Video & Scriptwriting / Documentary Structure
Structure interview questions and shot sequences for talking heads — production-ready interview workflows.
Why This Prompt Exists
Bad interviews sink documentaries. Too many filmmakers ask generic questions, get generic answers, and have no shot plan — resulting in unusable footage.
You get:
- answers that are too short or too vague (can’t edit, can’t use)
- questions that lead the witness (biased, untrustworthy)
- no coverage for editing (single angle, no cutaways, no reaction shots)
- bad framing or lighting (unprofessional, distracting)
- no B-roll plan (nothing to cut away to)
But interview segments have structure:
- establishing shot: subject in environment (context, location)
- two-shot: interviewer and subject (relationship, context)
- close-up: subject talking (primary footage)
- cutaway: hands, objects, environment (editing coverage)
- reaction shot: listening, thinking (emotional response)
- insert: photos, documents, objects (visual evidence)
Without design, interviews fail.
This prompt designs interview segments with shot plans.
The Prompt
Assume the role of a documentary interview specialist who plans talking head segments. Your task is to design interview questions and shot sequences. Generate: 1. INTERVIEW SUBJECT INFO - Name/Role: [description] - Relationship to topic: [expert / witness / participant / family] - Emotional arc: [starts [emotion], ends [emotion]] 2. QUESTION SEQUENCE | Order | Question Type | Question | Purpose | Expected Emotion | |-------|---------------|----------|---------|------------------| | 1 | Warm-up | [easy, factual question] | Comfort, context | Neutral | | 2 | Context | [background question] | Establish credibility | Neutral | | 3 | Narrative | [story question] | Get specific story | Varies | | 4 | Emotional | [feeling question] | Access emotion | Emotional | | 5 | Reflective | [meaning question] | Extract significance | Reflective | | 6 | Closing | [final thought] | End on strong note | Pensive/Resolved | 3. QUESTION TYPES | Type | Format | Purpose | Example | |------|--------|---------|---------| | Warm-up | Factual, easy | Build comfort | "What's your name and role?" | | Narrative | Tell me about... | Get specific story | "Tell me about the moment you found out." | | Emotional | How did you feel? | Access emotion | "How did that feel?" | | Reflective | What does this mean? | Extract significance | "Looking back, what does that day mean?" | | Behavioral | What did you do? | Get action | "What did you do next?" | | Sensory | What did you see/hear? | Create vivid imagery | "What did you see when you walked in?" | 4. SHOT SEQUENCE FOR INTERVIEW | Shot | Size | Angle | Timing | Description | |------|------|-------|--------|-------------| | 1 | WS | Eye-level | 10s | Subject in environment (establishing) | | 2 | MS (two-shot) | Eye-level | 5s | Interviewer and subject (context) | | 3 | CU | Eye-level | Throughout | Subject talking (primary) | | 4 | CU (off-angle) | 15-degree | 2-3s per cut | Interviewer listening (reaction) | | 5 | CI | Varies | 2-3s | Hands, objects, details (cutaways) | 5. INTERVIEW SETUP GUIDELINES | Element | Recommendation | Why | |---------|----------------|-----| | Background | Simple, relevant, not distracting | Focus on subject | | Lighting | Key + fill + rim (3-point) | Professional, flattering | | Camera height | Eye level | Natural perspective | | Subject position | Looking just off-camera (to interviewer) | Engaged, not staring at lens | | Eye line | 15-30 degrees off lens | Conversational feel | 6. COVERAGE REQUIREMENTS | Footage Type | Minimum Duration | Purpose | |--------------|------------------|---------| | Wide establishing | 30s | Location context | | Two-shot | 30s | Interviewer-subject relationship | | Close-up (primary) | 5-10x interview length | Main footage | | Cutaways | 2-3x interview length | Editing flexibility | | Reactions (listening) | 1-2x interview length | Emotional responses | | Inserts (props/docs) | As needed | Visual evidence | 7. COMMON INTERVIEW MISTAKES | Mistake | Why It Fails | Correct Approach | |---------|--------------|------------------| | Yes/no questions | Short answers, unusable | Open-ended "tell me about..." | | Leading questions | Biased, untrustworthy | Neutral, curious tone | | Single camera angle | No editing flexibility | 2-3 camera angles minimum | | No cutaways | Jump cuts visible | Get B-roll and inserts | | Interrupting subject | Lose authentic moments | Let them finish, pause | | No emotional questions | Flat, unengaging | Ask how they felt | INPUTS: Topic of documentary: [E.G., "Surviving a natural disaster"] Subject role: [EXPERT / WITNESS / PARTICIPANT / FAMILY / BYSTANDER] Key story moment to capture: [E.G., "The moment they realized danger"] Emotional arc: [E.G., "Starts calm, becomes emotional, ends reflective"] RULES: - Start with warm-up questions (builds comfort, gets them talking) - Ask open-ended questions (never yes/no — "tell me about...") - Listen for emotional moments (pause, let them sit in it) - Get specific sensory details (what did they see, hear, smell?) - Capture cutaways (hands, objects, environment, reaction shots) - Two cameras minimum (wide + tight, or A + B angle) - Roll cutaways after interview (keep them in same position) - Transcript everything (don't trust memory)
How To Use It
- Start with warm-up questions — builds comfort, gets them talking.
- Ask open-ended questions — never yes/no; “tell me about…” instead.
- Listen for emotional moments — pause, let them sit in it, don’t rush.
- Get specific sensory details — what did they see, hear, smell, feel?
- Capture cutaways — hands, objects, environment, reaction shots, inserts.
- Two cameras minimum — wide + tight, or A + B angle for editing flexibility.
- Roll cutaways after the interview — keep them in the same position, same lighting.
- Transcribe everything — don’t trust your memory; you’ll need to find quotes later.
Example Input
Topic of documentary:
“A documentary about first-generation college students”
Subject role:
“PARTICIPANT (student, first in family to attend college)”
Key story moment to capture:
“The moment they received their acceptance letter”
Emotional arc:
“Starts nervous and uncertain, becomes proud and hopeful”
Why It Works
Most documentary interviews ask generic questions, get generic answers, and have no shot plan — resulting in unusable footage that can’t be edited.
This framework improves outcomes by forcing:
- question sequence planning (warm-up, context, narrative, emotional, reflective, closing)
- question type classification (warm-up, narrative, emotional, reflective, behavioral, sensory)
- shot sequence design (establishing, two-shot, close-up, reaction, cutaway, insert)
- setup guidelines (background, lighting, camera height, eye line)
- coverage requirements (minimum footage for editing flexibility)
Failure modes this prevents:
- Yes/no questions that produce short, unusable answers
- Leading questions that bias the subject (untrustworthy footage)
- Single camera angle with no editing flexibility
- No cutaways, making jump cuts visible
- No emotional access (flat, unengaging interviews)
This improves on: Generic, unprepared interviews. Structured interview design yields usable, emotional footage.
Related to: DS-01 (Mode) for overall approach; DS-03 (B-Roll) for supporting footage.
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