DIGITAL TEEN MAGAZINE Students material THE INTERVIEW
THE INTERVIEW. DEFINITION
The interview is a journalistic text which tells the conversation between a journalist and a person who is of public interest, it is usually a long and deep dialogue, it is often accompanied by a photographic report. Although it is basically an oral gender, it has been adapted by the written media and they use it frequently.
The interview belongs to the sub gender of opinion. In general, we can establish that there are two types of interviews:
Informative and/or opinion interview, which is based on the interviewed person’s opinion about current facts or about questions on which he/she is recognised to have authority. Personality interview, where the interest lays on the interviewed person, on his/her vital or professional path. This type of text has a more personal aspect and it often shows a public recognition to the person.
Let's read an example of interview. Which example of interview do you think it is?
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DIGITAL TEEN MAGAZINE Students material
THE STRUCTURE OF THE INTERVIEW
The interview usually has the following structure:
Introduction: the interviewed person is introduced. The aspects related to the reason of the interview are emphasized (personal references, professional references, published books, awards...). Body or questionnaire: a dialogue structure is followed, where the journalist controls the development of the discourse, assigns turns and introduces topics. Often, the questionnaire is complemented with the narration of the meeting, the description of the character or the space where he/she is or the relation of impressions that the interviewer has at the moment of doing the interview. When it is about written media the interview is not literally transcribed. Ending or Conclusion: it consists of a brief commentary, it can be about an account of the impressions that the interviewed person has caused in the journalist or about the leave-taking. However, some interviews finish with the answer to a question asked to arrive to some conclusion.
The interview is headed by a title, this title can be related to the content of the text or to the interviewed person or it can be the reproduction of a text fragment. In this way, it is also usual to find the highlights in an interview, sentences which, because of its importance, need to be remarked.
LINGUISTIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE INTERVIEW.
Linguistic correction in the use of language, objectivity and clarity.
The standard register of the language is used. A close, objective, clear and precise language is used.
Textual characteristics.
The text is organized to make progress in the knowledge of the interviewed person in an increasing way. Often the descriptions and the considerations are alternated with the interviewed character's textual words.
Stylistic resources, in the written interview
The aesthetic function is basically used in the title and the introduction, with the objective of suggesting the reading. Combination of the direct speech with the reported speech.
Let’s observe these characteristics in an example!
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DIGITAL TEEN MAGAZINE Students material
TITLE: A magazine exclusive! To attract the attention HEADLINE
To introduce the interview, in a different graphic typology
Introduction
The interviewer
The interviewed
Body of interview
Body of interview
Direct speech
Ending
HIGHTLIGHTS Standard To remark a sentence registre
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DIGITAL TEEN MAGAZINE Students material
GUIDELINE TO PRODUCE AN INTERVIEW
The interview is a gender which demands an important previous preparation, the procedure to follow is:
Before the interview:
Information research: about the dealing topic, about the interviewed person's vital or professional path, collection of written texts or carried out interviews. Contact, date precision and conditions of the interview. It is recommended to expose in advance the objective of the interview and to agree with the dealing topics. Questions and script elaboration: to elaborate the outline and the questions it is necessary to start from the information that the interviewer wants to obtain from the interviewed person and it is advisable to concentrate our attention only in some aspects. It is necessary to have different types of questions prepared: some of them are essential (the ones which refer to the vital path, the dealing of the topic), others are possible (questions which can arise from the previewed answers) and others are alternative in case any previewed line fails or the interviewed person doesn't want to go into detail.
During the interview:
The recording. It is advisable to record the conversation. Introduction. The journalist's introduction and the introduction of the objectives of the conversation, sometimes a deal is made to give a draft of the interview to the interviewed person before its publication. Beginning of the questionnaire. Formulate the questions in a brief, clear and concise way. It is convenient to look for the harmony between the interviewed person and the reader. Realise that there are different ways of asking a question: with closed answers, open answers, double intention, insinuating, etc.
After the interview:
Write the interview following a marked structure: introduction, body and conclusion. It is convenient to purify the text in order to eliminate repetitions, unfinished sentences or without sense, linguistic ticks. It is necessary to be faithful to the expressed ideas and not to twist the sense of the interviewed person's words. Remark the sentences which you think are the most relevant. Write a suggestive title.
