You’ll see short tips, links to articles, special announcements, and all kinds of new resources mentioned on Facebook.

See you there.

Legal videography, deposition video in particular, is a niche field. The basic premise of recording a “talking head” is right in line with most ENG/EFP cameras, however, the specific requirements of deposition video are not taken into account by most manufacturers.

This doesn’t mean you can’t find a suitable camera for legal video, and it would be easy to tell you which one works best for me, but it all boils down to what you need.

Here’s how you choose the best camera for your deposition video business.

Know the Class of Camera

Video production equipment typically gets categorized into either consumer, prosumer, or professional feature sets and price points. Many manufacturers create products that are geared specifically toward each category. Of course, there are cameras that blur the lines and can be useful across the spectrum.

Let’s break them down.

Consumer Cameras

These cameras are designed for mom and dad to capture video of their kids’ soccer game or school play. A lot of effort will be invested in making them easy to operate for untrained users. Most options will be automated and flexibility will be limited.

Consumer cameras are perfect for the targeted user group, but videographers that utilize equipment to make money should steer clear.

Prosumer Cameras

Cameras that fall into this category can be useful and even appropriate in some circumstances for legal videographers. But more often than not, they fall just short of the requirements that professionals demand.

Prosumer cameras may be useful in certain circumstances as a B camera, but most of them are not designed to handle the daily workload of professionals.

When considering these cameras, evaluate carefully their intended use, feature set, build quality, and interoperability with your current gear.

Professional Cameras

These are the tools that are designed and developed specifically with reliable, daily use in mind.

Professional cameras have all of the technical features necessary to stand up to the most rigorous use and image quality to go along with it.

What defines the professional class?

Many legal videographers have the urge to place equipment purchases into the professional class based on price.  Many videographers will quickly learn that is not always the case.  Most will quickly learn there are a number of camera choices that are not “professionally” priced but “reasonably” priced. Often these choices will easily fit the bill for legal video acquisitions and productions.

Most professional video cameras will provide for broad flexibility, functionality, durability and carry a lengthy expected tour of duty. Most professional cameras can be used for a broad array of tasks and will hold up to wear and tear much better than cameras in the consumer and prosumer classes.

Evaluating Your Needs

Regardless of your budget or your length of time in business, every videographer must identify specific needs for a camera purchase.

• Some simply need a backup camera.
• Some legal videographers need a workhorse that will carry them four to five years into their careers.
• Some litigation videographers only provide deposition videography and never intend to bust that component of their business model.
• Some expect to venture into additional forms of legal videography.
• Some need to purchase a camera for additional service requests that have nothing to do with the legal system at all.
• Other legal videographers are seasoned and simply require a long awaited camera upgrade to take advantage of a growing and prosperous business.

Every videographer should choose the best camera for both current and  future needs.  Evaluating your needs should become paramount even before your search for the best camera begins.

Industry Requirements

Some requirements are inherent to the legal video profession and some needs are personal preference oriented.

One requirement for all litigation videographers and his/her camera is the ability to generate time and date as required by most industry standards.  Not every camera handles character generation adequately.  While most professional video cameras provided for both flexibility and format display, some will  not send time and date through all output connections and cables, namely FireWire!

Consider Your Workflow

Each video professional has a specific workflow designed around business concepts and need.  When purchasing a new video camera one should always consider workflow.  Workflow is the chain in production from acquisition to delivery.  Many litigation videographers fail to consider how a new camera will fit into their workflow.

Unless one looks at both existing and future workflows a new camera purchase can actually decrease productivity and increase production costs. Take care in choosing new cameras that record in widescreen only and have a plan for dealing with that.

When choosing a camera for legal video work you should considered the profession in which we are in.   We work with attorneys who want things yesterday and forget to request things until tomorrow.  My point: a fast turnaround should be paramount for every litigation videographer.

That fast turnaround should not compromised quality.  Therefore, a new camera purchase should provide for high quality, untethered workflow and meet the needs of legal video production  as bound by your business’ direction and model.

Getting Answers From Those Who Know

Often, we as consumers like to think we know what is best and trust our own experiences, judgement and instincts when purchasing equipment.  For true legal video veterans this is most often the case.  However, for those new to the industry a little field specific experience and guidance goes along way.

