Feature guide · 7 minute read
Interviews & Questions
Pinkas Interviews helps a family ask better questions and keep the answer connected to the person, recording, and source—not just as a loose audio file.
Prepare the conversation
Choose the person and the kind of conversation you want: a first sitting, a focused chapter, or a longer life-story series. Select a small set of prompts so the interview feels like a conversation rather than a questionnaire.
Record with consent
Record only with the participant's agreement. Pinkas keeps an explicit consent state for interview and documentary work. Explain who will be able to hear the recording and how the family expects to use it.
Keep the meaningful moments
During the conversation, keep useful moments rather than trying to edit everything live. A keep can later become a story or a source for a documentary scene while remaining linked to the interview session.
Review the transcript
Computer-generated transcript text is a draft. Review names, Hebrew or Yiddish words, dates, and places against the recording. Mark the transcript confirmed only after a person has checked it.
A respectful interview
- Ask one question at a time and leave room for silence.
- Follow the speaker's story instead of forcing every prompt.
- Record who is speaking and when the interview took place.
- Stop or make a section private if the participant changes their mind.