Saturday, November 23, 2013

How to create an interview series

In looking back at the process for the “Girl in the Video” series and its predecessor, I realized doing such a thing calls upon more than just a single skill. You need to know how to…
  • decide who to look for: this is little challenge for subjects in which you are already interested
  • look: it will start with a google…but almost never ends with one; some of these people were hidden deep
  • convince: finding someone on your list is a thrill but not  a guarantee; some don’t want to be found or, if found, don’t want to be involved (a bummer, but a hard fact)
  • handle rejection: see previous
  • interview: you want to be thorough without wearing people out, curious without scaring people off, and prepared to follow up to get answers…many times
  • present: you’ve got (presumably) great content, so it demands a great package; great doesn’t have to be fancy—most important is to showcase the material in a clear, easy-to-navigate format
  • promote: what good is good content if few see it?; you need to be creative and strategic in getting word to the audience who would most care—and you need to figure out an approach that is as entertaining as the series itself
  • let go: it can become addictive…but there will be a time to move on to the next project

No comments: