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Mastering street interviews – NBCU Academy 101
1: Keep it short, unless…
Most “man on the street” videos are really short. Usually they’re less than three minutes. We try to keep ours around two minutes. That’s not a hard and fast rule. Letterman and Conan have both pulled off pieces as long as nine minutes. Does that mean you can do that? Only if you have a really strong talent to pull it off, and you have an audience that’s already predisposed to watching you be funny for that long a time.
2: You have to get a lot of footage
Just because you’re going to create a one or two minute piece with 6 or 7 interviews, doesn’t mean you should only shoot 6 or 7 interviews. You’ll want to get triple to quadruple of what you need. Not having enough video clips is like not having enough words to write an article. If the words/clips aren’t there, you won’t be able to finish it or you’ll create crap. Always shoot way more than you think you’ll need. When I shoot a “man on the street” video, I’ll shoot between 40-60 interviews to produce a two-minute piece.
Man on the street interview tips
The first thing you need is the right location. It must be somewhere with a reasonable volume of foot traffic to get enough people to speak to you.
But the location should also be appropriate to your topic or provide an interesting backdrop. For instance, if you are doing a street interview about a pigeon nuisance you might want to record where pigeons gather. That might be a park or public square.
If you want somewhere with a high footfall, you might initially think a shopping mall might be suitable. However, ensure you have permission in advance since they are usually private property.
In the past, I tried conducting street interviews in a local shopping mall, but I was swiftly ejected by security guards. Usually, it will be on safety grounds. When filming you may cause a crowd to gather and that may cause an obstruction and a hazard.
So, if you want to film in a shopping mall, contact the management in advance for permission.
A better location would be on a public street or an open area where you will not cause an obstruction or inconvenience to others. Naturally, you also want a location that is unlikely to be a danger to your or your interview subjects.
Conventions and EXPOs are also suitable places to record street interview videos. Obviously, you’re not on the street but instead, grab people as they wander around the exhibition hall or standing in front of their stand.
3: You must have a strong premise
Don’t go out with a camera and an interviewer with no premise and just the hopes of “making something funny.” You may believe that Letterman, Conan, and other incredibly talented comedians and improvisers can go out with microphone in hand and make practically anything funny. And sometimes they can, but in most cases they prepare a strong premise. Don’t wing it. It will definitely fail. Start with a really good premise for your “man on the street” shoot. Read on for different methods to come up with that strong premise.
FAQ
What are man on the street interview?
How do you perform a man in a street interview?
- #1. Choose the right location. …
- #2. Try to get spontaneous answers. …
- #3. Know how to approach the public. …
- #4. Record quality sound. …
- #5. Get the framing right. …
- #6. Ask open-ended questions. …
- #7. Record more material than you think you will need. …
- #8. Keep things visually interesting.
How do you interview a stranger on the street?
- “If you had a choice between two superpowers, being invisible or flying, which would you choose?” …
- “What was the last gift you gave someone?” …
- “How many square feet of pizza are eaten in the U.S. each year?” …
- “If you could compare yourself with any animal, which would it be and why?”
