Here’s a question that can divide a room of filmmakers quicker than cameras. When you’re shooting a short documentary video around a subject, do you prefer to film the interviews first, before deciding what to shoot for B-roll? Or do you shoot B-roll first, and then base your interview around what you have in the can? It’s a very important distinction that can steer your video story in two completely different directions, even if the goal is the same, which is to make a portrait video of a person. Screengrab from Visual Storytelling 2 – Image source: Alex Buono / MZed Choosing to interview first can help you produce a more rich and compelling story, but it could take more days to achieve, as you don’t really know what you’re supposed to be shooting until after the interview. Choosing to interview at the end of a shoot helps you plan your production based on what is achievable with the time and budget you have, which is a very practical approach to video production. But it can also mean missing out on a much more compelling story than you originally envisioned. Let’s dive into this discussion, and weigh the pros and cons so you can decide for yourself what strategy you prefer for your own projects. Filming interviews first, B-roll second Here’s an argument for why you should interview first. Even if you make one or several pre-production calls with your subject, ahead of the shoot, the interview can reveal so...
Published By: CineD - Wednesday, 9 February, 2022