Take me to that moment 💭
Interviewing for visual scene tape
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One of the first things I was told when I started out in audio was that radio is a visual medium.
It took a while for that to really sink in. I started out in culture magazines (remember those?) and I shudder to think now of some of my early interviews, and the descriptive scenes I let slip by.
When I transitioned from print to audio journalism, learning how to interview for the ear was one of the trickiest parts. Getting people to tell you their stories in vivid, technicolor detail is no mean feat. A lot of folks don’t naturally speak that way. They need a little help from us – especially when you’re not able to get active scene tape, and need your interviewee to recount the scene afterwards.
Here I’ve put together a few tips and tricks to help you light up your listeners’ imagination.
Picture it
The best audio storytelling takes the listener, viscerally, into another person’s experience.
Can you visualize it as they’re speaking? You should be able to picture the scene they’re describing during the interview.
Notice what you notice: during the interview, where are the scenes where you’re getting excited? Sad? Outraged?
Without knocking the interviewee off their flow, get granular: What color was the furniture? What was the weather like that day?
Ask for description of noises – your sound designer will thank you.
But be aware that one thing that can happen when we ask people for detail is people get overly hung up on the procedural. We don’t necessarily need to know it was the number 18 bus leaving at 12:41pm… we do want to hear about the pink mohawk the guy on the bus had.
Show, don’t tell
Like any great storytelling, we don’t want to explain things to the listener, we want to show them – ie use a visual example to illustrate a point. Example: I recently worked on an ep where the guest said she likes living in Kosovo because of how people sneeze… There, when someone ‘blesses’ you after you sneeze, you bless them back. That’s a lot more memorable than the guest just saying “I like living here because people are kind”.
Try to get visual metaphors for emotions/feelings. Example: I’m currently working on an episode where a woman described the pressure and frustration of being constantly misunderstood as a neurodivergent person like a fizzy coke bottle that’s being shaken again and again.
Come up with your own metaphors going into the interview so you can ask, eg “did it feel like butterflies in your chest?” They’ll either agree and put it in their own words, or disagree and give you a better metaphor.
Get creative
You don’t want your VO to be laden with dull descriptions of a person, so be creative in finding visual ways for interviewees to show you who they are and what matters to them. Examples: “If you had 30 minutes of downtime just for you, what would you do?” or “If you knew the world was going to end tomorrow, how would you spend today? Money no object”.
If they speak another language, have them introduce themselves in that language.
📌If you’re looking for more guidance on interviewing for the visual, I’ve found the work of these producers especially helpful: Eric Nuzum; Karen Duffin; Karen Given; Rob Rosenthal; Eve Abrams; and Neena Pathak.
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What I’m listening to (and reading)
One thing you’re confronted with when you move to the US is toxic positivity … seems to be less of a problem where I’m from! It was gratifying to hear Susan Cain put language around this on Brené Brown’s show.
Legendary DJ The Blessed Madonna on Annie Mac — loved it.
And since I’ve been doing more reading and watching than listening this fortnight, my book reco is Lisa Taddeo’s new one, Animal. One of those novels where you realise you’ve been holding your breath for what seems like pages. The writing is visceral, furious and dark as hell. Also really enjoying Amy Schumer’s new show Life + Beth. Took a couple of eps to get going but it’s got a gentle charm. Cracking soundtrack too.
Thanks for reading. Have a peaceful week folks💌