NPR Interview - Fresh Air with Terry Gross

My interview analysis is from the NPR program, Fresh Air, with Terry Gross. This interview was with Brad Bird and Patten Oswald regarding their new movie, Ratatouille, by Pixar. The movie is about a rat named Remy, who has a keen sense of taste and wants to become a chef, but rats are not accepted as such in the human culinary world. The interview opens up with both Bird, the director, and Oswald, the voice actor for Remy, talking about their experience with the movie.
I don’t feel that Terry Gross knew much about the subject prior to the interview. She knew the basic information regarding the movie but nothing in-depth that is trivial or interesting that refreshed the interview. Every question she asked was based on what either Brad or Oswald had previously mentioned. For example, Gross asked, “How did you feel when they called and said you were perfect to play a rat.” Prior to this question, Oswald had just mentioned how Bird said to him, “you’d be perfect to play a rat!” While the interview was still very good, it’s just that the interview felt more free-flowing than it was structured. If Oswald and Bird hadn’t been so talkative and open, I don’t think Gross would’ve been able to pull off that style of interviewing.
She asked very open-ended questions to make sure the interview wasn’t “Yes” and “No” answers. How did you know Patten Oswald would’ve been good for the role? In your search for restaurants as research for the movie, which one was very interesting? They were all very good questions.
Gross did not appear to have a strategy with Bird and Oswald. Both Bird and Oswald took over the interview. Gross did not say or mention anything unless it was a question or a chuckle. She was very free-flowing and went where Bird and Oswald took the interview. Their relationship was very smooth. Nothing was obtrusive and no personalities clashed. Everyone was polite and funny. Oswald is known for his very offensive type of humor in his comedic routines, so it was weird to hear him as such a polite speaker on the interview.
The main thing I learned was that the best thing to do in an interview is to adapt to your interviewees. If peers amongst you are all on the same level, you get more out of the interview, and sometimes even get them to reveal interesting facts that gives your interview more depth instead of forcing structure upon the interview.

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