{"id":535,"date":"2020-04-29T16:05:24","date_gmt":"2020-04-29T15:05:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/oral-history\/?p=535"},"modified":"2023-01-20T18:11:03","modified_gmt":"2023-01-20T18:11:03","slug":"podcast-episode-steve-humphries-his-20-rules-for-intimate-interviewing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/oral-history\/2020\/04\/29\/podcast-episode-steve-humphries-his-20-rules-for-intimate-interviewing\/","title":{"rendered":"Podcast Episode: Steve Humphries and his 20 rules for intimate interviewing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/oral-history\/files\/2020\/04\/Capture-2-1024x359.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-538\" width=\"649\" height=\"228\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/oral-history\/files\/2020\/04\/Capture-2-1024x359.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/oral-history\/files\/2020\/04\/Capture-2-300x105.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/oral-history\/files\/2020\/04\/Capture-2-768x269.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/oral-history\/files\/2020\/04\/Capture-2-500x175.jpg 500w, https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/oral-history\/files\/2020\/04\/Capture-2.jpg 1146w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 649px) 100vw, 649px\" \/><figcaption>Left &#8211; Poster for the theatrical release of &#8216;The Magdalene Sisters&#8217; that emerged from &#8216;Sex in a Cold Climate&#8217;<br>Centre &#8211; Steve Humphries<br>Right &#8211; &#8216;Hull&#8217;s Headscarf Heroes&#8217; by Testimony Films, 2018.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-spotify wp-block-embed-spotify wp-embed-aspect-21-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: Oral history roundtable: Steve Humphries\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"152\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/episode\/5yi72TGgOeCIg9wJbqwtIp?si=0aQW0KaRRfudRyyhVcpVtg&#038;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Steve Humphries is an oral historian and film maker. He is the founder and executive producer of Testimony Films and has produced over 100 television factual programmes for national and international broadcasters. The programmes that he has produced include &#8216;Sex in a Cold Climate&#8217;, an expose of nuns\u2019 abuse of young unmarried mothers in Irish Magdalene Homes between the 1930s and 60s. This was the winner of the Chicago International Film Festival award and inspired Peter Mullen\u2019s multi-award winning feature film The Magdalene Sisters. Other programmes include &#8216;Hull&#8217;s Headscarf Heroes&#8217; (BBC), Britain&#8217;s Greatest Generation (BBC) and &#8216;The Girl Who Forgave The Nazis&#8217; (Channel 4).You can find out more about the television programmes that Steve has produced<a href=\"http:\/\/ http:\/\/www.testimonyfilms.com\/index.php#work%22\"> here<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>STEVE HUMPHRIES<\/strong>: <strong>MY TOP TWENTY RULES OF INTIMATE INTERVIEWING<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1<\/strong> Choose\nepic subjects with lots of potential for intimate and emotional storytelling. This\nis an essential starting point for strong interviews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2<\/strong> Find\ninterviewees who haven\u2019t told their intimate story before- or if they have,\nthey haven\u2019t told it in quite the intimate way you imagine it could and should\nbe told.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>3<\/strong> If\npossible be selective about who you film. Research is key- choose people with lots\nof potential. They must have a strong story to tell and also be able to tell it\nmovingly. So often people have one or the other, but can\u2019t do both. Focus on\nthose who can. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>4<\/strong> Don\u2019t give\nup when people say no. They will often turn out to be the best subjects with\nthe most intimate and important stories to tell. Many of the people in our\nfilms said no to begin with and they have been very pleased with the results.\nSometimes the consequences have been hugely positive and beneficial for them,\neven though they were initially reluctant or rejecting. At the same time be\naware that sometimes no does mean no- knowing this comes through instinct and\nexperience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>5<\/strong> Be\nflexible about the location and time for the interview and who is going to be\nthere when you do it. Some are better filmed at home, some prefer somewhere\nelse. Some prefer a one to one, some prefer others to be there with them. The\ntime of day it\u2019s done as well can have significance. Men generally open up more\nwhen it\u2019s dark- or in a darkened room. And beer can help too. Women are more\ncomfortable expressing their emotions at any time of the day- or night. Being\nsensitive to these things can help get a more intimate and relaxed interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>6<\/strong> When you\narrive for the interview give all your attention to the person you\u2019re\ninterviewing. They have to like you, trust you, respect your motives, bond with\nyou big time- sometimes almost love you- if they are going to give you a really\nintimate interview. Prior to filming don\u2019t let them go cold, charm them, form\nthe \u2018intimate stranger\u2019 relationship where someone will tell you their secrets\nlike they have almost nobody else. Don\u2019t fuss too much about technical matters\nlike sound or lighting. Give them your undivided attention, don\u2019t let them be\nfrightened, you need to show you care about them most of all. All these things\nare so important- if you are intimate with them it can transcend boundaries of\nage, class, race, gender and everything else. When I began I was told I\nwouldn\u2019t be able to interview much older women about something as intimate as\ntheir sex lives- this was proved completely false.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>7<\/strong> Know\neverything you can about your interviewee and their story in advance. It helps\nto almost know it better than they do- you can\u2019t do too much research on this.\nYou want to get every story you know they\u2019ve got\/think they might have\/and\nmore. I never go in with a detailed list of questions- you lose the personal,\nintimate touch if you do that. I\u2019ve got most of it all in my head. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>8<\/strong> Interviews\nare usually best when the interviewee is telling you their detailed story for\nthe first time. It\u2019s never quite the same the second time- though second and\nthird takes are always useful to get when filming, Generally the first one,\ntold for the first time will have the most intimacy and power. Definitely don\u2019t\nlet them tell you their story when you\u2019re preparing to film or record them.