So, you’re the rookie on the team and they want to test how long you’re going to last with them so they put you on the – gasp – celebrity beat. Fear not! Arm yourself with these tried and tested methods and you are bound to get past this phase with your sanity intact.
Every journalist jots notes in that handy notebook that they carry around. And that’s fine if you were interviewing your neighbours about their health problems. However, when it comes to a celebrity, it is a completely different ball game. Get that dictaphone along. You don’t want them to give them that infamous excuse about being misquoted!
Dress smart. Normally, journalists can get away in those ratty jeans and jholas. However, be warned! If they are top-notch celebrities, you are bound to look out of place at a super snazzy event. Even your media tag won’t let you get away.
Do your research. There is nothing more embarrassing than meeting a celebrity for an interview and being clueless when they casually throw about the name of their latest film or the song from their album that is currently being aired on television. Read up a little bit about their past and their ‘accomplishments’. This will help you frame more focused questions and get a better interview. It doesn’t hurt to win brownie points with self-centred celebrities either. You never know when you might need them to snag them for that quote.
This is a valuable tip if you are stuck with a celebrity for an awkward ten minutes or so when you have wrapped up your interview, but the celebrity’s PR agent is yet to escort you out. Read up about the weather and if there is hope of it cooling down. Nod your head and quote statistics while the celebrity whines about the heat – although the reason for their discomfort can be puzzling as they don’t travel by local trains the way you do but get by in airconditioned cars.
To give them credit, there are some celebrities out there who do not believe that 30 degree weather or bad accessories spell the end of the world. So, pause and observe the celebrity before you draw any conclusions. Some of them can be surprisingly insightful and sharp. Again, check their background. They just might have some interesting opinions about Nietzsche.
If you have to do a celebrity exclusive with glamorous photographs et al, be prepared and patient to snap two hundred pictures. Typical page 3 celebrities have infinite hang-ups. What might appear to be a flattering photograph of a celebrity in good lighting is usually torn apart on count of their cheeks looking big or their legs looking too short (even if they are). If you want to avoid an infinitely boring afternoon, get your photographer to shoot and before the celebrity can get up from the pose he/ she has struck, shout “that’s a wrap!”, wave and disappear. Quickly.
Ask around. Except in the cases of newbie celebrities, chances are that some unfortunate journalist colleague of yours has interviewed the same celebrity that you have been sent out to get a snippet on. Make it a point, no matter how rushed you are, to call that colleague of yours and get advice. Each celebrity has his/ her own quirks and you would rather be prepared. Ask the friend of mine who gaily trotted off for an interview, only to arrive right on time and be told by the celebrities secretary that the celebrity has “absolutely no recollection of having discussed setting up this interview and can we please reschedule?” The attention deficit disorder (ADD) celebrities – absolutely the worst variety.
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Sruthi writes for chillibreeze.
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