07 • Your Interview Recording Day
23m 12s
Learn how to set up, conduct, and record your oral history interview.
LESSON OUTLINE
1. Before the interview
a. Set up your space
b. Set up your recorder
c. Get you and your narrator comfortable
d. Test your recorder
2. During the interview
a. Start your recording
b. Sample introduction
c. Soft interview skills
d. Close your interview
3. After the interview
a. Process your interview
TRANSCRIPT
Lesson 07: Your Interview Recording Day
Hi, welcome back to Self Evident's oral history training and archiving program. This is Lesson 07: Your Interview Recording Day.
In this lesson, we'll walk through what you need to prepare before the interview. So setting up your space, your recorder, getting you and your narrator comfortable, testing your recorder. And then what you'll need to know during the interview. Starting your recording, your sample introduction, remembering your soft interview skills, closing out the interview. And then, after the interview, how to process your interview recording.
BEFORE THE INTERVIEW
Set up your space
Before we can even start the interview, we've got to you and your narrator have to find your recording space. So we know that there will always be noise all around us, but there are ways that we can minimize those sounds on your recording. And the best way to do that is to find a space that's going to cushion and absorb sound, instead of one that will bounce and echo the sound all around.
So not everybody has access to a soundproof studio to record their interviews. So what we can do is look in our homes for the best possible place to do it. What we want to look out for is a small room. And in this small room, we want to have low ceilings, carpeted floors or rugs, closed windows and curtains, full bookcases or large objects along the wall. A desk and a comfortable, not squeaky chair to sit in. Electronics turned entirely off. So like our clocks, computers, the fan, AC unit, and appliances that can be unplugged, like the fridge or entertainment systems. And we don't want to have a street view because we don't want to hear the sounds of the streets. We also want to be around a strong internet connection. So close to your wifi router or your data hotspot, if you're doing a virtual interview.
So on the flip side, we want to avoid all of the opposites of that. So we don't want to be in a big room that has high ceilings, hard floors, big windows with no curtains, bare walls, noisy appliances, like refrigerators or air conditioners or clocks, or a window or a light behind you if you're doing a virtual interview, because this is going to make your face less visible on the video, so that your narrator can't see you as well.
So we know that the perfect room for recording may not exist in our homes, but we can try our best to create the recording space that we need. So as many of these that you can check off as possible will make your recording sound as clear as we can make it.
We also recommend that you send this list to your narrators ahead of time so that they can set up their space if they're not going to be in person with you. This way, they can also set themselves up for a nice, comfortable, quiet place to record.
Set up your recorder
Once you've got your recording space set up, then you can set up your recorder. This can be your phone, your computer, your special microphone equipment. It doesn't matter. For any recording device though, the standard audio file settings are the following. We want to record in a WAV format. We want our sample rate to be 44.1 kHZ. And we want our channels to be on mono, which means that we'll hear the same sounds on both sides of our headphones instead of one on one side and a different one on the other side. For our virtual interviews, we want to use headphones of any kind. So this doesn't need to be headphones that have speakers on them. These headphones keep the sound in our ears, from what we hear our narrator saying to us, instead of echoing into our own microphones and catching extra outside sounds from that.
And then to make sure that we get the clearest recording of the things that you and your narrative say during the interview, we want to make sure that our microphone is perfectly placed to capture all of those stories and keep out all of the outside sounds. So this is my friend James from Self Evident, and he is here to show us where to put our recorders so that we can capture the most beautiful and clearest stories from you and your narrator.
So, first you'll want to set a table between you and your narrator. And then, on top of this table, you want to put a stack of books or boxes up to your chest, or about six inches from your chin. And then, you're going to put your microphone, your phone, your computer, whatever you're using to record on top of that stack so that it's face up. So you want your computer to be facing up, your phone to be facing up. And you want the bottom of your phone, where the microphone is, or the microphone head about six inches away from your chin. This six inches is the sweet spot distance, because if it's too close to your mouth, then you'll be too loud and the recording will cut out because of it. And if you're too far away, then there will be more space for outside sounds to come in and less space for your voice to come through.
If you're doing this interview in person with your narrator, then you're going to want to put the phone or the microphone closer to your narrators. So it should be six inches away from your narrator's chin, because they'll be doing most of the talking during the interview. And just remember that during the interview, whenever you say something, try to lean in closer to the recorder. So that you're about almost, about six inches away from the recorder when you're talking. So this may feel kind of awkward at the beginning of your recording, but just know that, as the interview goes on, a lot of the times it feels like the microphone or the recorder just fades away into the background, and you're just having a conversation with your narrator.
So you've got your recording space set up, your recorder set up, and now it's the day of the interview. So it's always helpful for me to have this day-of checklist to make sure that I have everything that I need to be comfortable and to be fully ready for this interview.
