This aspect of our fieldwork comprised ethnographic sit-down interviews with guides in pairs and, separately, with six visitor groups. The interview questions all followed the same general aide-memoire. Guides’ interviews took place outside, in the pit-yard. Visitors’ interviews took place inside in a conference room. We have to question what video-taping brings to the interview process. Limitations of equipment and personnel meant that the results would not be particulalry visually interesting. It is interesting however to compare the differences in the role of the camera in the guides' interviews and the visitor interviews.
The guides were camera-savvy and used to performing. By setting the interviews outside and interviewing them in pairs, we found that the camera became somewhat co-opted by them during the interviews and the interviews became richer as a result. The visitor interviews, however, we less fulfilling. In those cases the mixture of formal setting, presence of technology and the interviewees' lack of experience meant that the interviews were often stilted. Compare therefore the following clips.
To play a particular video clip, click the thumbnail image. The videos are in windows media format so they should play on any Windows PC. The video itself will appear on the right of the screen.
 We
are interviewing two guides in the yard. The setting was chosen for a mix
of its visual appeal and its practicality. |
|
 Later
in the interview, a third guide happens along. Conducting the interviews
in public meant that we risked being interrupted but, sometimes, the interruptions
proved to be very useful. |
|
 This
clip shows a portion of an interview with visitors. The participants are
thoughtful but it was clear that they were not that comfortable. |
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