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Richard Fashola

Interview essay
1st interview- Russell brand
Body language
The body language here is very relaxed and laidback as you can see in the
interview that Russell brand doesnt really care about how he shows himself
towards the interviewees. He openly shouts in their faces when asking questions
which you will most not definitely see in another interview even in other
interviews where comedy is also injected into it such as Jonathan Ross as even in
that interview there is a level of dignity to it. However the body language is not
wholly negative here as hes interview techniques do work as it has the audience
clapping and cheering him on. The body language of Russell brand is again open
which may be perceived as arrogant by the interviewees as by watching the
interview, the interviewees look very disgusted by how Russell brand is acting.
However all the questions that is being asked towards the interviewees is being
answered in depth and in detail which shows that Russell brand is doing
something right even if not a dignified way. Im sure that it is the subject rather
than Russell brands body language which is making the interviewees feel
slightly uncomfortable. The reason how I know that the interviewees are feeling
uncomfortable is the way that they are arguing back with the interviewer taking
on a very defensive strategy but this is exactly what Russell brand is looking for.
As he knows that when people who are passionate in the subject they are
discussing about start to get offended they open up more and the amount of
information which flows from them is substantial. Russell brand technique is very
different and unique, He keeps calm and keeps control of how the interview goes
which is what every interview should be like. In some other examples you notice
that it is actually the interviewees which make the interview go in a certain
direction.

Russell brand just leaning forward, open, eyes glazing directly in them showing
hes confidence and all the positive attributes of body language showing that he
is interested in what the interviewees have got to say and that he is passionate
in what he is doing. Russell brand may come across as slightly offensive
especially if it is the first time going on the show and youre not aware of hes
interviewing techniques which in all honesty does work. The interviewees body
language show a few a negative aspects especially the one sitting on the hand
who usually has hes arms crossed and frowning hes face which is a major
indication which he is not happy with what Russell brand is saying. However
Russell brand could see this so turned up the intensity in the conversation by
asking more direct questions and digging questions. The questions that he asks,
makes the interviewers slightly angry and more passionate in what they are
defending, which makes them go up and above the question answering the
question with heart.

Richard Fashola
Interview essay

Costume
The costume in Russell brands interview is informal as they are all dressed in
casual clothing, especially the interviewer Russell brand who almost looks as if
he is rebelling against the norms of what should usually be worn in an interview
as he is giving off that very punk looking style which may be seen in a negative
way by not only the interviewees but by the audience at home. Russell brand is
wearing a brown vest, Black jeans, a hipster looking chain and hes hair fully
grown out going past hes shoulders. The costume here is something that will
never be seen in interviews that would be aired on major broadcasting networks
such as BBC one or ITV one as this type of interview is not aimed at everyone as
there is a specific target audience which this is aimed at. That target audience is
16-28 year olds mainly male, this is the reason why costume is so relaxed and
tranquil as the age group in the target audience are those that wont judge they
way he dresses and perceive it in a odd/negative way. Unlike those of the older
generation who wil most likely perceive this in a scary looking manner, the
interviewees costume is standard and wont be offensive towards anyone of the
public. One of them is wearing blue jeans and a black T-Shirt while the other one
is wearing a black jacket with blue jeans which is standard. This is a perfect
example of how different and diverse Russell brand dressing is. Its almost as if
hes costume matches the way he illustrates himself in hes interview, such as
the bizarre way he acts , jumping around and so on all this is unfamiliar to those
that usually watch interviews on The morning show for example which is aired on
ITV.

Lighting
The lighting here is slightly dark and dim giving the interview that slightly
evening look to it, the lighting here does work as it gives the interview that
slightly creepy look to it. It looks almost as if there is smoke in the room to make
it look somewhat misty of some kind. This is one of the first few things which I
noticed while watching the interview. This is a thing which the on stage audience
and audience at home will notice when they first see the setting in which the
interview is set in. Apart from that the interviews lighting is lit enough for
everything to be seen, ranging from the different facial expression on each of
their faces to anything that they may be showing in the hand. I think the lighting

Richard Fashola
Interview essay
was dimmed on purpose to make it look as if the interview was done during the
evening time even though it most probably wasnt. The reason for why
interviews do this is because the evening time is usually the time period is when
a program solely based on interviewing is aired. This is done as this is the time
when young teenagers and young adults are back from school or work and are
usually in front of the television relaxing. The lighting here is powerful as it gives
off that effect, that the interview will be slightly different to interviews that are
usually seen and the interviewer will have something strange about him.

