An interview is like a conversation between two or more people. There are two sides:

• Interviewer – person/s asking the questions to get information.
• Interviewee – person/s providing the information by answering questions.

In an interview, the interviewer asks the interviewee questions to get back:

• Facts
• Opinions

Usually, the goals of interviews are to reveal a bit about:

• The interviewee (profile of the person) that people don't already know.
• Facts that have happened from the point of view of someone.

Therefore, questions regarding this type of genre are:

• Around the view of the interviewer or interviewee – the position in an interview is important.
• Detail questions – about facts and information provided in the interview.
• Inference questions – 'reading between the lines', sometimes things are implied through what the interviewer or interviewee says.
• Attitude of the interviewer/interviewee – conveyed through the things they say and how they say it.

Let's look at these types of questions in the illustrated example below.

We'll also put into practice the approach to answering questions too.

The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill

The following is adapted from an interview to a film producer.

Judy Irvinghas created a sleeper documentary hit in **** The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill. It is the inspiring true story of how one man found his life's work—and true love—among a gang of wild parrots roosting in one of America's most picturesque urban settings. Surfbirds recently got to see the film and Judy took some time to answer our questions.

Surfbirds: One of the first things that struck me when watching your film was how touching it was. You developed a story that focused on the human characteristics and individual personalities of the birds as well as Mark's growing emotional attachment to them. When you start a project like this do you have a preconceived idea of what angle you want to pursue or do you just film and see how it develops as you edit?

Judy: I felt at the outset that this would be a good story about Mark's relationship with the wild flock, but with a documentary you never know exactly what's in store until you start filming and editing. I like that process of discovery; it's more alive to me than following a script.

Surfbirds: Were you aware beforehand that these birds had such unique personalities or was that something that came out during filming?

Judy: Both: Mark told such great stories about the "avian stars" -- Connor, Picasso & Sophie, Tupelo, Mingus, Olive & Pushkin -- that I found myself concentrating on them during the filming. But other birds had their moments, too; a lot of it was luck.

Surfbirds: The adage is "never work with children and animals". Even though the birds are tame, they still are wild – how much did it add to your shooting schedule to deal with flocks of wild birds?

Judy: I learned that adage the hard way, because my initial conception for the film was a short fable for children. After three days of shooting with both children AND wild animals, I gave it up, and the film gradually evolved, over the next four-and-a-half years, into a full-length feature. The parrots aren't really tame, and the "nature of nature filming" is that there's lots of footage on the cutting room floor, and many days spent waiting around not getting anything. Despite the frustrations, I loved spending time in the gardens waiting for the birds. It's a meditation: you have to slow down to nature's pace.

1 Which quotation describes the singular personalities of wild birds:

A "other birds had their moments"

B "avian stars"

C "birds are tame"

D "they still are wild"

2 The shooting was going to take just a few days. This idea is most clearly suggested by

A "I gave it up" (line 23-24)

B "After three days" (line 23)

C "film gradually evolved" (line 24)

D "short fable" (23)

3 A fact that can be provided just by the film but not by reading the passage is the

A the length of the film.

B difficulty in filming children and birds.

C behaviour of the birds.

D the extension of the gardens.

4 The passage implies that the difficulty to film the birds has been

A the time invested to get a good shot.

B their aggressiveness.

C the rude reaction to human's presence.

D their savage behaviour.

5 The reporter's role in this interview is to

A make the interview interesting to people.

B provide well-documented facts.

C criticise the film.

D advertise the documentary.

Key Rules to remember:

• The position in an interview is important - are views being expressed and are they of the interviewer or interviewee?
• The following questions are common in reading comprehension:
  • Detail questions – about facts and information provided in the interview.
  • Inference questions – 'reading between the lines', sometimes things are implied through what the interviewer or interviewee says.
  • Attitude of the interviewer/interviewee – conveyed through the things they say and how they say it.

Now it's time to do your assignment.

1. Download the assignment question here.
2. Print it out or if you want to do it electronically, save it.
3. Complete the questions to it.
4. Then check the solutions on the video below or download the ANSWER KEY here.

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