If you decide to produce a personal history of someone in your family, here are some useful tips to keep in mind.
- Get the best recorder and lavalier (clip-on) microphone you can afford. No matter how good your interview, it will be ruined if the quality of the recording is poor. Avoid mikes that are built-in the recorder. And if possible, use a headphone so that you can hear if you’re capturing the sound you need.
- Avoid having other people in the same room. This can make your subject nervous and distracted. It could make you tense as well.
- Make certain there isn’t any background noise. The playing of radios, stereos, or TVs or the sound of people cleaning the house or washing dishes can be very distracting. And if you intend to edit and transfer the interview to a CD or audiotape as a gift, you don’t want it ruined by all kinds of “racket” going on in the background.
- Relax your subject. Most people feel a little nervous when they start to be interviewed. Begin with some “small talk” about the weather or a favorite pastime. Make sure your subject is sitting in a comfortable chair and that the room is quiet and at a pleasant temperature.
- Ask easy, fact-gathering questions at the beginning. For example, “Where and when were you born?” and “How long did you live there?”. Save more emotionally charged question like, “What was the most difficult challenge you’ve faced in your life?” for later in your interview.
- Don’t get locked into your list of questions. It’s more important to listen to your subject and follow up with questions that allow them to go deeper with their responses. Don’t worry that you missed the next question on your list.
- Ask questions that begin with How, When, Where and What. These will elicit fuller answers than questions that lead to a one word Yes or No response. For example: If you ask, “Did you like your work?” The answer will likely be “Yes” or “No”. But if you asked, “What did you like most (or least) about your work?” the possible reply might be, “Well, I really liked the fact that I could work from my home and be my own boss.”
- Three good follow-up questions: “What do you mean by that?” “Can you tell me more? and “Can you give me some examples?”
- Be engaged with your subject. Look interested in their story…even if you’re not!
Photo by Jeff Cohen
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