Shooting Christiane Amanpour's interview with Venezuelan President Maduro took us a week, with a crew of almost a dozen people. Senior Producer Ken Olshansky shows us some (literal) snapshots of some of the moments leading up to the broadcast.<br /><br />Here, Christiane walks with President Maduro. Walking behind them is Maduro's very skilled interpreter, Maria, who also worked for the late President Hugo Chavez.
Reporter's notebook: Interviewing Maduro —
Shooting Christiane Amanpour's interview with Venezuelan President Maduro took us a week, with a crew of almost a dozen people. Senior Producer Ken Olshansky shows us some (literal) snapshots of some of the moments leading up to the broadcast.

Here, Christiane walks with President Maduro. Walking behind them is Maduro's very skilled interpreter, Maria, who also worked for the late President Hugo Chavez.
Ken Olshansky: "The cult of personality around Hugo Chavez is extraordinary. Gone for a year, his face still blankets Caracas: on murals, on buildings and billboards, on t-shirts and on TV. My personal favorite Chavez image is just a close-up of his eyes -- often joined by the slogan "Te lo juro" ("I promise you). I took this picture on the first anniversary of Chavez' death -- an emotional day for his supporters, who gathered on the road to his final resting place to commemorate the event. After seeing six and seven-story posters of Chavez all over the city, it was surprising to see him shrunk to action figure scale. Forgive the blurriness -- I shot this from a moving car."
Reporter's notebook: Interviewing Maduro —
Ken Olshansky: "The cult of personality around Hugo Chavez is extraordinary. Gone for a year, his face still blankets Caracas: on murals, on buildings and billboards, on t-shirts and on TV. My personal favorite Chavez image is just a close-up of his eyes -- often joined by the slogan "Te lo juro" ("I promise you). I took this picture on the first anniversary of Chavez' death -- an emotional day for his supporters, who gathered on the road to his final resting place to commemorate the event. After seeing six and seven-story posters of Chavez all over the city, it was surprising to see him shrunk to action figure scale. Forgive the blurriness -- I shot this from a moving car."
Senior Producer Ken Olshansky helps prepare Christiane for her interview with Maduro.
Producer's notebook: Interviewing Maduro —
Senior Producer Ken Olshansky helps prepare Christiane for her interview with Maduro.
Ken Olshansky: "Christiane shot the introduction to the program in the 23 de Enero neighborhood, one of the poorest neighborhoods in the city -- ground zero for Chavizmo. Caracas natives on our crew called 23 de Enero "another country", private and insular, with access controlled by the Collectivos -- pro-government armed civilian groups who patrol the neighborhood on motor scooters. The Chavez event was displayed on the giant TV screen over Christiane's right shoulder. Christiane trivia: The collar on her safari jacket is up. That means she's on location. Christiane almost never puts her collar up in the studio."
Reporter's notebook: Interviewing Maduro —
Ken Olshansky: "Christiane shot the introduction to the program in the 23 de Enero neighborhood, one of the poorest neighborhoods in the city -- ground zero for Chavizmo. Caracas natives on our crew called 23 de Enero "another country", private and insular, with access controlled by the Collectivos -- pro-government armed civilian groups who patrol the neighborhood on motor scooters. The Chavez event was displayed on the giant TV screen over Christiane's right shoulder. Christiane trivia: The collar on her safari jacket is up. That means she's on location. Christiane almost never puts her collar up in the studio."
Ken Olshansky: "Don't step on Christiane's purple suede shoes."
Reporter's notebook: Interviewing Maduro —
Ken Olshansky: "Don't step on Christiane's purple suede shoes."
Ken Olshansky: "Venezuela is one of the world's most violent countries, and Caracas is its most violent city, with a murder rate more than twenty times that of the U.S. And despite real improvement in the lives of the poor, who benefitted greatly from the oil-fueled largesse of Hugo Chavez, crime has doubled in the last fifteen years. Lucky for us, this particular restaurant was gun free."
Reporter's notebook: Interviewing Maduro —
Ken Olshansky: "Venezuela is one of the world's most violent countries, and Caracas is its most violent city, with a murder rate more than twenty times that of the U.S. And despite real improvement in the lives of the poor, who benefitted greatly from the oil-fueled largesse of Hugo Chavez, crime has doubled in the last fifteen years. Lucky for us, this particular restaurant was gun free."
Ken Olshansky: "Yes, Caracas is dangerous. And inflation is crazy. And sometimes it's hard to buy toilet paper. But it's a very beautiful city."
Reporter's notebook: Interviewing Maduro —
Ken Olshansky: "Yes, Caracas is dangerous. And inflation is crazy. And sometimes it's hard to buy toilet paper. But it's a very beautiful city."