Codes and Conventions of filming and editing interviews.

• Interviews must use shots such as medium shots, medium close ups, and closeups of the interviewee. For example the interview for the film 'Jaws' uses such shots.
• Make sure that when interviewing, the interviewee is looking into the space, positioned either on the left or the right of the screen. For example if the interviewee is on the right side of the frame, the interviewer should be positioned on the left side of the camera. Making sure the invterviewer is sitting or standing as close to the camera as possible. If there is more than one interview, make sure the positioning alternates so that it creates variety.
• Film a variety of mise-en-scene for the interviews. Making sure that the background reinforces the content of the interview or is relevant to the interviewee, provideing more information about them and what they do. For example in the interviews for the film 'Jaws' there is an interviewee with the sea behind him which is relevant to the film he is being interviewed for.
• Make sure the interviewee is looking at the interviewer and not the camera during the interview.
• Make sure the framing follows the rule of thirds, so that the eyeline is roughly a third of the way down the frame on the camera.
• Never film with a light source behind the interviewee, i.e in front of a window or with the sun behind them, the light needs to always be infront of them.
• Make sure the questions are edited out of the interview, so that just the answer is heard.
• Cutaways edited into the interview, so that the interview is broken up and so that what is being talked about is illustrated.
• Avoid jumps and cuts when the questions are edited out.
• Cutaways have to be either archive material or suggested by something said in the interview and therefore filmed after the interview.
• Sometimes aspects of the interviewee are filmed with another camera, such as extreme close ups of eyes, mouth and hands and used as cutaways.
• Graphics are used to anchor who the person on screen is and their relevance to the topic of the documentary.