\nJust talk around the subject saying how much you\u2019re looking forward to them\ntelling you their story and how important you feel their story is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>9<\/strong> Let them\nknow in advance that you want them to tell you all the detail of their story,\nin their own words and in their own time. Prepare them in advance for the kind\nof areas\/experiences you want them to go into. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>10<\/strong> Have a logical\nnarrative structure in mind- it usually works best if they keep to a rough chronology\nso that you are asking them simple questions like what happened next and how\ndid you feel about that- my two favourite questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>11<\/strong> But\nchange the narrative structure whenever necessary to adapt to what your\ninterviewee might really want to tell you about. Sometimes in intimate\ninterviews people want to pour out the dramatic highlights, the most emotional\npart of the story as soon as you start filming. Often it\u2019s best to let them.\nThey can feel the emotion welling up and they can\u2019t hold it back any longer.\nYou can go back to the other bits later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>12<\/strong> I always\ntry to sit really close to my interviewees when I\u2019m filming them- close enough\nto touch them or hold hands. It adds to the intimate atmosphere. I find touch\nis really important- as is humour and laughter sometimes too\u2026..<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>13<\/strong> Always\nmake loads of direct eye contact with them- and explain they must do the same\nwith you. If it\u2019s going well they will do it naturally. This is what will make\nit look great on camera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>14<\/strong> Keep\nquestions short. I think sometimes interviewers show off and give lectures to\nthe interviewees which can be quite confusing and undermining. I keep it short\nand clear- they are the ones doing the talking not me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>15<\/strong> Don\u2019t\nturn the camera off unless specifically requested by them. Keep filming when\nthey get emotional- you may not want to use it, they might not want you to, but\nit\u2019s good to have choices and potential. I find men and women get emotional and\ncry in different ways- men aren\u2019t used to it and have to stop, most women are\nand will easily keep on talking and recover without any embarrassment at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>16<\/strong> The use\nof silence in the interview is really important. Sometimes at an intimate or\nemotional moment a little silence can help- they will fill it and add another\nthought or story. These can make for some of the most powerful pieces on film. Using\nsilences too often or that are too long though can be completely undermining\nfor the interviewee and can break the flow of the conversation and the\nrelationship. It\u2019s crucial to get the use of silence absolutely right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>17<\/strong> When you\nare talking about the intimate experience that is most important to you- and\nhopefully your interviewee- keep them on it for as long as you reasonably can\nby asking the key question in slightly different ways. Use all the usual\ndevices to do this- who? What? When? Where? Why? How? So tell me again?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Be brave, there\u2019s something\nabout it being filmed which gives you the right to ask emotional and intimate\nquestions that you wouldn\u2019t otherwise do in everyday life. It\u2019s like a\nconfessional- I think a lot of people respect this. I think a darkened room\nheightens this atmosphere too. If you have a really tough question to ask which\nyou fear might give an extraordinarily intimate response or might just be\nreally upsetting either don\u2019t ask it at all or leave it until the end of the\ninterview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>18<\/strong> Use their\nwords- repeat them back to them- ask them what they meant by that, at important\nmoments to get another layer of depth and meaning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>19<\/strong> Always\nrepeat key questions at the end of the interview when you\u2019ve asked them\neverything for the first time- but if you\u2019re clever you\u2019ll have already asked\nthem a few times but in a slightly different ways. Although first takes can be\nfantastic, second and third takes can sometimes work best, they might be\nshorter or clearer when the interviewee has settled down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>20<\/strong> Keep in\ntouch with the interviewee afterwards. If you\u2019re recording or filming them for\na broadcast programme stay in touch after the interview and before and after\nthe programme goes out. If they\u2019ve spoken about an intimate experience they\nwill expect some encouragement and support from you. This is what you must give\nback to them. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7121,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[167,10],"tags":[142,113,21,17,73],"class_list":["post-535","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-advice","category-podcast","tag-advice","tag-interview","tag-interviewing","tag-oral-history","tag-podcast"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/oral-history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/535","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/oral-history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/oral-history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/oral-history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7121"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/oral-history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=535"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/oral-history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/535\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":940,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/oral-history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/535\/revisions\/940"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/oral-history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=535"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/oral-history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=535"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/oral-history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=535"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}