Filming and interviewing shy people

S

Solstice

If you have to film and interview shy people, how would you go about mitigating their "camera-shyness" in order to help them feel comfortable being filmed in an interview?
 
disable the tally light and have a conversation with them instead of an interview and reassure them it is ok if something isn't perfect.
 
Interview in a quiet but public space. Don't have any crew hanging around unless they are working.
 
It's all about making sure they are comfortable with how you intend to portray them
 
mlesemann said:
Start by talking about things that they are comfortable with and like to talk about, then segue into the interview topic.
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THIS!

You start the conversation while you're setting up the lights, mics, etc. Transition into the actual interview after having already established a rapport.

Maybe there's an interesting knick-knack on their desk. There's got to be a story behind that. Maybe there's an interesting picture on their wall. There's definitely a story behind that. These things are where they are because the person who put them there likes to tell those stories.

But what if you're in a neutral space? Just start talking about regular everyday chit-chat. Gosh, the weather sure is nice lately. I miss the weather back home in Seattle. Wear did you grow up? Oh yeah, what was that like? Ask the kind of questions you'd ask someone in an elevator. Keep it impersonal at the outset. Establish rapport and get personal later.

There should be no official start of the interview. At some point, they might ask, "oh wait, has the interview started?" That's because you're sneaky. You just start a conversation, a normal conversation that we have on a regular basis. And then you sneakily transition from that normal everyday conversation into an on-camera interview. GOTCHA!

It's not just shy people who are difficult to film. ALL people are difficult to film. Put a camera in front of someone and they start to act different. Very few people are able to act natural when a camera is pointed at them. That's why we pay them millions of dollars to play pretend for a few weeks.

So, if you want someone to act natural when there is a camera pointed at them, start out by getting them to act natural without a camera pointed at them, and then slowly, incrementally, introduce the camera.

The interview should just be a continuation of the conversation that started long before the interview started.
 
When possible, I will move the camera back as far as possible and do a "lock down" shot...frame the shot, start recording, and walk away from the camera. If I'm not behind the camera, it helps the subject forget that the camera is there. Also, if you can shoot in an area that doesn't require any lights, it helps. You might also consider hanging your mic from a c-stand over the subject's head, as opposed to using a clip-on mic.
 
Two things that I have found that works really well for me, I interview a lot of authors who admittedly are authors because they are introverts...

1. Give them the questions ahead of time. If they know what they are being asked and know how to prepare they get a lot more comfortable because then they aren't blind sided or feel like they are going to be ill prepared, which is a lot of their fear.

2. Have a text, private message or phone conversation with them first. Be general in that conversation but if you establish trust with them up front and make it more friendly they really almost feel obligated to do an interview on camera with you. I know that kind of sounds like a trick but it really isn't because I find those who ultimately do the interview on camera wanted to all along they just needed someone to help them get over their fears. A friend, having a conversation, it really makes for a great interview in the long run.
 
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