3 Ways to Assist Your Videographer From a Videographer’s Perspective Part 1: When Scheduling a Deposition
After working in the legal videography field, I’ve come to experience that videographers are seen as the magic-wielding stepchild of the deposition. Nobody (save maybe the court reporter) seems to understand what we do or why we do it.
Listed below are three ways attorneys and their deponents may better assist in ensuring the video is of the highest quality.
1.) Consider the videographer as two to five people when booking a room.
This past week I had a deposition at a doctor’s office. The office had multiple desks, tables and chairs positioned throughout the small room. When I came in, all I could think was, “How in the world am I going to set up all of my gear in such a way that I can operate my camera and mixer, yet not violate some fire code and cause tripping hazards?”
A videographer is a single person but it is important to remember that our equipment takes up the space of an additional 1-2 people. Therefore, if you think you can fit everyone in the room, think about adding two more people next to the videographer and another person or two behind the deponent to allow for space for a backdrop. If the room will be too cramped, consider moving the deposition to a different one for the safety and comfort of everyone involved. The end result will be a smoother deposition and a calmer witness.
2.) Tell us your preferred setup before we’re set up.
A few months back I shot a deposition where there were going to be four to six attorneys present in the room, along with the court reporter, the deponent, and myself. I arrived an hour early, as is practice at PohlmanUSA, and set up the room with the camera shooting down the table at the deponent on the other end. Twenty minutes before the start of the deposition, the hiring attorney asked me to change the setup and move my equipment to other end of the table near the witness.
If you have a special request on how you want the room laid out at a deposition, tell us in advance. You can also meet us there in the room an hour beforehand and tell us. It’s far less frustrating for both parties if we are on the same page from the beginning, and minutes wasted reorganizing can be avoided if everything is initially setup correctly.
3.) Ask the videographer for assistance with the microphone, moving cables, or anything else related to his equipment.
Remember, the videographer is there to assist you. While we may have a job to do, and we may ask for and appreciate you accommodating us, at the end of the day the video is for your use. We are here for you! So if we or our equipment is in the way, let us know.
As stated in my previous blog, the video we are shooting is for you, and our requests are meant to help make the video of the highest possible quality while creating a safe environment for the deposition and minimize stress for all parties in the room. If you do your best to accommodate us and are open about your needs for the deposition, we can better assure a smooth day and an impressive video for you to use in trial.
Frank Holmes is a legal videographer employed by PohlmanUSA Court Reporting where he focuses his experience on the St. Louis, Missouri, metro area. Frank is also a successful trial technician and works in the trial services team at PohlmanUSA.