Often the best decision making information comes from those who are accustomed to working in the industry. These individuals often have wonderful technical knowledge as well as experiences with trial and error.  Those new to the legal video field can do themselves right by inquiring about camera choices from those who know best.  Ask and you shall receive!

Camera Demonstrations

In today’s world, both prosumer and professional video equipment, including video cameras, are difficult to get your hands on for test runs.  The Internet has made it easy to get a list of features and specifications for specific components however, the Internet also has reduced the number of store fronts that make “demoing” a potential purchase next to impossible.

A Camera in Hand is Worth More Than a Decision of Despair

Whenever a videographer has the opportunity to test equipment before buying, the decision on which camera to buy becomes less of a burden.

There are a number of opportunities to try equipment to see if it fits the specific needs of legal videography.

• Rent Equipment
• Borrow Equipment
• Visit Brand Specific Dealer Store Fronts
• Shadow Videographers Using Prospective Equipment

When you have an opportunity to use a specific camera you have the ability to discover how it will perform in the field.  The best opportunities of benefit are those which put you in the exact acquisition situations and environments the camera is designated for.  That would include depositions. It is every wise to test drive as many video camera choices as possible.

Purchasing Today or Purchasing Tomorrow

Every litigation videographer wants the latest and greatest.  Often videographers will wisely hold off on a camera purchase knowing a new series of cameras is about to be released.  However, there also exists some danger in hesitation buying.

Every piece of equipment you purchase requires the need to earn income for your business.  Sometimes a delay in choosing and purchasing equipment results in delayed revenue earnings.

There is a fine line between buy now or buy later.  As demonstrated, each camera purchase deserves exploration.  A wise business owner begins exploring the options before a purchase is necessary and continues to explore until the decision is made.  However, at some point the videographer must act!

Choose Wisely

No equipment purchase should be based on irrational, hasty decisions.  The video camera is especially important to legal videographers and it deserves proper attention.  After all, your video camera is often the most valuable piece of equipment in your arsenal.  Choose it wisely!

It’s the Legal Media Forum.

Like I said, it’s brand new so there aren’t that many people signed up yet, but it looks to be a great resource for legal videographers to share their information and learn from other legal videographers.

Check it out when you have a few minutes and say hi.

What do you do?

When did you start? 

Where did you come from?

Why are you here?

In other words… What’s your Story?

Learn to tell a good story. It’s a marketing technique that every single videographer needs to understand.

The details about your career may seem boring and inconsequential, but when put into story form, they make a great introduction or bio.

Let me give you an example.

Putting the facts into story form completely changes the way in which you understand them. Stories add color, emotion, and life to facts.

In fact, everything that you and I capture is a story. It might be one piece of a story (deposition) or a location that a story takes place in (site inspection). Everything is a story and that story is what gets people interested, it gets them to listen, it gets them to comprehend.

Learn how to tell stories about yourself and your work.

At its core, legal videography centers around video that is recorded for and admissible in the courts to assist in the prosecution/defense of a case or claim.

You might be at an accident scene one day, watching planes land the next day, and shooting a training video later in the week. Legal Video takes on a lot of different forms, but I categorize them like this:

5 Categories of Legal Video

1. Deposition Video
2. Site Inspections
3. Day-in-the-Life Video
4. Reconstructions
5. Training

As a legal videographer, you’ll get asked “Can you do this?” all of the time. Knowing what equipment you have, what its limitations are, and how comfortable you are with troubleshooting will determine your answer to this question.

Even so, the fact remains that we must purchase products in order to build up our legal video arsenal in order to service our clients. These assets can make or break our company in the long run. Making smart decisions on how to invest in equipment is of paramount importance.

Here are five questions that should get you pointed on the right track:

1. Do I need a certain piece of equipment?

On its face, this is a simple question with a simple answer. If you need it, buy it.

A lot of times we try to rationalize with ourselves that we need something when, in reality, we want it very badly.

A need is something that is absolutely necessary to your workflow. Camera, computer, mirophones, tripod. These are necessary to your deposition video business. Without these items you could not perform your job.

Everything else is a want. I’ll say that again, Everything else is a want. It may make your job better, easier, more profitable, etc., but these wants have to be addressed separately from what you need.

2. Does it fit into my workflow?

Have you checked over the features to make certain that this particular piece of equipment (camera, backup device, computer, etc.) will fit into your workflow?

