I interviewed a veteran of the Iraq War today. I got some great stories, an interesting and honest perspective, and a better understanding of what life is like for some soldiers, especially those that have served in combat.
The bad news is, I feel I could have gotten so much more.
That's not just perfectionist pomp; I believe if I had a better idea of what my project is trying to do, I would have been better prepared to ask poignant questions. The problem lies in the combination of the project's focus evolving with the information I get.
The more interviews I do, the more I'll be able to recognize a pattern, something to focus on. Right now, I don't have many of those, so it seems as if there is no story. The story is there, however...it's just a matter of figuring out the common thread that holds together all the narratives I've collected.
It's a scattered approach to storytelling. I'm trying to pull a rabbit out of a hat without knowing how to do the trick. Thing is, I know that rabbit's in there somewhere.
If nothing else, I'm honing my interview skills. Establishing contact, explaining your project, getting comfortable recording and editing...all these things are important.
To use a cooking analogy, if the story itself is the final dish, I'm prepping ingredients. The oven's still preheating, so to speak.
Today's interview was a valuable experience, and the next interview I have with a veteran will be more polished, more focused. For now, I've got to let the thoughts shared with me today simmer for a bit.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment