Advanced production tips from camerman Howard Shack

Make sure that the interviewer sits close to the camera lens so the interviewee is not looking too far off to the left or right. Also, adjust the tripod so that the lens is at the same height as the interviewer's eyes. This way the interviewee will not appear to be looking too far up or down.

As with any shot, make sure the interview shot is focused perfectly and exposed for the person's skin tones. It is always better, especially in a controlled setting like an interview, to set the camera up using MANUAL settings (exposure, white balance, focus, shutter speed, audio record level). If you use the camera's AUTO settings, the shot may drift in and out of focus, the exposure might vary if the person moves in the frame and the audio levels might change in a way that is distracting to listen to.

Try to set up the interview shot so that there is some distance between both the camera and the subject, and the subject and the background. It is a good idea to have at least 10 feet between the camera and subject and even more between the subject and the background. By setting the shot up this way and zooming in to a medium close-up shot one can create an out of focus background - a great technique for focusing the audience's attention on your interview subject.

Always give the interview subject "nose room", which is space in the frame in the direction they are looking (left or right, depending on which side of the camera the interviewer is sitting on). That is to say, do NOT compose the shot so that the interview subject is situated in the exact center of the frame. And keep the tripod loose enough to be able to move with the interview subject if they lean forward, to the left or to the right during an answer.

Most consumer camera's have on-board microphones which are TERRIBLE at recording good interview sound. Whenever possible, use a lavalier microphone or a boom mic (on a stand or help by a boom op) as CLOSE to the interview subject as possible without being in the shot. And when using a 'lav' mic, be sure to hide the cable as much as possible. If you try to hide the mic under clothing you'll probably get unwanted clothing rustle, in which case it is better to clip the mic on the outside of a shirt. Good, clean sound is REALLY IMPORTANT !!

Film as much Observational Footage as possible. Most of the best documentaries rely on great Observational Footage to tell their story. The interview is used mostly as a "voice over" (where the sound is used but not the picture), occasionally cutting back to the shot to remind the audience who is talking or because the subject's face is the best way to tell the story at that point.

If you're going to use a "key light" (whether you set up a light or place the subject near a window - near but never in front of a bright window!) make sure the main light source is on the same side of the camera as the interviewer - and maybe 30-45 degrees off the camera 'lens axis' so that the light illuminates one side of the person's face while spilling over a bit on to the other side. That is to say, the interview subject's 'darker' or
less-lit side of their face should be towards camera when they are talking to the interviewer. This method of lighting is much more attractive looking than having a really bright side of a person's face to camera.