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DIGITAL TEEN MAGAZINE Students material ACTIVITIES
Let’s practise! Analyse some examples of written interviews. ACTIVITY 1. Name the parts of this interview and the first interview, about “Good and Bad habits” on page 1.
Actor - Kristen Stewart By Margo A., Calabasas
At 16, Kristen Stewart is not afraid of intense roles, including Jodie Foster's daughter in “Panic Room,” the protagonist in “Speak,” and a troubled teen in “The Messengers.” This month, “In the Land of Women” opens with Kristen playing a teen dealing with high school, peer pressure, and a difficult relationship with her mother. The film also stars Meg Ryan and Adam Brody.
In “In the Land of Women,” you are a painter, but what are your real - life hobbies? I read a lot of books, and I'm a writer. That's what I'm mainly into. I just love putting the words together. I'm really in love with words. I play guitar; I love going to shows. I'm kind of a homebody.
What is your favorite book? I actually have two. I just finished Cannery Row by John Steinbeck, which was really intense. The other is The Stranger by Albert Camus, that was heavy.
You've worked with Jodie Foster and now Meg Ryan. How were those experiences? So different. I was little when I worked with Jodie, so I wasn't taking notes. Just being around someone like that for months when you're so young and such a sponge ... she probably affected the way I work.
Jodie doesn't take things too seriously, she just acts. I mean, of course, she thinks about it, but Meg takes things very seriously - in the best way. You can tell she really cares about her work a lot, and that's really important.
In terms of acting styles, was it very different working with Meg, Adam and Makenzie Vega? They were all so different. Working with Adam and Makenzie was a lot of fun, but my scenes with Meg were intense. There was a lot of tension between us, a lot of distance. I liked working with her; I felt we were both very satisfied with what came out. After a scene with Meg it was like, “Oh, we nailed it.”
What is your relationship with your mother like? Will your new movie help mothers and daughters better understand each other? I'm really lucky, because I have a picture-perfect relationship with my parents. But I definitely see my friends in Lucy and her mom's relationship, I feel like that dynamic is very typical. This movie will open people's eyes.
How do you choose roles? It's always different. The movies I've been interested in have been because of the prospect of working with the filmmaker and a certain director. Sometimes I'll do a movie because there are one or two scenes I really want to do, something that's different. I think it's important to do movies that are worth watching, something that makes you think.
If you weren't acting, what would you do? I would want to write screenplays. But, if I had to have a practical job, if acting fell through, I couldn't imagine working anywhere but on a movie set. I would want to work in props or the art department.
What advice would you give others interested in acting? If there is anything you really want to do, you have to give it a shot. Otherwise you're going to hold onto it forever and just regret it. You should have no regret.
People always ask actors for advice and it's like wow, you're asking us? I don't know how enlightening we can be. We're just people. 5 From: http//www.teenink.com DIGITAL TEEN MAGAZINE Students material
ACTIVITY 2. Let’s watch a pair of audiovisual interviews. They have different structure. Listen carefully and fill in the annexed grid while watching the video on Kubica and Lady Gaga.
1. Kubica Interview - BBC GP Europe 2010 Qualifying http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHSp-mXXz8k&feature=related
2. Interview with Lady Gaga http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7xtCkh5_1U&feature=fvst
ACTIVITY 3. Now you do it!
Write an interview in pairs. Decide who you are going to interview, the aim of the interview and the information you want to get.
When you finish, complete the self-assessment rubric.
Answer the following questionnaire; be sincere and think about your answers
Previous organization We have studied the subject Yes / No We have shared the tasks fairly Yes / No We have made good use of time Yes / No Group organization Everyone has been responsible of his/her task Yes / No To share tasks we have taken into account each other's abilities Yes / No We have acted as a group Yes / No We have evaluated the activity as a team Yes / No
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DIGITAL TEEN MAGAZINE Students material Interview analysis. Complete the following grid.
Before...
Who do you interview?
Who makes the interview?
Which media is it for?
Which is the aim of the interview?
During...
How is the interview organised? Introduction:
Mark the different parts Body:
Ending:
Which topics are dealt with?
After ....
Give another title to the interview
Do you think that the interviewer has achieved the information he wanted to know? What has attracted your attention the most during the interview?
Write a summary of the main ideas
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