The Art of the Documentary Interview, Book One, by Martin Belderson

Read Before Filming
Practical advice and tips about advanced aspects of film-making that every aspiring professional should know. Featuring QR codes - for your smartphone or tablet - packed with checklists and advice for use on location.

The Art of the Documentary Interview
How to conduct effective film, TV, and radio interviews. Hints and tips from
experienced pros in easy steps.

What makes these books special?
Using interviews with veteran documentary-makers, crews, and editors from the film, radio, and TV industry, the books deliver entertaining anecdotes, cautionary disaster stories, and improbable tales of victory over adversity. The books are a celebration of film crew ingenuity, humor, and good common sense in the face of adversity.

Packed with good advice, each chapter ends with QR codes and checklists of what to do (and what not to do).

Who are the books for?
Media, film, and video production students, recent graduates, those people brave enough to enter the industry without going to film school, and everyone drawn to film-making by the ever-increasing convergence of digital technology.

Why you should read them?
The apprentice system in the industry has broken down. A lot of film-making lore once passed on in pubs and bars after a shoot or during quiet times in the cutting room will soon be lost. Yet all this accumulated hard-won wisdom can be as important as technical knowledge of, say, how an HD camera works or mastering the latest edit software.

Fore-warned is fore-armed has always been a vital maxim to follow in this complex, sometimes chaotic industry. Veteran producers and crews understand all too well that on any given day, on any given shoot, what can go wrong will go wrong.

There was a time when, working within large broadcasters like the BBC and the major US networks or film studios, novices could make mistakes without damaging their careers. Many great film-makers did exactly that. Nowadays, any mishap can have serious consequences. These books want to pass on professional tips so the reader might avoid, at the very least, being embarrassed on set or on location.