lighting

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Matt Mullenweg of wordpress fame recently did an interview with the Yahoo Developer network. This video could have been better.

As usual in my improve series, I’m not going to talk about the content, but the technical side.

The goods

They used a tripod, they used proper white balance.

Nice to have some opening graphics, it gives the whole piece more weight. Though for my feeling, the title should have the same graphic feel and sound as the opening graphic.

Camera

There is way too much headspace. Tilt down a bit. Or even better: use 16:9 widescreen format, which works much better for 2 persons.

Change perspective. Flat on is usually boring. In an interview situation, I would move the camera so we see more of the interviewee’s face, while getting the interviewer more in profile.

Get closer. When you see that a person is talking for a longer time, zoom in. Preferably, have one camera locked on a two shot, and then have a second operated camera, that zooms in — and follows — the interviewee. Thus you can cut between those two, hiding those ugly zooms. If need be, then close-ups of the interviewer can be shot right after the interview.

Watch your background. White background is about the worst for a camera, it draws attention. Jeremy’s head gets almost lost in the background.

Sound

This is the weirdest miking I have seen in a while One huge attention-drawing microphone on the interviewer, and one tiny lavaliere mike on Matt, where no effort was made to hide the cable.

Interviewer and interviewee really should have the same type of microphone, otherwise it just looks ridiculous. Preferably a lavaliere — this would also help the informal atmosphere. And a lavaliere that is hidden under the sweater. If you don’t have time for that, put the wire behind the back of the interviewee.

If you have to use two totally different mikes, do us the favor and use 10 seconds to even those microphone levels in-camera. As it is now, Jeremy is way louder than Matt. If anything, the interviewee should be loudest.

When I first started getting interesting in photography, I thought that it was all about framing and the camera. Since than I have learned a lot more. Framing is important, yes. But more important is your ability to judge and control the light. And knowing which equipment to use (or how to use the equipment at hand to achieve the desired effect.). It is also about knowing to restrain yourself. My first interview shots were always very contrasty, grabbing for the effect, making it really clear that this interview had indeed been lit.

First I look at the subject matter, and with the director decide on a general lighting mood. Then I have to take the circumstances into consideration. In a best-case scenario the subject (i.e. the interviewed) is experienced and comfortable in front of the camera, and has some spare time for lighting adjustments. That rarely happens. One might get to film a member of the royal family, and time will be only one of the constraints. Or you might be filming someone who is scared to be filmed. In which case it is even more important to get some human contact with that person before looking through the view finder. With proper placement of the subject and creative use of curtains, it is possible to achieve acceptable lighting without lights.