The Global Media Site for Entertainment.
Menu
A few years back, I was the showrunner (writer, producer, director) of a documentary show about teens and interviewed the children who appeared on the show. Interviewing children can be fun but also a challenge. Here are some quick tips regarding interviewing that age group:
For legal reasons, always work through the school or parents. If you somehow stumble on the child first, then immediately contact the parent.
I was advised by my predecessor on the show to not pre-interview children as children only like to tell their story to you once. I followed this advice and it worked well, but I didn’t do the opposite to see if that worked too. To get the gist of the story before the shoot, I pre-interviewed the parents and researched the child’s story online, etc. Try to find the key beats of the story and what the child’s motivation and conflicts were.
Children’s minds change a lot during their teen years. At 12 they are very concrete bound, at 15 their heads are filled with floating abstractions. You have to adjust your interviewing accordingly. You also have to be very patient and encouraging and pray that the child is articulate.
If needed, use sentence strings to start the child’s answers: “So Jill fell down the hill and you…”
In some cases, it might be best to do b-roll first, to build a relationship with the child.
I found that some (older) children preferred not to have their parents around during the actual interview. The child’s call, if it is okay with the parent/guardian.
Like all interviews, tell the child beforehand how the interview/shoot will work and that you will redirect/redo some questions, “I do it for everyone.” Tell them that they can re-do any question that they think they didn’t give their best answer to. Tell them, “You’re doing great.”
The first 2 questions at least should be really easy.
Their answers could really surprise you. They’re kids. Be prepared to go with their story, not the script in your head. And yes, be very patient and reactive, be interested in their story.
Don’t make the interview too long, especially if the children are younger than 12.
It might help to choose an interview location that is interesting or relaxing to the interviewee, such as the location his/her story took place, at his/her home, etc.
Hope that helps. Remember, children love to tell stories. Your job is to make that safe, easy and fun for them.
How to Make it as a Writer: Tips from A Pro
Writing a Great Script: Focus on Plot Structure not Plot Points
Scott McConnell is a Melbourne-based writer/story consultant who has worked as a documentary producer in Los Angeles, a freelance writer and interviewer and in fiction development. He loves nothing more than working on story. Scott started in the business as a story analyst in Los Angeles; analyzing scripts for Roger and Julie Corman, Samuel Goldwyn and the Sundance Institute, among others. He was later the showrunner (writer/producer/director) of the U.S. nationally syndicated Live Life and Win! and he co-wrote the reality series Hollywood Boot Camp. He has organized stories/shoots all over the world, managing producers, crew and talent, and produced at live events and on re-creation shows. He has found the story by studying footage, reading scripts/books, pre-interviewing talents, shooting BTS, and writing or editing the script. Scott can edit low budget features as well as big budget blockbusters. He loves to fix stories, supply solutions, especially regarding your idea/premise, which is where most films/scripts fail. He also finds that many good writers don't focus enough on theme. It is through theme that a writer moves and audience emotionally. Scott’s story analysis, film reviews and interviews have been published in the U.S., UK and Australia, He has been published in Creative Screenwriting, MovieMaker Magazine, Script, Soundtrack.net, Produced By, The Guardian, Inside Film and FilmInk. Now based in Melbourne, Scott especially focuses on script fixing for individual writers and production companies. Scott is a member of the Producer’s Guild of America. For credits and experience, see: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3130957/ Contact: Scott McConnell, Melbourne, scottm100@gmail.com
Read Full Profile
© 2021 TheatreArtLife. All rights reserved.
Thank you so much for reading, but you have now reached your free article limit for this month.
Our contributors are currently writing more articles for you to enjoy.
To keep reading, all you have to do is become a subscriber and then you can read unlimited articles anytime.
Your investment will help us continue to ignite connections across the globe in live entertainment and build this community for industry professionals.
