Video & Audio Production

Documentary: Interviewing Techniques - November '25

Being able to conduct a documentary interview that results in powerful and effective material can make or break your film. This class covers all aspects of documentary interviewing: from gear set-up, to different types of interviews, to how to build rapport with your interviewees. Students will also have the opportunity to practice interviewing each other with professional equipment.
Format

In-Person

Starting date

November 1

Category

Video & Audio Production

Level

Beginner

Duration

7 Hours

Price

$285

Topics We'll Cover:

  • Where did interview as a form come from?
  • Interviewing styles and techniques
  • How to choose the right camera, sound and lighting gear
  • Preparation and logistics
  • Gear needed to record an interview
  • How to light subjects, camera angles, and sound capture
  • How to pick & prepare a set
  • Dos and don’ts during the interview
  • Quick fixes for problems during the interview

Lessons In This Course:

Write your awesome label here.

Meet The Instructor

Emily Cohen-Ibañez

BAVC Media Instructor 
Filmmaker Emily Cohen Ibañez pairs lyricism with social activism in her work, advocating for labor and environmental justice. Her feature documentary, FRUITS OF LABOR about a teenage farm and factory worker had its World Premiere at SXSW 2021 and broadcast on PBS POV | American Documentary. Cohen Ibañez works as a one-woman-band to directing a 10-person team on set. She has taught at NYU, CUNY, UC Santa Cruz, and the Latino Film Institute.

She has completed two feature films, eight short films, and published nine written essays. Her films have screened at SXSW, Black Star, Ambulante, and SFFILM International Film Festival amongst many others. Her feature documentary, Fruits of Labor, won awards for best editing (BIFF 2021), best American profile (SF DocFest), and achievement in Social Impact (BAVC/Chicken & Egg 2021) and was nominated for best Latinx director and best Latinx documentary (NALIP 2021) and the Spotlight Award (Cinema Eye Honors, 2022). Her films have been supported by the National Science Foundation, Ford JustFilms, Field of Vision, Firelight Doc Lab, Chicken & Egg Pictures, and BAVC National Media Maker. She is developing her first screenplay, From Honey To Ashes, with support from SFFILM Rainin Grant. She is completing a short documentary film, River, with support from Points North Pretty Wild Fellowship and Inmaat Foundation. She is also currently making her third feature hybrid documentary, Orquidea, supported by Cinereach, NYFA Anonymous Was a Woman Grant, Eurodocs 2025, and Film Independent Story Lab. Cohen Ibañez earned her doctorate in Anthropology at New York University (2011) with a certificate in Culture and Media.

Become A Member

BAVC Media members get 20% off all classes as well as other benefits! Check out our membership options below.

Get Updates

Be the first to know about upcoming classes, resources and other community updates by subscribing to our newsletter.