Are you going tapeless? If so, you obviously want to purchase a camera that records to hard drive, SD card, etc.

Does the computer have enough horsepower to handle the media you are going to throw at it?

Minimize the hoops you have to jump through so that you have a clean pipeline from acquisition to delivery.

3. Have I comparison shopped?

How do different brands compare? Some have a better reputation for their reliability, others are known for low-cost, and others are known for their user-friendliness.

How do different products in the same category compare? Maybe one item has fewer features, but better build quality. Do you really need the top-of-the-line or can you make do with a mid-level product.

What about the price difference? Can I get this cheaper from another store or do I want to support my local shop? Along that vein…

4. Do I buy new or used?

Buying new has its obvious benefits. New warranty, zero use, technical support, that new gear smell. I would suggest buying new when it comes to evolving technologies. IE: cameras, backup devices, monitors, etc.

Buying used equipment is great because it generally comes at a lower cost to you. Much like driving a car off the lot, value drops quickly on most purchases after they have been delivered to a customer. You can get great deals on used equipment, especially in regards to cabling, microphones, mixers, tripods, and other well-established technologies.

5. Do I know how to use this piece of equipment?

Can you get a copy of the manual before purchase or do you need to see about getting some training from the manufacturer?

It’s never a bad idea to stretch yourself to learn more, but make sure that you aren’t trying something new at the expense of a battle-tested workflow.

You’ll see short tips, links to articles, special announcements, and all kinds of new resources mentioned on Twitter.

You can also use the hashtag #LVR to keep up with all of the happenings and discussions at Legal Video Resource.

See you there.

It’s going to be a fantastic new year. We’re pulling out all of the stops here at Legal Video Resource. This year is going to be chock-full of gear reviews, marketing tips, and brand new how-to guides. Here’s what we’ve got in store for you:

Equipment Reviews & First Looks

Our goal this year is to get our hands on as much new gear as possible and give you an inside look into not just how well it works, but how well it works for legal videographers. We’re going to be looking at cameras, microphones, backup recorders, tripods, you name it.

But, we need your help. We need to know what you want to see. So let us know by getting in contact with us or leaving a comment on this post.

Marketing Tips & Tricks

It isn’t enough to know the equipment and how it works. As videographers, we have to be able to market our craft. This year, we’re packing in the marketing tips and tricks so that you can grow your business and promote the legal video field.

You’ll be sure to want to subscribe to our free Internet Marketing for Legal Videographers Course. Three reasons:

1. It’s free.
2. It will take you from no website to complete, professional online presence in no time.
3. And it’s free.

How-To Guides

Last year we answered questions as they came in. This year, we’re putting together complete how-to guides on a lot of different topics. Topics such as:

• The Tapeless Workflow, Step by Step
• The Comprehensive Legal Video Marketing Guide (Plus Reusable Content)
• The Ins and Outs of Making Legal Video Documentaries
• How To Become a Legal Videographer
• And more…

We need your help!

Get involved. Leave a comment, send us an email, connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. Our goal is to build the legal videography profession. We’re putting a lot behind this and hope you come along for the ride and help us make legal video even better in 2012!

Bringing a laptop to a deposition may seem like overkill to some videographers.  To others it is a great tool for better work flow and increased productivity.

Legal videographers are always looking for ways to reduce the number of components they bring to the deposition location. Often this is wise but other times the benefits of one additional piece of equipment far outweighs the additional weight.

Many videographers overlook the advantages of a simple laptop in the deposition setting. This one component can greatly reduce post-production work needed to be performed back at the office. Did you know a deposition laptop can be used for so much more?

Below is general list of the reasons and benefits that I see for bringing a laptop to your next deposition. These same benefits can carry over to those who might desire to pack a shuttle PC instead of a laptop.  Some of these benefits will require Internet access.

• Backup to the Laptop Directly
• Dump Video from Card Storage to Reduce Work Flow and Provide Redundancy
• Check Acquired Video Work on Sight
• Convert Video to Alternative Formats
• Webcasting and Streaming
• Document Deposition Logs and Copy Orders Electronically
• Enter Contact Information at the Deposition
• Upload Video to the Web Using an FTP site for Later Processing and Distribution
• Take Advantage of Down Time by Getting Other Work Completed
• Check and Confirm Depositions Via Email
• Inform the Office of Things They Need to Know When Phone Communication is not Practicle
• Monitor Video Signals Using Additional Software.
• Display Video or Other Data to Witnesses and Attorneys 
• Burn Disks Onsite
• Calendar Depositions Forthcoming

Many feel bringing a laptop means more equipment to bring. With some forethought one can actually bring less equipment or at least more adaptable equipment. I have just started bringing a laptop to depositions and I like it.  In the future, we will all bring a laptop to deposition locations.  Perhaps that will be a year or two down the road, but it is coming.

