Being interviewed for a documentary...

LegacyUser

I'm not too sure about doing this. Somebody has contacted me asking would I like to be interviewed for a documentary. I would have absolutely no problem sitting down and answering the questions one-to-one, without a camera or the 'eternal' record that is recorded tv. The thought of talking and being watched by millions of people is, however, petrifying. Obviously, I have never been on tv before, or even considered it. I'm almost certain I'd start sweating (and that's before the set lights come on).

Even when I give talks in public it takes a while to calm my pace and speak in a relaxed and "nerve-free" way. I don't think I'd have the time in a documentary setting, with people watching me on a tv set, to do justice to myself. I wouldn't be able to live with any public humiliation.

On the other hand, I could talk for Ireland about the topic in question. They've given me the questions already and I'm absolutely fine with answering them all. If I don't bottle it and make a fool of myself it would also be very good for my career, but I don't actually need it. I suppose I'd really be doing it because I know a lot about the area, I'm quite passionate about it, and I'd like to pass that knowledge on. Because I fear doing this, as I feared public speaking originally (including an initial public humiliation), I also think by doing it I would be facing down my fears. As a private person, I just don't know what to do about my nerves and the idea that a lot of people - more that I ever imagined - will be watching me.

Would anybody have any advice on the pros and cons of allowing myself to be interviewed for tv and how I could overcome my nerves and do justice to my knowledge? Thank you.

NicoleL88

Is it a live interview or one that will be aired at another time?

If the latter then if you were to make a mistake then they'll edit it out

Eitherway, you have experience with public speaking which is a big help. Maybe you could give the list of questions to a friend/family member to run through them with you with a camcorder running so you could look back on it to see where you could improve?

I'm sure you'll do great!

LegacyUser

op, nicole has a great suggestion there with getting someone to go over your questions, and don't be afraid to write out main points you want to get across and go over them beforehand if it helps. if the interviewer is an experienced documentary film maker they'll be doing everything they can to help you relax anyway, their job is to make people feel at ease to get the best interview out of them after all. they won't be just turning on the camera and going straight into the first question and taking you off guard.

and cameras won't have to be right in your face, microphones will be over your head or down in front or even on your lapel or something, so you'll forget they're even there. you'll be looking right at the interviewer themselves so it'll just seem like you're talking naturally and directly to them, which you are! think of that person in front of you, forget everything else and focus on them and getting your answers across to them. you're knowledgable about your subject and you love talking about it so you'll be fine.

username123

Yeah practice it a few times on camera ( even a phone camera) until you are happy with your delivery. Do it, it's a good thing to do.

Who is interviewing you? If they're professional, then chances are they've received training in how to relax their interviewee. Don't worry about it.

beks101

Hi OP, I'm a TV producer so can talk from the other side.

Getting nervous and rambling / stuttering / not getting your intended point across is very very common when you stick a camera in someone's face and I see it on a regular basis in my job.

Part of the job will be to "suss the person out" over the phone, see if they're a good talker, and then appropriately prepare then and put them at ease for the taping. I always appreciate when someone tells me they have "never done this before" and are worried about nerves etc, because it means I can set aside more "set up" time with them - this might mean arriving a half hour earlier than previously planned, getting them used to the shoot set up & having a few rehearsals before we launch into it. So perhaps mention your concerns to the film maker so they can make the same kind of preparations.

The other thing to remember is this is not live TV, it's a pre-taped interview for a documentary which will be edited and re-edited several times before making it to air. Your interview in person may be 20 minutes long, but they'll end up using as little as 30 seconds to three or four minutes of your "best" clips, depending on the style and nature of the documentary. You are not THE documentary, you are just a voice of authority among many who will be talking about a particular subject matter.

Also, because it will be pretaped (I assume, please correct me if otherwise), these interviews tend to be "stop and start" by nature. If you feel uneasy with something you have said, by all means tell the producer you would like to stop and answer that question again. Take a breath, drink some water, gather your thoughts and give it another go. Even TV reporters and anchors with years of experience in front of a camera will do this quite often - it's perfectly acceptable and within your rights.

And perhaps it would be helpful for you to know exactly where you fit in the documentary & what your value is to the producer. Ask him/her what it is that they liked about what you originally said in the pre interview, are there many other voices and what particular view of yours would they like to hear? That way you can make some rough notes for each answer, practice saying them aloud & revert to them during the interview.

Honestly, most television producers deal with nerves in their clients / colleagues on a daily basis and will be quite good about putting you at ease. Don't be afraid to express your concerns to the film maker & really don't overthink this. No producer is going to let you make a fool of yourself on TV for "millions to see", (unless it's X Factor, in which case my advice would be, walk on!!) and there's a very rigorous editing process that takes place before anything gets to air where every inch of air time will be scrutinized to make sure you're getting the best out of each of your characters & the whole thing flows fluently.

And above all else, have fun! It's not every day someone wants to call you an expert on something & shove a camera in your face It's a compliment!