Interviewer with interviewe

Create interview

Creating an Video History Project (VHP) interview starts with selecting an interviewee and ends with a high definition video tape of the interview.

Read chapter 4 of Third Decade of Success for background on VHP

Pre-interview tasks

Before the interview can take place a number of things have to happen. The following material presents the current approach to doing these tasks.

Select interviewee

Members of the Selection / Scheduling sub-committee compile a list of possible candidates. The list often contains names of people known by a committee member. After a reasonable list has been created the sub-committee meets to discuss the possible candidates. 

The committee than assigns a member to contact the first candidate to see if they are willing to be interviewed. If the answer is no, the next candidate is contacted. This continues until the number of desired candidates has been identified, this could be as many as four.

Schedule interview

Scheduling the interview is not easy with the need to find a compatible time for six participants. The following material was prepared using material supplied by Becky Reiss and Linda Van Scoy, long time interview schedulers.

The set of people who carry out the interview are called the VHP crew. Historically the crew has been:

  • a Producer, who is often the Chair of the VHP
  • a Director (historically this has been Lind Van Scoy or Dave Scheatzle)
  • a Camera Operator - historically John McIntosh
  • an Audio Technician - historically Roger Carter

Since the interview can only be done if the VHP crew are available, the first step is to find out when they are not available. So, at least once a year the VHP crew is emailed asking if there are dates and/or specific days they will not be available for interviews that may be scheduled during:

  •  September through mid December         
  •  January through May
  •  June - Interviews may be scheduled in June if the candidate is available at no other time — and if at least two of the crew are available in addition to an interviewer.

While it is ideal to have all crew members present at the interview, crew members are able to assume each others' roles if not everyone can be there.  When necessary interviews have been done with just two of the crew members, but three is better.  Coordinating schedules can be challenging, but because the crew are all retired there is usually no rush to schedule interviews in a strict time frame; sometimes it takes weeks to get an interview confirmed.    

Interviewee candidate

The interviewee candidate is Invited using a standard letter. The letter asks, among other things, if the interviewee has a desired interviewer, as well as information about availability.

 

  •  Download Local Candidate Invitation Template  or

     
  • Download Out of Town Candidate Invitation Template
Interviewer

If the candidate does not have a desired interviewer, the VHP crew finds one. Over the years Dave Scheatzle, Elmer Gooding, and Gary Krahenbuhl have been used.

Once the interviewer is established, an invitation letter is sent to confirm their acceptance and to determine their availability.

  • Download Interviewer Invitation Template

 

Step 1

The first step is to check with the VHP crew to see if their availability can fit with the dates/times the candidate and interviewer are available. Most candidates and the crew don't like to start too early. Morning interviews are usually scheduled between 10 a.m. and Noon. Afternoon interviews are usually scheduled between 1 pm and 3 pm.

Two interviews may be scheduled back to back when it works out. Usually one is in the mid morning 10-12 and one early afternoon, 1 or 1:30 to 3.  That saves the crew having to make extra trips in and do fewer equipment setups. 

Step 2

When an interview is finally scheduled, send a confirmation to the candidate and interviewer using “Confirm with Candidate and Interviewer”  (Appendix E). The letter will include the standard script / questions (see buttons below to get a copy) as well as a request for the interviewee to send the Director and interviewer a very brief bio sheet to be used to frame the questions.  

In addition send a confirmation email to all of the crew members plus Elmer Gooding  elmer.gooding@asu.edu  and Nancy Lesko nclesko@asu.edu . Elmer occasionally conducts interviews and is a backup crew member. Nancy is an ASURA Office Volunteer Coordinator who schedules the studio (room 203). In the email include the name of the candidate, interviewer, date, time and location.

  •  DownloadConfirmationTemplate
  • Download Standard script / questions template

Interview day tasks

On the day of the interview  there three distinct tasks:  set up the studio, prep the interviewee, and conduct the interview. The following material is based on information supplied by Roger Carter.

Thirty minutes before the interviewee and interviewer arrive  the VHP crew arrives to set up the studio. The crew consists of a Producer, Director, Camera Operator and Audio Technician. The room is small so there is really no opportunity to admit guests.

Check to make sure:

  • The two upright chairs for the interviewee (the "talent" in TV parlance) and interviewer are placed close together in front of the backdrop.
  • The small side tables are conveniently located for notes, water, etc.
  • The lighting is functioning properly. The lighting consists of a key light, a fill light and a backlight. The key light is quite strong but most interviewees adapt to it easily.
  • The backdrop, a neutral color, is correctly located behind behind both the talent and interviewer.
  • The video camera and audio equipment (located in one of ASURA's locked closets) and functioning and the camera has a tape for recording. 

Typically about ten minutes before the scheduled interview time the talent and interviewer arrive at the studio and are introduced to the crew. During the remaining time before the interview:

  • The Director explains the procedure and any questions are answered.
  • If not already done, the talent is asked to sign a waiver (?) and the talent and interviewer are seated.
  •  The Audio Tech wires them up for sound. The mics are usually small clip-on models which attach to lapels or necklines. The wires are run unobtrusively under clothing to the floor. The Audio Tech checks sound levels and then continuously monitors audio on headphones
  • The Camera Operator practices framing close-ups and two-shots.
  • Take a picture of the talent with the interviewer and a picture of the talent, interviewer, videographer, and audio technician.

There is a "standard" script for the interview. The interviewer begins by naming the crew, the date and the location and then introduces the talent before proceeding on to the body of the interview. Only the introduction by the interviewer is fixed and required and once the interviewee has introduced themselves the scrip can and often does begin to deviate from the "standard" script.

 View sample script

Note:  to print this document you will need to be logged into the ASURA Google account. See the material on the Updating document database for information about gaining access the the Google files.

Interviews usually last about an hour. Normally the interviews are filmed continuously but breaks for any reason are OK. Interviews are informal, more of a fireside chat between friends, but the goal is to highlight the retirees lifetime accomplishments with an emphasis on their time at ASU.

Interviews are recorded in HD video and edited after the event using professional digital editing equipment. Currently we are short of editors so there is a backlog of recordings in post-production.

The finished project is posted online and the interviewee has a chance to review and comment before the project is made public.”

 

 

Updated 11/15/2023 by Barry McNeill

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