When it comes to Day-in-the-Life or ADLs (Activities of Daily Living) videos, most videographers will find there are no set rules of production.  Sure there are some general guidelines.  But, those who try to use a cookie cutter approach will quickly learn every case, every situation is different.

Here’s the only real rule with Day-in-the-Life video.

Every damage oriented video expected to be used in trial must be accurate, probative and must never send a plea for sympathy!

Wow!  I am glad I got that out of the way.  Now to the real stuff.

In truth successful, probative and unobjectionable Day-in-the-Life video programs require the following:

• Knowledge of Injury
• Awareness of Attorney Expectations
• Proper Equipment
• Camera Skills and Proper Techniques
• Experience
• Flexibility

Once in hand, each legal videographer can begin to understand each Activities of Daily Living video can be better than the one before.

Let’s roll through the list of requirements.

Understanding Damage and Injury

Damage affects mobility, thinking, communication, health and every aspect connected to daily care.  If you want to establish a great shot list then try to understand the injuries of your subject before you arrive on location.  By simply asking about the current condition of your client’s client you can gain a wealth of knowledge.  This knowledge will become the framework of your video production.  It will determine who, what, where, why, when and how you are going to shoot.

Be Aware of Attorney Expectations

Most attorneys do not have a clear understanding of what they what in their DITL (Day-in-the-Life) videos.  This causes strife on the videographer.  This can spoil an acquisition.

If a videographer does not understand what his client is expecting, then his client’s expectations will never be met.

Each videographer should inquire about the  programs expected run time and expect use.  Is it for settlement or trial?

Equipment

Using the proper equipment is essential.  For the most part if a videographer is using a quality, professional video camera then he or see is set.  However, every legal videographer shooting DITL video must also have additional equipment for the job.

Wired and wireless lavaliere microphones are very commonly used ADL situations.  However, even a good quality on-camera shotgun microphone is a tool every videographer should have in their bag of tricks.

Proper lighting is essential as lighting conditions in each location will vary.  Too much lighting creates many issues attuned to impracticality and safety.  Mobility is important.  Use lighting sparingly as you may be required to setup up quickly.

Skills and Technique Required

The best Day-in-the-Life footage is shot by videographers who are skilled.  In their arsenal they have a number of camera shooting techniques honed to get the best shots with the least amount of footage.  With DITL video less is more.

Put a camera in the hand of a novice videographer and you get footage.  Put a camera in the hand of a professional videographer and you get footage you can use.

Great videographers shoot deliberately with the intent to capture what is real and in the moment.   They educate each type of audience by telling a story with images and sound.  They never stage things.  They never falsify conditions or situations.

Trust Your Experience and Instincts

True litigation videographers trust their shooting experience and their gut.  There is a natural desire to pull from what we know about video production, and there should be.

Often we must rely heavily on our discipline more so then our creativity.  Sometimes it is not what we shoot that is important but what we do not shoot that proves to be most probative.

If it makes you feel uncomfortable, it will make your audience uncomfortable.  If so don’t shoot it!

Flexibility

Nothing really ever goes as planned when working in the litigation system.    Day-in-the-Life video production is no different.  It seems regardless how much we attempt to keep with the schedule the plan never gets followed.

When working with injured individuals no day is really typical.  Perhaps this is the misnomer about the terms “Activities of Daily Living” and ”Day-in-the-Life”.  There really are not as many routines as it appears.  Anything that can happen and will happen.  Videographers must remain patient and flexible.   Hurry up and wait is the usual theme.  Learn to be flexible.

 The only certainty about legal system is the uncertainty of if.

So see!  Successful DITL video comes from begin knowledgeable, flexible, skilled and aware of what you are getting into.  Success comes from using commonsense and experience.  Success comes from being prepared. Success comes from avoiding a cookie-cutter mentality.

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