framed

For: Groups of Three
Difficulty: Beginner

Objective
Upon completion of this lesson, students will demonstrate the ability to properly frame an interview in the field.

Points to emphasize

  • Eyes on third

  • Nose room or “talking space” 

  • Not too close, not too far

  • Two eyes

Equipment: One camera, tripod, microphone, and headphones per group

Assignment

Each student will interview another member of the group and ask three open-ended questions about their day or their week. (The third person is the videographer.)  Each person rotates until they have filled all three roles—reporter, videographer, and interview subject.

NOTE: It is best to let the teams leave the classroom and find a location in the building to do this assignment.  This will not work if you have them all shoot in the same room. 

BONUS: Award extra credit to the reporter who asks the best questions. Even though this is a technical assignment, this bonus would provide a way to encourage strong questioning by reporters.

Requirements:

  • Proper framing (eyes on third, talking space, two eyes, shooting from the mid-section or bust-up)

  • Light source is behind the camera

  • Interview subject looks at the reporter, not the camera

  • Voice is clearly heard via the external mic

  • Videographer monitors audio by wearing headphones throughout the interview, not just at the beginning

  • The reporter asks the interview subject to say his/her name and spell it while recording

  • Reporter thanks the interview subject at the end

Suggestion for Teachers:  

Emphasize the importance of this exercise. It is crucial that each student can properly frame an interview before moving on to other assignments. Do not hesitate to have a person or teams re-shoot if they have problems with this assignment.

NOTE: It is possible to break the grading down so you give points for the reporter and points for the videographer. Or you can give points to the entire team, and build a little teamwork along the way. (This is how we have generated our sample rubric.) We suggest taking time to watch and critique each of these short interviews in class, pausing the video to point out positive and negative results. It helps you establish a standard for your show when it comes to the technical part of interviewing.

 

Relevant Lessons:
Volume 2, Chapter 2: “Run & Gun Interviews”