First, you'll want to have your phone or your recorder fully charged and your charger close by just in case. You're also going to want something silent to keep track of time. So that could be your phone and make sure that it's on silent. Make sure that you have your questions list and your backpocket questions written out. This can be helpful for you if you're feeling nervous and you just need something to ground you in how your conversation will go. You want a pen and paper to take notes. You want to remember to jot down any questions, any thoughts, any connections that come up throughout the conversation so that you don't forget them. And then, so you don't feel like you need to interrupt your narrator. You're also going to want water because you're going to be talking a lot and same with your narrator. So make sure that both of you have water or something to drink throughout the interview. And then you'll want to use the bathroom before.
And finally, you want to take a nice deep breath because you've got this. You have all the skills and you are so ready for this interview.
Get you and your narrator comfortable
Then once your narrator arrives, you want to make sure that they're comfortable too. So before even hitting record, you want to make sure to give your narrator a little roadmap of what the interview will be like.
So you want to ask your narrator the following questions. Do you have any time restraints that I should keep in mind? This will be helpful for you to keep track of when you should be asking some questions, when you should be redirecting your conversations, and when you should be starting to close out so that you can be mindful of your narrator's time.
You want to also let them know that you can pause or stop the interview at any time. If they need to take a moment to gather themselves, if they need to go to the bathroom, if they need to take a stretch, if they just are not comfortable with the interview anymore, then you can pause and start back up again, or you can stop the interview at any time.
You'll also want to remind your narrators what will happen next with the interview. Where will the interview go after you finish recording? What could happen to it? What does the release form look like? Let them know that you'll go over the release form with them afterwards and answer any questions that you have.
You'll also want to remind your narrator of your role as the interviewer. So remember that your role as the interviewer is really to guide your narrator through the conversation with your questions and with your soft interview skills. And remember that your narrator should be the one doing most of the talking. So you may not say too much during the interview, but know that you are fully interested and excited to be there. And then finally ask them if they have any final questions for you before you get started.
Test your recorder
And finally, before we officially start the recording, we want to make sure to test our recorder so that we know that the sound is going to be clear and beautiful in the final recording.
To test your recorder, start by setting up your microphone between you and your narrator. And then press the record button. And then count to 10 out loud. And then ask your narrator to count to 10. And then press the stop button. And then listen back to your test recording to make sure that it clearly picked up both you and your narrator's voices.
If someone's voice sounded too muffled, too far away, too close, then you want to make your adjustments. If you need to move your microphone closer to your narrator, or remember to lean into the recorder. Then once you've made all these adjustments, test again from start to finish. You want to set up again, press the record button, count to 10 out loud. Ask your narrator to count to 10 out loud, press the stop button, listen to the test recording again. And then, once your test recording sounds clear and you hear both you and your narrator's voices clearly, then you are ready to record.
DURING THE INTERVIEW
Start your recording
Now you're ready to start your recording. So first you want to press the record button. Don't forget! And then, before you say anything, you want to record 15 seconds of silence. This is known as room tone and is exactly what it sounds like. It's the sound of our room. And this is super helpful for if you decide that you want to produce an audio piece with this recording in the future. This is the perfect time to sit, still breathe and gather your thoughts in silence.
Sample introduction
After that 15 seconds, you're going to start the interview by introducing yourself, and then you'll ask your narrator to introduce themselves. And then enjoy your interview.
So the introduction at the beginning of your interview is a great way for people to know, when they're listening to your recording, exactly who is on the recording, the date that it happened, and where it happened. So a sample introduction can be, my name is ____. Today's date is ____. I am located in the [city, state, country]. I am here with [your narrator's name] and [your relationship to your narrator]. And then, could you please introduce yourself?
So put into practice, this can sound like — an example of this is: My name is Yuri Kochiyama. Today's date is May 19th, 1967. I am located in Detroit, Michigan. I am here with Grace Lee Boggs, who is my long-time friend and comrade. Could you please introduce yourself?
Recap to start your interview
OK and now a full recap before you start your interview. First, you want to set up your recording space. And then you want to set up your recorder. Then you want to give your narrator an overview of the interview process. And then, if your interview is happening virtually, you and your narrator should put your headphones on. And then test record with you and your narrator. Once it sounds good to go, then you are ready to record your interview. And then take a deep breath because you've got this. And then press the record button. Don't forget. And then you want to sit still, breathe, and gather your thoughts in silence for 15 seconds. And then you want to start with an introduction for you and your narrator. And finally, you want to enjoy your interview.
Soft interview skills
While you're enjoying your interview, remember your soft interview skills: ask thoughtful and informed questions, practice active listening, and follow your curiosity.
I highly recommend that you review Lesson 04 on Preparing Yourself as the Interviewer the day before or the day of your interview, to make sure that you facilitate a smooth conversation with your narrator.
