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Summary: Keeping an interview in the same tense, like the present tense, allows for easier editing later and a more uniform feel to the production. Learn to use the present tense consistently in interviews from an experienced interviewer in this free film production video.
Views: 184 | Tags: making, interviews, film, videography, news, filmmaking
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David Jackel As a singer, David Jackel knows the dire effects that a cold can have on his ability to perform. He actively prevents colds through dietary habits and regula... read more
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Questions & AnswersHaving inconsistent tense usage drives editors crazy. Because as someone is cutting together video, you hear someone saying something in the present tense like, "So, I'm going for a walk." And then all of a sudden it cuts to them in past tense, "It was really tiring." Now, it may have made sense in the context of the conversation because someone was telling you a story, and then later on they're talking about how they feel, but when it's all cut together, people are going to be slipping back and forth through different tenses. So you want to have a consistent tense usage. I prefer to always have people speak in the present tense. That just lends to more consistency, because someone can tell a story in the present tense. Jokes are usually told in the present tense. You say, "So a guy goes for a walk," not “A guy was going for a walk", and that way, everything is more consistent overall. Speaking in the present tense also helps draw the viewer into the story, because if someone is speaking in the present tense then the viewer feels like it's happening as the story is told, whereas if something is told in the past tense, well then, it's old news. Now of course, getting someone to speak in the present tense is harder than it sounds, because people naturally fall into the past tense when they're telling a story. So the solution is to pause for a second, say to someone, "Hey, can you say that one more time, that sounded great, but let's have you say that like this." And after a while your subject will get into the rhythm of speaking in the present tense.
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