Setting
The setting is that usual American type of interview, where there is an audience
watching the interview and the audience is a key vital part of how the interview
goes. Whatever that is surprising, funny or shocking to the audience they are the
ones to show how they would respond. The setting again may not be very
relaxing for the interviewees as they are the ones that came onto the show and
will have to do the answering. This may affect how they answer questions
especially if they are ones that get nervous quite quickly, luckily in this interview
they are not ones to be affected by the audience. There is nothing particularly
special about this interview, except for the lighting which I have already talked
about.

Questioning types
The questioning types presented in this interview are vastly different to how
other interviewers present their questioning types. This interview does not start

Richard Fashola
Interview essay
in the traditional way a interview should start, first off the interviewer introduces
the interviewees by shouting their names not caring how he says it. This may
seem rude at first, but this is hes own unique style. When the interviewees came
on stage they wasnt very friendly themselves, however they did introduce
themselves and shaked each others hands which shows that they do still follow
the typical conventions of what happens when two strangers met showing the
respect. However the interviewees brought a sign which does insult Russell
brand which illustrates that there is a massive comedic element which is part of
the interview and is again vital Russell brands interviewing style. The interview
then carries on with a variety of different questions being asked such as open
questions, leading questions, direct questions and so on, all these questions
force the interviewers to speak in detail which is smart of Russell brand.
Throughout the interview there is sly comedic insults which are said to each
other, this can be a form of building bridges which is a strange way but does
work. By building bridges it allows the interviewer and interviewee to be more
comfortable to each other allowing more in depth questions to be asked even
those that would not dared to be said in any typical interview. The interviewer is
very good in asking questions using hes hands to describe what he is saying
which shows that he knows what he is talking about, establishing that
connection is crucial. I like the way Russell brands asks hes question in such a
confident manner which I will try to mimic in my own interview asking question in
a brave manner using a range of different questions, however I will not start in a
arrogant manner such as Russell Brand as this may put the interviewer off. I will
start by using a closed question just to be on the safe side, however I will then
move swiftly into asking open question to establish that connection and to start
building bridges. Once the bridge is built, thats when a variety of different
questions will be askes such as direct questions.

Social Class and demographic


The target audience of this interview is 16-28 year olds mainly males but that
doesnt mean females wont watch it depending on the topic that is being
discussed. They will mainly be of British or American origin due to the show
being produced in America but the interviewer being British. They will either be
in college, university or working however those that work would usually have
more time on their hand due to them not being busy doing coursework or
revising foe exams. The social class of the interviewer Russell brand is working
class due to where he is born which is Essex and having that strong cockney

Richard Fashola
Interview essay
accent. This means that the audience wont be able to take him seriously and
may not even understand what he is saying however he does appeal to middle
class as well. This is due to the intelligence that he has, as he is very smart
especially the words that he uses but due to where hes origin is from this
somewhat holding him back from being liked by a lot of other age groups and
social classes. However we can also class Russell brand as middle class as he has
now had proper education and has improved the way that he speaks in
interviews although he will never be able to appeal to higher classes due to him
being stuck in that working/middle social class which is holding him back.

2nd interview
Reality Talk show- Kim Kardashian
Body language
The body language here is again relaxed and tranquil as the conversation is
flowing perfectly with no odd moments or anything like that, as the two
interviewers are bouncing off the interviewees energy this is how every
interview should flow like this is the best way to retrieve the best answers from
the interviewee. The body language is positive as they are all laughing, smiling
and facing each other looking as if the interviewer and interviewee are both
interested in what they both have to say. There is no crossed arms, looking
around the room or sighing as all these features show that the person is not
interested in what the other person has to say. The interviewers question are
really in depth and have a good sense of complexity which is making Kim think
which is what the intention of these questions are. However even if the questions
are personal and digging, the interviewee is not showing this through her body
language or any other way that the interviewers might catch on even if she may
be thinking different to what her body language is showing. Leaning towards
each other, sitting upright, using hands in moderation is all positive body
language and this is all being used in the interview which is again I cannot stress
enough is vital for an interview to flow smoothly and for the developing of
questions to be answered in depth. The two interviewers are also talking to each
other discussing what the interviewee has said and conversing on what question
to ask next, this shows that the interviewees are closely listening to the answers
they have got and what the best question to ask next depending on what has
just been said. There is plenty of smiling and in particular laughing which has
been scientifically proven to be the best emotion to make those around you feel
more at ease.
The body language is again related to the target audience, in this instance the
body language here is not really aimed at the right target audience which is 14-

Richard Fashola
Interview essay
21 year olds as the body language used here is formal and professional while
being slightly laid back. I am not saying that no one in this age group wont
watch it but it is not representative of how the target audience will act like. This
is why I am saying it might not appeal to them, unless the topic interests them.

