(In this feature, TheMadIsraeli conducts an extended video interview of Nick Vasallo and Ted O’Neill of new Bay Area death metal heavyweights Oblivion. Also be sure to check out TheMadIsraeli’s review of Oblivion’s forthcoming debut album, Called To Rise.)
So, here it is my first video interview. I have to say, I was a bit nervous about how this was going to go. I’d never done this before, the method sounded iffy (a Skype call recorded using Camtasia), and I had an up-and-coming band who were unfortunately the guinea pigs of an experiment that could’ve gone horribly wrong.
Fortunately, thankfully, and awesomely enough, however, Oblivion and I got what I feel to be a kickass interview, especially for a first time try at it. Nick and Ted are awesome dudes (as you’ll see in this video), and I really enjoyed doing this.
I need you NCS readers though to be heavy on the feedback about this. Did you like it? Do you like the idea? Would you like to see more? Cause if so, I’m pretty sure I know a few people who’d be willing and eager to jump at the chance.
Enjoy the interview. It’s long, detailed, and kind of insane.
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5 Responses to “AN NCS VIDEO INTERVIEW: NICK VASALLO AND TED O’NEILL OF OBLIVION”
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So, I’m only about 23 minutes through the interview, and I don’t think I’ll be able to finish it (just because of the length).
I think overall it went well, but there are a few recommendations I might suggest.
I’m not sure how many of your questions you had written down, but it seemed like there were a few times where you were searching for the right question to ask. If you didn’t have questions prewritten, I think that might help you avoid those pauses.
The audio was pretty good, especially for a Skype video, but if you can get the other party to use headphones, it might help a bit. (I realize that wasn’t an option in this case, so maybe next time?)
I think most of your questions were pretty good, though I didn’t quite get where djent came in. (I think I might have missed a few parts though.) Which brings me to editing. While I appreciate the raw, direct feel of the interview, I think it’s a bit too long and meanders a bit too much. It would be a fun conversation to be part of, but (for me at least) it’s hard to sit through. I’ve never done an interview before, so I don’t know how much you should cut, but I think a 10 to 20 minute interview is about the most your audience (or at least me) will have patience for.
The final thing is making sure your focus is on the interviewees. One thing that bugs me is when interviewers inject too much of their own opinion into interviews. I think that’s something you can fix with editing, though.
I’ve focused a lot on things you can fix, so things you did well: research. You knew your topic well and were able to respond quickly and naturally to their comments. You had lots of good questions that I wouldn’t have thought to ask, and I always appreciate hearing about about how songs are composed. I enjoyed some of the off-topic stuff as well as some insight into their personal histories.
I hope this feedback is helpful!! Or at least not worthless.
Oh, and how ungrateful am I?
Thanks to you and to both Ted and Nick for the interview! I’m looking forward to hearing more of the music.
I appreciate the feedback. I know this interview had some slight problems, I agree with what you have to say. I’m just happy I accomplished this for the moment =P
I am generally happy with it too. I came away wanting to know more about the band and definitely enjoyed the conversation. I think there’s lots of potential here!!
Thanks for the feedback Phro!