Seibertron.com Energon Pub Forums

In the ever going effort to make Seibertron.com the Ultimate Transformers website, we're looking to expand our coverage in the transformers universe to include in depth interviews with your favorite people behind the magic.

So what's the best things about interviews that you hope to find in interviews? Have you conducted any yourself? We're looking for feedback and experience to bring you the very best news coverage possible.

Feel free to let us know by replying to this thread. Thanks for your help.

exclusive and in-depth stuff, please.

personal anecdotes. Something like Andy Wildman saying "I always thought of Al Pacino at the end of Scarface when I was drawing Galvatron" or "I don't think it's at all weird that they're robots and have teeth and saliva, nosiree" actually, anyone saying "nosiree" with a straight face.

I have in fact conducted interviews myself

I would love to get myself in on this. I'm going into Journalism classes in college and I'd love to have something more to give them than short stories when they ask me for a portfolio.

I nominate Mkall who's conducted a number of interviews with site members.

Those interviews were awesome, we should do them again.

When I read reviews:

I like reading for advanced Transformers toy/cartoon/comic/movie.

I would love to get into that, I have not been interviewing anyone, but I have been "Publicly Questioned" at a Pokemon event, so I know how it goes.

I like people ask questions about little stuff, the background stuff. Like "what happened the day you did this?" or "how long did it take to arrive on this?" or "what was something you took out from this?"
Things that help you get in the mind of someone creative.

I just did an Australian exclusive interview with Peter Cullen who is the voice of Optimus Prime. You can check it out here http://www.thehothits.com/artists/5964/ ... imus-prime

I do a lot of interviewing for video, professionally. Always be certain to know your subject person very, very well. Do your background. If possible, field questions in advance, or do a 'pre-interview', so that you can jog your subject's memory if there are a lot of things you'd be talking about from the past. Try to do a follow-up to re-visit or clarify certain points. Always ask a couple of questions that you know (or think you know) the answers to.

I often ask something along the lines of "what stands out in your mind when you thing about/remember [what you're talking about]?" That's where you can get real gems about things people said or did, or something interesting that happened, or really intimate moments.

Another good questioning point is to ask what someone's preconceptions might have been about Transformers before they became involved in the property, and how some of those preconceptions might have changed during their time with it. That's a good way to get something that will illustrate what a positive impact their involvement on Transformers might have had on them personally - which is something many of our fellow fans can identify with.

I'm always available as an interviewer, if you should happen to need one. I do professional voice over work as well, so I give a pretty good impression over the telephone...

Burn wrote:I nominate Mkall who's conducted a number of interviews with site members.

Those interviews were awesome, we should do them again.

I enjoyed the site member interviews and learning more about fellow seibertronians. I'd like to see those come back.

One of the things that bugs me, and this is interviews in general, not any one specific place and that is: Un-professionalism.

Taking over the interview, giving personal opinions like op/ed piece when it's supposed to be an interview, let the words speak for themselves, not fancy editing that looks good.

I guess what I really want is integrity. I want the interviewer to take it seriously, with class and sophistication, even if the interviewee or the content is just utter goofball trash.

I realize that doing interviews for a site like this (and by that, I mean a fandom site), isn't save the world type of stuff and that you can relax and have fun with it, but you have to try. Make it look like you're getting paid for it, put some effort into it.

Respect is one of my biggest issues. You not only give it to the subject, but to your reading audience. If you're a kissass and it shows, you didn't really try. Nothing was gained, just two or three people talking and it looks stupid.

We, the readers, deserve more than that. The guest/interviewee deserves more than that.

So you'll be putting your hand up as an interviewer then?

I did one for the site here, I *think* it was well recieved....

