'“6 feet 2 in a compact, no slack – luckily the seats go back.”
In the realm of documentary filmmaking, one figure stands tall, bespectacled, and clever.
I'm talking about Louis Theroux.
Why I admire him
Theroux's ability to understand and reveal human behaviour is impressive.
He has a remarkable knack for extracting the truth from his subjects.
Delving into realms others avoid; porn, extreme ideologies, and drug culture.
Slowly slowly
He gets me to confront parts of humankind that I’d rather not.
Somehow he keeps me engaged.
This gives me another perspective on the subject. I learn more.
Time builds trust
Theroux spends hours/days off-camera to earn the trust of his subjects.
This allows him to break down barriers slowly.
Revealing layers of humanity obscured by preconceptions and prejudices.
His approach to confrontation is a masterclass in itself.
Even though he gently established trust, he’ll confront people with hard questions.
But rather than wielding it as a blunt instrument, Theroux uses it as a surgical tool.
He slowly reveals facets of his subjects previously unknown to viewers (and perhaps even to the subjects themselves).
I’ll be honest. Theroux’s directness makes me squirm.
One of his most iconic moments?
The Jimmy Savile interview in 2000.
It left me simultaneously spellbound and horrified, Theroux seemed to stare into the abyss of Savile's psyche, exposing a darkness that few had dared to confront.
He asked Savile whether he was a paedophile.
The nonchalant response from Saville said everything: “We live in a funny old world.”
After it was revealed that Saville was a predatory paedophile, Theroux reflected on what his film achieved with a some objectivity:
“…depending on your point of view, I either made a revealing programme about or failed to make a revealing programme' about Savile.”
Louis secret sauce
It's a blend of impressive skills:
genuine curiosity
active listening
rapport building
non-judgmentalism
bravery.
Armed with this arsenal, it seems Theroux can connect with even the most unconventional or controversial subjects.
I think tehre’s one factor that makes his documenteries powerful: where they’re filmed.
Out into the field
Look up Kurt Lewin. German-American psychologist. He developed a theory around human behaviour.
His equation: B = f(P, E)
An individual's behavior (B) is a function (f) of the person (P), including their history, personality and motivation, and their environment (E).
My translation: HOW we are depends on WHERE we are.
Our environment influences our behavior.
This made me think about why Theroux’s work comes across so authentically. He visits people in their environment.
This helps them be themselves. And we get a more accurate picture of them and their behaviour.
How seeing people in their world helps:
Understanding context: Visiting people in their environment offers firsthand insight into their world, vital for grasping behaviors, beliefs, and interactions within their natural setting.
Authentic behaviour: Immersion in peoples' environments allows us to observe behaviors, rituals, and social dynamics not evident in controlled settings, giving more genuine and representative data.
Building Rapport: Meeting people on their turf fosters rapport and trust, showing respect for their lives. This rapport opens up meaningful dialogue and enables deeper data gathering.
Tip #1 ditch the screen and head out
Zoom meetings and remote work is great.
But there’s glass and pixels between you and the next person.
If you want to work out what makes someone tick – visit them on their own turf. You might call it Enthnographic Research.
Here’s a neat description from the University of Virginia:
Ethnography is a qualitative method for collecting data often used in the social and behavioral sciences. Data are collected through observations and interviews, which are then used to draw conclusions about how societies and individuals function.
Your version might look like:
asking customers about your service in-store
talking to prospects at a trade show
watching customers use your product (or the competition)
meeting potential partners at a conference.
If you want to chat more about talking to customers in the field, drop me a line. Even better – if you’re near Parkstone, Poole – I’m usually at The Dancing Goat grabbing coffee. Or in London at the RSA.