From Aaron...

2. When interviewing a subject, when do you think it's better to have previously crafted questions? What about asking questions when 'shooting from the hip?'

I feel that interviewing is essential to any documentary, and you must have previously crafted questions to ask pretty much everyone,. so long as they apply to them. This is necessary to be able to build your video around certain topic(s), and have a foundation from where your video is pointed, essentially a purpose. After such questions it is necessary to have follow-ups, the questions from the hip, in order to further each person you interview and build character around them, so that you can edit them correctly into your narration or the storyline of your video. So the question of when it is better is hard to say, depending on the style of documentary. If it is of a protest or anything of that sense, from the hip may help, so that you can play along with the situation and gage each question depending on whats happening around you.