Interrotron Interview, what is it?

An Interrotron is an interview setup that combines a direct to camera eyeline and a face to face interview style. Typically, face to face interviews require the subject to look off camera at the interviewer. The Interrotron allows the subject to look directly into the camera, but also face the interviewer. It achieves this by combining two teleprompter setups and feeding the video signal from one teleprompter setup’s camera to the other teleprompter setup’s monitor. This allows the subject to see the interviewer’s face, and the interviewer to see the subject’s face. The Interrotron is not a new device, but rather a new process of combining devices to achieve this result.

There are basically two types of Interrotron setups. The first setup requires two teleprompters, each with their own monitor, two-way mirror, camera, and tripod. The second setup requires one teleprompter setup and two laptops with video conferencing software.

The first setup is great at achieving the Interrotron’s primary virtue: direct to camera face to face interviews. The second setup, with two laptops, is great for remote interviews, that is, if the interviewer is in Chicago, and the subject is in New York City. As long as the subject has the one teleprompter setup, then the direct to camera face to face interview can be conducted remotely.

Mike spends most of this video building the teleprompter, so if you would like to see the Interrotron setup, then skip to 20:33.

What Equipment is Needed to Setup an Interrotron?

Mike builds one teleprompter setup in the above video. This setup includes our Autocue QTV 17″ Teleprompter Kit mounted to a Sachtler V20 S1 Tripod. Mike briefly reviews and mounts a Canon XF705 4K Camcorder to the teleprompter. Mike then uses a Sony NEX-EA50 Prosumer Camera to feed a video signal of himself to the teleprompter monitor. The subject of the interview would then be face to face with Mike and looking directly into a camera.

A complete Interrotron setup will include a second teleprompter setup for the Sony NEX-EA50 Prosumer Camera. That setup will receive a video signal of the subject’s face to the second teleprompter monitor for the interviewer to see. For our purposes, we simply show one setup with the understanding that it needs to be duplicated to achieve a complete Interrotron.

Errol Morris and the Interrotron Interview

One of the more famous documentarians known for using the Interrotron is Errol Morris. If you would like to learn more about him and the Interrotron, then check out NoFilmSchool.com’s blog post from 2012.

Want to start your own stream? Visit PerfectCircle.Pro or call Magnanimous at 312-465-2366.