Costume
This interview is much different to the other interview that I talked about
previously which was much less formal and the dress code was more relaxed, to
the interview I am writing about now. This interview is more formal, however it is
not the formal that you will expect in an interview or some type of business
meeting. This costumes that the interviewer and interviewee both wearing are
similar, as the dressing is smart but has a casual hint to it. However the
interviewers costume is a bit more formal this is because the interviewers are
working for a company and this is like any other job you have to dress
appropriate for your position. The Interviewers are both wearing a dress,
however one of the dresses is light blue and green which does look smart and
somewhat formal but this is positive as it helps the rooms atmosphere allowing
the interviewee to feel comfortable about what she is wearing which helps in
how she responds to the questions as its all about how your feel inside; thinking
about how you dress can affect this greatly. The other interviewers is wearing a
dress much less bright and lively as it is a simple white dress. However this
allows the interviewers to have a good balance between them, as it wouldnt
look professional if they were both wearing bright or dull dresses so it is good
that they have dressed different to each other. The interviewees dress shows a
good amount of her chest and is quite open but this doesnt matter much as she
is a guest and most of all an A-list celebrity so really she is entitled to wear
whatever she wants. The costume here is much more different to the first
interview I wrote about as in that interviewer there was no formality or
smartness whatsoever as everything was casualwear even the interviewer

Richard Fashola
Interview essay
herself wore casualwear however that was good for that type of environment.
The costume again is not representative of what the target audience will be
wearing at home and in their to day to day life.

Setting
The setting here is them typical rooms which morning interviews usually take
place in and the setting is quite relaxed, however there is quite a bit of pressure
on the interviewers to do well and ask the right questions as it is their job to find
out the most they can from Kim Kardashian the interviewee. The setting wont be
as relaxed as just a one and one interview as the whole crew and cast is there
watching the interview, this will cause the interviewer and interviewee to be both
under pressure. However apart from the crew being there it is still fairly relaxed
and comfortable as the colours they use to decorate the room are light and not
depressing, colours are important as they have an effect on how the interviewee
will feel, for example if the colours used in the room was dark and dull then it is a
high chance then the attitude of the interviewee will mirror it.

Lighting
The lighting in this room is very well lit and bright, ensuring that everything is
seen perfectly with no dark spots in the room having bright light in the room is
effective in making sure that all the facial expressions that both the interviewer
and interviewee is seen. Therefore it is vital that the interviewer and interviewee
dont have negative facial expressions, the audience will be able to see that
straightaway. Lighting is important for the audience back home as they will want
to see all the facial expressions and movements that they make as theres no
point in not seeing them and hearing their voice only as thats why we watch
television. However even if lighting is used the amount of artificial lights used
and brightness wont be much as the interview is during day time on a sunny day
and as the windows are fully see-through then the lighting from outside is the
one coming through giving the room that well-lit look even if it is only natural
lighting. However there is lighting used on the interviewers and interviewees
face called Key light which is shined onto their faces in order for the audience to

Richard Fashola
Interview essay
see them clearly as there may be hidden spots on their faces which natural
lighting may not be able to reach.

Questioning types
There are many different question types that are used in order to get the
information that they require, plus there is even more pressure on the
interviewers to retrieve the information from the interviewee as they are
working for a company whose only sole mission is to get the right material that
they can use in their newspaper or article. However the interviewers have to use
the right techniques and skills in order to get her talking more and to be more
open to confidential question which she may not want to answer if they have not
built a relationship of some kind. So the interviewers first job is to establish a
connection with the interviewee they do this by starting the video on a hype, and
excitement rather than asking boring questions and typical questions which you
would expect to hear from an interview. Starting an interview with boring and
typical questions is a bad choice especially for a famous and well known
celebrity who has done a ton of interviews who hears the same question at each
interview. It is vital that the interviewer mixes it up to make the interview
different and unique, asking questions which she doesnt usually hear while still
drawing information from the interviewee. A lot of open questions are used in
the interview as these type of questions for example How was your wedding to
Kanye? as these type of questions get the interviewee thinking and more
thoughtful about how she answers the questions. Direct questions are also used
quite a lot as these get straight to the point but the way they are presented
depends on the interviewer depends on the interviewer themselves in this case
the interviewer presents them in a soft way not being too direct but still being
direct enough that the interviewer has no choice but to answer directly.