Close your interview
No matter how much you're enjoying your interview and all of the stories you're learning from your narrator, unfortunately, every conversation does have to come to a close. And remember, you want to keep your interview under an hour and a half to two hours, because we've seen that people really start to get tired and lose focus, if the interview lasts more than an hour and a half to two hours. You know, it takes a lot of energy to talk and share personal stories, just as it takes a lot of energy to actively listen and engage with your narrator for so long. And remember to save some stories for next time, because this conversation should just be the start of many conversations to come between you and your narrator.
So to close out your interview, remember that this is why it's so important to be keeping track of time. With about 10 minutes left, you want to ask your narrator how they're doing on time. Ask them if they want to close out the interview soon, or if they wanted to stay for a little bit longer. And then, start to go into your closing reflection questions, so that we can wrap up the conversation and revisit some of the parts that were really, really important to them. And then with five minutes left, ask them if there's anything else that they wanted to share that you didn't ask about. And then finally, you want to thank your narrator for their time, for sharing their stories with you, for being a part of this interview with you. And then stop the recording.
So take a nice deep breath. You did it! Your interview is done! And now, after the interview, again, you want to thank your narrator. You can never thank them enough for all that they have given to you with their stories, with their time, with their care. And then ask them how they felt about the interview. Maybe there were some particularly exciting or meaningful or surprising things for them that came out of the interview.
Explain the release form to your narrator
And then you want to review the release form with them. And we're going to talk about that in just a second. After the release form, you're going to want to tell them what happens next with their recording. And then you want to ask them if they have any questions for you about the recording or the full interview process. And then after your narrator has left, whether it's that evening or the next day, send a thank you to your narrator. So whether that's sending them an email, a text message, or giving them a call, or even writing them a letter, thank them for their time and remind them that you're still feeling the interview and you're still thinking about it.
So here is a quick refresher on how to explain the release form to your narrator. You can go back to Lesson 05: Preparing Your Narrator to refresh your memory even more on the release form and why it's important to make sure that your narrator fully understands what it means.
We suggest a few key things to share with your narrator. First, share that your recording, the photo, and any information that they choose to share will be shared in a publicly accessible digital archive. Within this archive, it will include your audio recording only, no video. And let them know that they can choose to use whatever name they want. That could be their full name, a chosen name, or anonymous. And if you and your narrator want to remain anonymous in the digital archive, it's so important to talk about how you can make sure of this during your recording, like using a different name. And remember to practice using this chosen name before the interview, so that you can get yourself used to it. And keep in mind that if you or your narrator choose to use a different name or remain anonymous for your archive entry, we do still ask that you sign your full legal name on the release form. But this form will never be shared publicly.
Also let them know that adding a photo to the archive is also optional. Sometimes people don't want to share a photo of their face, especially if they want to remain anonymous. We've seen people take pictures of something other than their face to visually remember the interview. Sometimes I've seen people take photos from behind, of the back of their heads, or even their hands or their shoes or where they conducted the interview.
And then let your narrator know what will and could happen with the recording. Like Self Evident could produce a story using your recording. And share why you trust Self Evident and show a favorite episode. A good one to share is our episode Saving the Seeds for our fruit lovers and our Diaspora Dance Mixtape, Volume 1 for our music lovers. So get them just as excited about Self Evident as you are.
Let them know that it could also be shared with other people and groups that Self Evident trusts to become a part of school textbooks, museums, TV and film, art, and so much more.
And remember to ask if they have any other questions, concerns, or need any more clarifications about any of the above. If you don't have an answer for them, be honest and let them know that you will try your best to find out the answer to tell them. Feel free always to reach out to us, if you have any questions or they ask you any questions that you want some help answering. We are more than welcome, we are more than happy to talk through this with you and help you out.
AFTER THE INTERVIEW
Process your interview
Finally, after the interview, once your narrator has left, then you want to process your interview to make sure that you don't lose that precious recording that you just did. So you want to download your recording, whether it's on Zoom or your phone. And then you want to skim through the audio recording file to make sure that it works. So you can just click on different spots throughout the recording, just to see if you can hear sounds, if you can hear voices. If you do, that's great. And then you want to create and name a folder with your narrator's full name, the date of the interview, and your initials. And then you want to name your files. So for our audio files, we want to have our narrator's full name, the date, your initial, underscore audio. That way we can easily know what files are what, when we archive them into the digital archive.
Before the next lesson
You made it! So now you have all of the skills that you need to conduct and record an oral history interview with your narrator. So before jumping into our next lesson, we recommend that you pause here to prepare for and conduct your oral history interview with your narrator so that you can apply the skills that you've just learned to that.
Feel free to revisit any past lessons to refresh your memory, especially Lesson 4: Preparing Yourself as the Interviewer so that you can remember all of your soft interview skills for your recording. All of the lessons up to this point are really to set you up to be a star interviewer and to facilitate a meaningful conversation with your narrator.
And we can't wait to hear how it goes. Once you have conducted and recorded your oral history interview, then you can head to our next lesson: Archiving Your Interview.