Codes and Conventions of Filming and Editing Interviews

- Interviees filmed in medium shot in either medium close up or close up. For example in The Simpsons interview the interviewee was shot in a medium close up from his shoulders upwards.

- They are framed to the left or right hand side of the screen, however if there is more than one interview within the sequence then the positioning of the interviewee alternates in order to create variety. For example in the Jaw's cast interview the producer is filmed on the right hand side followed by the editor being filmed on the left hand side.

- The framing follows the rule of thirds with the eyeline roughly being a third of the way down the screen like in Jaws which is framed this way.

- With the interviewee looking at the interviewer rather than directly at the camera this means that the positioning of the interviewer must be the opposite. For example in Jaws the interviewee is positioned on the left hand side which means that the interviewer must be positioned on the right hand side and vice versa.

- When considering mise-en-scene the background must reinforce the content on the interview, meaning it must be relevant to what is being filmed, this could be used in order to provide more information about the interviewee in terms of their environment.

- When asking questions in the interview, these are usually edited out meaning that the interviewee must reinforce the question into their answer in order for this to make sense to the audience.

- The interview must be filmed without a light source in the background, for example in Jaws the interviewee is filmed infront of a window which creates a light source however, the blinds have been shut in order to not light any light interrupt the interview.

- There are usually cutaways edited into the interview which are used in order to break up the interview and show what the interview is about, they are also used to avoid jump cuts when the questions asked by the interviewer are edited out. An example of this is in Jaws when cutaways of the film are edited in showing relevance to the topic of the film.

- Graphics are also used which anchor who the person on screen is and thier relevance to the documentary. For example the procucer's title and name will be used on screen to show what they do.