My plans to cover AA fell through due to lack of finances, but I wouldn't mind trying my hand at something like this again if the opportunity arose.

is it really that difficult to ask someone questions?

to make a REAL good journalist just ask the questions people DO wana know and not the crap they SAY people wana know...but dont

example

George Lucas
As far as i understand theres only ever been 1 person whos interviewed him who asked him what his obssesion with midgets is all about and apparently lucas acted like a big child and just walked outa the interview. Then again lucas is a dick so i expected that to happen

point is almost no-one had asked the guy when everyone wants to know why he seems so sexually obsest with midgets and puts TONS of them into his films. Christ i cant think of 1 movie were he doesnt have midgets.

yet do people ask him when hes being interviewed? no! instead we get crap like when the guy from Family Guy interviewed him and talked about crap like what cheese he liked?

Just ask questions people WANT to know, even if it may cause a bad reaction IE asking Welker if he was pissed that moron Michael bay said welker COULDNT be megatron even tho he IS megatron........because Prassila Queen of The Desert was going to be playing the voice of megatron

Swindle01 wrote:is it really that difficult to ask someone questions?

to make a REAL good journalist just ask the questions people DO wana know and not the crap they SAY people wana know...but dont

No, it's not that difficult to ask questions. And you can ask the questions people want to know, but you have to smooth over the ice with fluff questions first.

Connie Chung basically destroyed her career by jumping into a line of questioning and berating the interviewee with the same question, over and over, which he refused to answer due to the fact it would incriminate him. It cost her her job. No one says it officially, but everyone knows.

Swindle01 wrote:example

George Lucas
As far as i understand theres only ever been 1 person whos interviewed him who asked him what his obssesion with midgets is all about and apparently lucas acted like a big child and just walked outa the interview. Then again lucas is a dick so i expected that to happen

point is almost no-one had asked the guy when everyone wants to know why he seems so sexually obsest with midgets and puts TONS of them into his films. Christ i cant think of 1 movie were he doesnt have midgets.

That's not a question most, if any people want to know. You might think he's sexually obsessed with midgets, but you're probably one of the only ones. I know he's worked with midgets, but none of the times I've seen any of his productions did they ever make me think "Lucas, you midget lover. HUMP ALL THE MIDGETS!" This is one time when I can say "This is not a question anyone gives a crap about." And it's true.

Swindle01 wrote:yet do people ask him when hes being interviewed? no! instead we get crap like when the guy from Family Guy interviewed him and talked about crap like what cheese he liked?

Just ask questions people WANT to know, even if it may cause a bad reaction IE asking Welker if he was pissed that moron Michael bay said welker COULDNT be megatron even tho he IS megatron........because Prassila Queen of The Desert was going to be playing the voice of megatron

There's digging for the truth and getting answers, and then there's your approach. Yours is "RUSH 'EM AND PRAY!" and that's not how journalism worth a damn works.

Oh, and things like asking him what cheese he liked? Humor. Plain and simple. Don't know satire when you see it?

Class and intelligence will go a long way, rather than gonzo journalism covered by idiots like TMZ.

sorry but now all i can think about is this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KHMO14KuJk

I'd love to interview people. One of my favorite interviewers is Charlie Rose. I like how he gets the people comfortable and allows them to feel as though there's nothing he can't ask.
Myself, it would depend upon who I'm interviewing. If I was interviewing voice actors I'd ask the basics first like, "How did you get in," and "What keeps you coming back to voice acting?" Then I'd go to tougher ones like "Tell me what's voice acting mean to you as an actor?" and "When did you say to yourself that you are an actor now?" Then I'd get into, "How has the digital revolution changed the way you voice act?" and "How do you feel about your fans."

There's a pattern like that to all good interviews. The big questions come in when you start talking to directors, and animators. They're the ones that decide so much about a series from lighting to color pallet for episodes. For example, if you look at the color pallet and lighting for TP Predatory and Crisscrossed, then you see a very different look to the rest of the series. These episodes had atmosphere and edge to them. Basically you talk to them about the things that stand out.

Can I do an interview of myself?

I was a TV News photog for over a decade. I've done a few interviews in my time. There is no concrete formula on what to ask or how to ask it, just remember to LISTEN to the answers given. That's the only advice I can give.

Mindmaster wrote:Can I do an interview of myself?

I'm sure it'd be entertaining. Like watching Crossfire with added trollfaces.