Richard Fashola
Interview essay

Social class
The target audience of the interview is middle aged mainly female, between the
ages of 35-50 as this is the audience that watches the show the most and they
will be mainly living in the USA. However they could also be people living in the
UK watching the show as well, as the interview will most probably be on E
entertainment which is the international television programme for reality TV
program which I produced in USA. The social class of the target audience will be
middle to upper class who live comfortably and are working but the type of job
they have will be much different to those that are in lower class who work. They
will work in jobs that usually entails them working in a office or have quite an
high position in a formal corporate company. It is highly unlikely that someone in
the lower class sector will have the time or energy to watch these programmes
however this doesnt mean they cant watch it. The middle and social class will
have much more time and energy to watch these type of programs nevertheless
some lower class women may want to watch the interviews to see how different
a celebritys life is different to theirs. This is escapism for the lower class as they
want to escape the same life they live every day, its similar to watching a film in
which you want to be emerged into what is going into someone elses life
especially those that is substantially different yours in this case it will be
watching someone who is a millionaire and seeing how they enjoy their life.

Richard Fashola
Interview essay

Third interview
Jonathan Ross interview
Body language
The body language for the interview is very positive and you can see this by how
well the interview is flowing, theyre bouncing off each others energy and the
interviewer is making sure that the interviewee which is Sylvester sylonne is
feeling comfortable and at ease. Even as the interviewer walks on to the stage
Jonathan ross even stands up to welcome him formally and properly onto the
stage which is what I havent seen before in the previous two interviews which I
know is bound to make the interviewee feel as if hes welcomed there. Jonathan
ross similar to the Kim Kardashian interview I talked about before has plenty of
laughs and smiles however I did notice that Jonathan ross was the one that
usually smiled and laughed the most this may be simply because Sylvester
Selone which is an A-list actor wants to keep hes composure and to look
professional in front of the camera which is not necessarily a bad thing but is just
something that I could tell from when I first started watching it. The interviewer
adds comedic elements into the interviewer which is not done too much over the
top, this is done to make the atmosphere less demanding of the interviewee plus
it is hes job to add these comedic elements into the interview. While talking they
maintain good eye contact with each other, which is a good sign that they are
actually interested in what they have to say to each other. The body language
here is again depending on the target audience, this is why the body language
here is slightly relaxed but still in a formal manner which has the right balance to
it.
Costume
The costume that is being worn here show two different formalities, the first one
being smart which is what the interviewer is wearing which is a full navy suit
which is fully formal, something that you would wear to an interview for example.
While the interviwee is wearing just a normal shirt and jeans, with smart shoes
which gives him a smart-casual look which also gives off a good impression the
same way the interviewers costume does. The interviewer is dressed formally
this is because he is working for a company even though it may not seem like
the typicall everyday job you would expect every job has its own dress-wear no
matter what type of job it is. The typical rule is that the interviewer should
always look one step ahead more sophisticated than the interviewee as they are
representing the company they work for. Another reason why the interviwer has
to look smarter is because they want to give off a good impression to the
interviewee and to the target audience that are watching it, especially as the
target audience here are 25-45 male and female who are more judgemental on
looks than the younger generation. The interviewee which is Sylvester sylone

Richard Fashola
Interview essay
can wear anything that looks smart-casual as there is not as much pressure or
expectation for him to wear something smart as he is a big name celebrity but it
is still very important for him to look after his image.

Setting
The setting here is in what seems to look like a medium hall-auditorium where
the audience sit at the back and the main show is at the front on stage almost
like a theatre, with three to four diferent cameras around the room to record at
different angles. I am not sure if the audience that we can hear in the
background laughing is real or sound effects but using my past experience on
going on loose women to watch the live interview the audience here are most
probably real. If this is the case than the interviewer and interviewee have quite
a big amount of pressure on them to do well and not make any mistakes
however they are both professionals having experience of doing these type of
interviews so they know what to do and are used to it. The colours used in the
room have a warm type of feeling to it using purple-reddish colours as the theme
which is a good colour to use as it is not too intimidating making the interviewee
feel at ease and to feel as if hes home especially as these colours are usually
associated with that fiery warm home feeling. The setting here is very different
to the past interviews I looked as this is the first interview to which has this type
of atmosphere and feeling to it, the atmosphere is quite intense for both of them
but this doesnt mean its negative especially as we can see Jonathan ross
helping this by adding comedy to the interview.

