Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1097515
48 DGA QUARTERLY PHOTO: T.J. KIRKPATRICK/SHOWTIME n The Art of the Interview: Lessons From a Master of the Craft, author Lawrence Grobel advised his readers to "converse like a talk-show host, think like a writer, understand subtext like a psychiatrist, have an ear like a musician, be able to select the best parts like a book editor and know how to piece it together dramatically like a playwright." Grobel's subjects have been largely celebrities, but for documenta- ry filmmakers, the pool of subjects goes well beyond public figures to those who are often asked to plumb the depths of the most harrowing or painful events in their lives—all while the camera is rolling. The skill of interviewing such people goes beyond mechanics, and it's less taught than gained from years of practice. Director Matt Tyrnauer compares the interview to dancing the waltz; Marina Zenovich likens it to mental sex, while fellow documentarian Alex Gibney equates the process to a therapy session. "Sometimes it's good. Sometimes it's bad," says Gibney. "And sometimes it's like talking with someone with multiple personality disorder. After one very long interview, one subject looked up and said, 'So, same time next week?'" For Steve James, a successful interview means developing a mutual relationship with sub- jects built on respect. "When you are making a documentary, it's really important to not be an asshole because you want to get access to your subject's innermost thoughts," James explains. "To do that, your sub- jects have to not only want to spend time with you, but also enjoy spending time with you." Gibney concurs and adds that most people have a strong desire to be heard. "The trick or the art is to convince people that you are willing to listen," he says. A MATTER of TRUST I It takes tenacity, preparation, patience and empathy for documentarians to gain their subjects' confidence By ADDIE MORFOOT