Filmed Interview Practise & Evaluation

The interview above features myself, the current I.T. Technician for Ravens Wood School, Laurence interviewed me with the hopes of gaining knowledge on his transition from part time to full time work. The interview is shot all in one take and takes place in my office. In terms of Mise En Scene, the backdrop and setting of the interview could have been better prepared. Despite setting it in the actual workplace, none of this location can be seen in the shot, instead, a simple white wall backdrop is visible. To improve this aspect of the interview, I would suggest setting up the camera further back and not zooming in the shot. This would improve the overall framing and also set the scene better. 

In terms of Cinematography, some would argue that the interview is poorly shot due to the camera looking down on me, this creates a sense of over-powerment and also means that my focus is lost. Instead of looking relatively close to the camera, I looked directly forward which means that his eye line is lost. 

The final point that could have been improved is the choice of clothing I wore that day. Even though this interview was spontaneous and time for planning other clothing was not available, we should have adjusted the shot to not include the majority of my shirt. This was a problem for us due to the tight stripes on my shirt causes a grainy effect. 

In conclusion, the elements we need to better prepare for are Cinematography and Mise En Scene. In particular the shot could have been constructed in a much nicer and more aesthetically appealing way, as to be more entertaining as a whole for the audience. To do this we will think about using techniques along the lines of the rule of thirds, focusing on the positioning of the subject, sometimes having him off dead centre can look much nicer, due to the fact that it looks much more dynamic. In terms of the Mise en Scene we can focus on getting a more linked setting to the topic of the interview, so in this case we could make sure that the desk I was sitting at is visible, and have lots of paperwork on to reinforce the office vibe.