Richard Fashola
Interview essay

Lighting
The lighting here is again well lit and bright, having the main lights focussing
where the interviewer and interviewee this is to ensure that the audience
watching the interview can see them clearly both in real-time and on television.
The lighting here is however somewhat different to the last interview I talked
about as the is certain tint to it giving the stage that evening type of look to it
which is what the producer would of wanted especially as the interview is shown
during evening time so it mirros this. From my own knowledge I know that there
wont be any lights shown onto the audience at all being left in the dark unless
they have an question of something to where the light is shined onto them. Key
lighting is used here where the light is focussed onto the point of interest which
is used in almost every type of interview which is done professionally it is the
norm here. Lighting is very important in interviews as it helps the audience to
identify what type of interview it is and what time of day it is meant to look as it
is. This helps them to identify what subject and matter the interview is going to
be about, even before the interviewer saying what the subject is. There is no
natural lighting here as everything is done using artificial lighting.

Question types

Richard Fashola
Interview essay
The question types here follow that same type of technique that was used in the
Kim Kardashian interview I talked about earlier. The first job of the interviewer is
to make them feel comfortable and at ease making the feel as if that they have
known you for years which is what will get them talking and giving out the
information in which the interviewer needs to hear. There are many different
question types that are used in order to get the information that they require,
plus there is even more pressure on the interviewers to retrieve the information
from the interviewee as they are working for a company whose only sole mission
is to get the right material that they can use in their newspaper or article and
they are in front of a live audience which also wants to hear what the interviewee
has got to say. The interviewer uses comedy as hes main advantage to get the
interviewee talking and to make them feel even if they were to say anything
inappropriate or wrong the interviewer is there to laugh it off which is not always
a good thing as at times they can make the interviewer look unprofessional but
here it is effective. However the interviewers have to use the right techniques
and skills in order to get him talking more and to be more open to confidential
question which he may not want to answer if they have not built a relationship of
some kind. Starting an interview with boring and typical questions is a bad
choice especially for a famous and well known celebrity who has done a ton of
interviews who hears the same question at each interview. It is vital that the
interviewer mixes it up to make the interview different and unique, asking
questions which she doesnt usually hear while still drawing information from the
interviewee. A lot of open questions are used in the interview as these type of
questions get the interviewee thinking and more thoughtful about how he
answers the questions. Direct questions are also used quite a lot as these get
straight to the point but the way they are presented depends on the interviewer
depends on the interviewer themselves in this case the interviewer presents
them in a soft way not being too direct but still being direct enough that the
interviewer has no choice but to answer directly. Leading questions are also
used here which is to get more information from the interviewee, saying one
question then following it up with another one that is connected to that question
getting more and more restrictive as the questions go on but the interviewer
here keeps them relatively open not being too focussed or restrictive.

Richard Fashola
Interview essay

Social class
The target audience here 25-45 both male and female, but it is usually
depending on which celebrity they have on in the interview. For this interview
they will be more male watchers than female as the celebrity Sylvester Sylonne
is a actor who plays in action and thriller films which typically has a larger male
audience. This means that the fans of hes films which are all mainly male will
watch the interview who has their idol who they love and adore. However regular
watchers of the Jonathan Ross programme will be mainly females who stay at
home as they have more time on their hands and while doing whatever they
usually do at home which may be cooking dinner or cleaning up the house they
may put it on to occupy whatever they ae doing while their husbands are still out
working. Even the comedic elements and slants said in the show will by mostly
understood by this target audience. The social class of the target audience will
be lower classes and middle classes however it will include all social classes
available as fans of Sylvester sylonne are included in all of them. The interviewer
themselves is of middle social class as he is well dressed and the accent he uses
is of standard British which is used in news shown on national television.
However you can tell that he is not of higher class due to the type of humour he
possess which may not appeal to higher class which is why I said he is not of
higher class himself. Apart from that he is definitely within the middle social
class, the way he presents himself is respectable which is vital to being taken
seriously by the interviewee and audience unlike Russell brand who does not
care how they look like.

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