What questions should you ask in a video biography interview?

Let's say you have finally gotten around to sitting down with a family member whose life story video you have been meaning to record. You have a video camera (or tape recorder) whirring - the mic. is in place. Your subject has a glass of water, the dog has been banished to the back porch, you lean forward - smile - and open your mouth to speak. What do you ask?

First of all, well done for getting the job started! Second, there really is no such thing as a bad interview. The answers to any questions you think to ask will be a treasure for future generations - not just for the verbal information that is generated but for the personality and individuality which cannot but show through when a person speaks. This is a kind of magic.

Now, before I get to lists of specific questions, let me ask some questions of (ahem) myself which reflect my experience interviewing subjects for biography projects on video.

Here goes:

Is it a good idea to interview people together? Yes, especially couples. Subjects relax more quickly and the responses are usually more lively. But take the time to interview the subject(s) alone afterwards. People are often more candid one-on-one.

What about pre-interviews? Essential. You need to know the broad outlines of the story. But do it at least a week prior to the recorded interview - otherwise the subject will be saying, "As I told you before...".

Props? It's always a good idea to have keepsakes or photos on hand to pass across and ask about. Spend some time inquiring about items around the home that are obviously treasured.

Location? The subject's home, whenever possible (see "Props" above). The subject will be more relaxed and you can gather important and personal items to help compose your background (assuming you are video recording the interview). But don't confine the interview to one spot only.

How long should each session be? I must admit to being a bit of a hard task-master here. If the interview is going well I just press on! Talking excites and energizes a lot of people - including me (memo to self: break for lunch, break for lunch). Best answer: be sensitive to the needs of your subject.

What about the sensitive questions? Ask them, but leave these to later in the interview.

What if shocking things come out? I always check later with the subject to ensure that they are comfortable with the disclosure. They almost always are: One of the pleasures of interviewing older folks is their level of honesty and their lack of pretense.

What do you do when answers go on too long? Nothing.

"What, where and when" or "how and why"? "What where and when" questions get at the life's chronology - you need them for the narrative. "How and why questions" are potentially much more interesting, revealing motivations and decision points. Make sure you have plenty of both.

Can I ask leading questions? A "leading question" in the law of evidence is a question that suggests it's own answer or that can be answered by "yes" or "no". They should be avoided - unless you know there is a story there and the subject has plain forgotten!

Should I care about dead air (silence)? Actually, you should use it. Social creatures that we are, many of us are uncomfortable with silence and rush to fill it. Waiting after an answer has apparently finished often furnishes important additional information. If you do not plan to edit the interview then, with an eye to your future audience, you will not want to let the dead air to last too long.

Should the interviewer be part of the interview or should they try and stay invisible? Some video biography pros have the questions on cards or on a teleprompter to cut out the (potentially distracting) presence of the interviewer altogether. Others try to edit out the questions later. At the opposite end of the spectrum, other people promote the role of the interviewer by shooting wide shots (showing the two people) and even cutting in reaction shots of the interviewer. It's a personal choice.

What about catch-all questions? Another secret weapon. After I finish a topic, I always ask, "What else about [the current topic] is it important for people to know?"

Anything else? Good question - you're learning! Don't be afraid to ask too much. If the subject recalls a song, a poem or even a dance - ask them to sing, recite or dance it!

OK. Specifics. Here are some places to go to help you formulate your own questions. They are just a place to start. When you turn on that recorder, get ready to go with the flow and see where it leads!

Storycorps has questions organized by subject (e.g. friend, parent) and by topic. They are not afraid to have you ask the difficult questions. Here are Storycorps questions for subjects with a serious illness:

Can you tell me about your illness?
Do you think about dying? Are you scared?
How do you imagine your death?
Do you believe in an after-life?
Do you regret anything?
Do you look at your life differently now than before you were diagnosed?
Do you have any last wishes?
If you were to give advice to me or my children, or even children to come in our family, what would it be?
What have you learned from life? The most important things?
Has this illness changed you? What have you learned?
How do you want to be remembered?

Jewishgen has another great list of questions - especially suited for inquiring about previous generations. Here are their suggested questions for finding out about a grandfather:

21. What kind of work did your grandfather do?
22. Will you describe your grandfather? What did he look like? What kind of personality did he have? Did he influence you in any way? How?
23. Are you like him in any way?
24. Do you know how he died? When did he die? Where is he buried?
25. Can you tell me a story about either your grandmother or grandfather that would characterize her--perhaps something she did, or the way she reacted to something that happened to her or some member of her family?
26. How did your grandmother and grandfather meet?
27. Were there any family heirlooms/property, etc. that have been handed down from generation to generation? What are they? Where are they now?
28. Can you think of anything else about your grandparents?

About.com provide 50 questions especially focused on the subject themselves, popular culture and the world around. For example:

16. Do you remember any fads from your youth? Popular hairstyles? Clothes?
17. Who were your childhood heroes?
18. What were your favorite songs and music?
19. Did you have any pets? If so, what kind and what were their names?
20. What was your religion growing up? What church, if any, did you attend?
21. Were you ever mentioned in a newspaper?
22. Who were your friends when you were growing up?
23. What world events had the most impact on you while you were growing up? Did any of them personally affect your family?

Postscript: Need even more suggestions?  Here is an update entitled "More Video Biography Questions" posted on this blog in January 2012. 

Congratulations for getting this far and happy interviewing! 

Jane Lehmann-Shafron is a video biographer who co-founded Your Story Here LLC Video Biography a video production company that specializes in tribute videos and preserving family history. Based in Orange County CA, she was recently featured in "Success" magazine and in the "Los Angeles Times". Her award-winning films have been screened in festivals in the United States and Canada. She can be contacted on 949-742-2755 or through her website.