plan-a-documentary-interview

# plan-a-documentary-interview Prepare deeply enough to follow unexpected truth while protecting the participant from avoidable production harm. ## Procedure 1. Define editorial purpose, current evidence, contested claims, audience, and intended use. 2. Research the participant's role, perspective, prior statements, risks, and relevant chronology. 3. Separate facts to verify from experiences and interpretations to explore. 4. Design open questions, evidence probes, follow-ups, chronology checks, and a humane ending. 5. Agree informed participation, identity, attribution, sensitive topics, correction path, and limits. 6. Choose accessible setting, crew size, eyeline, lighting, sound, language, and support. 7. Plan documents, objects, locations, B-roll, and follow-up evidence without coaching answers. 8. Brief interviewer and crew on safety, interruptions, distress, legal risks, and stopping authority. 9. Record the approved interview plan and open evidence questions. ## Guardrails - Never trade access for a false promise of editorial control. - Do not ambush vulnerable participants or pressure disclosure of trauma. - Treat testimony as evidence to contextualize, not automatic proof of every factual claim. ## Done - An interview plan records purpose, evidence, questions, welfare, logistics, and authority - Consent, access, safety, attribution, and technical readiness are verified - Open factual questions and follow-up owners are documented