

I wouldn't set them up that way. When 1 person is talking say the one on the left the person on the right could be looking off into space or something worse so if it were me, I'd set them up in Oprah style. Put the interviewer on either the left or right and put the interviewees on the opposite side at about a 30 degree angle so when the interviewer asks one of the interviewees a question you can get facial expression of all of them and there's less chance of the boom swinging somewhere it shouldn't, like into frame. Actually this setup style has been around for years and years. Look at Leno, Letterman, any of the late night talk shows.
Just a thought.

Thanks Don. Great point. 30 degrees from straight on right? Any advice on whether to try to pan or zoom? I want to keep a decent DOF so everyone looks sharp.

Harry,
the 30 degree thing is subjective it could be 20 or 45 use your eye when you set up look at the way the chairs are setup and how it looks in the VF adjust as needed before the talent gets there.
If it were me with just one camera I would keep all camera moves to a minimum. Pans zooms whatever, personally I wouldn't. I'd set a nice 3 shot, keep eveyone in the VF and go. NOw if I get a chance during a break I'll ask the talent one at a time if they would just sit and look like they're listening and get some closeup. Well not super tight but you get the picture. Cut those in occasionally and if you get all three of the people like that great. If you only get 1 well you've still got some go to footage.
BTW, whose idea was it to go with 1 camera? Just curious.

I'd not do this kind of shoot with anything less than two cameras, potentially even three (unless it's something live and you can't switch).

I only own one 5Dmk2 and this is for a non-profit (me being part of the non-profit if you catch my drift). Believe you me I wish I had a couple more cameras....

I would rent a camera. I would borrow a camera. I would buy a $99 flip camera. I would sell my MkII (may God forgive me for saying this) and buy two HDV cameras.

What you are describing is a two (or three) camera shoot.

Harry,
I hate to be that guy, but it sounds like they may have hired a photographer to do a videographers job. I wish you luck here but it sounds like you're woefully underprepared. Is there someone in your area that you can get to help you? I know that if I need more cameras or tripods or lights, I have a pretty good network of people here to help and borrow stuff from. Sounds like in addition to another camera, you need 2 or 3 lapel mics and an audio mixer. Again, good luck and let us know how it turns out.
Bill

It's do able with one camera, but only if the interview is set up purely as a TV piece and it's going to be cut together later. What you'll lose will be on camera spontaneity by the interviewer.

Setting up flavouring the interviewees, so you've got the option of an over shoulder with interviewer in foreground (although this shot can look a bit strained using the wide end, so it's just an option that I personally wouldn't use unless it's a "must have" demand), a two shot of the interviewees and two singles. Camera shot size changes can be done during the questions and it helps if the interviewer can name an interviewee when they're switching from one to the other. The shot changes will be cut out later.

Set up an over the shoulder 3 shot from the interviewer's side get them to ask questions or just talk to one interviewee than the other using the same mood as during the actual interview. Shoot other three shots as required, but don't go in for over kill. You can include over the shoulder from the interviewees side (with the interviewees talking) favouring the interviewer.

You then shoot the reversals favouring the interviewer - someone will have to note the questions that were asked - the interviewer asks the questions on camera to each of the interviewees ( or at least where they were sitting). "Noddies" or silent reactions are handy as well.

Pretty standard everyday single camera TV stuff.

Bill

not gonna argue with that. I've got a friend with a 7D who might can fill in. I was just seeing if it was possible to do a three person interview with one camera well.

Apparently some of you think it's possible. :-)

Thanks for all the input.

Oh anything's possible certainly. Certainly if they're not willing to pay, you may have to "make it work" and they'll have to understand. My experience is that people just can't tell the difference and so you'll be fine. As much as we argue over codecs and bitrates, etc. The average consumer of video is immune to quality, just look at local commercials.
Bill

Welp lined up a second shooter so it will now be a two camera shoot!! plus he's gonna bring his Zoom H4 for backup for the boomed Rode SVM. It'll be what it is.

Interview over and shot. 2 shooters both at 30 fps ISO 200. Boom mic and lav mic on interviewer (2nd shooter did this for his talent shot. I shot the 2 interviewed folks. My DOF was shallow at the close distance and 50mm focal so tried to keep the two people equal distance from the lens so that I didn't have to worry about focus once set. Did some zooming but minimal.

Haven't gotten the files from the CF card yet but look forward to editing.

record a seperate audio on a zoomh2 or 4.
use your mic into the camera
you will end up with a clear audio track to edit to.
aloha
tito