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Legal Video FAQ

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Why videotape depositions and how are they used in trial?

Video depositions are a great resource in the event that a witness cannot testify in court (assuming both parties of the trial allow it). This is especially handy for expert witnesses who may have other obligations. Filming an expert witness deposition allows the judge and jury to still hear the expert’s testimony, even if they cannot be physically present. The videos can be watched more than once for added clarity, and are a great resource for ensuring a witness’ testimony remains consistent between the deposition and the actual trial.

Can a deposition video be used in place of live testimony?

While this may vary from state to state, most states require all parties to the case to be present in court unless they have an outstanding obligation or an emergency. However, in the case of expert witnesses, it is much more relaxed. Many video depositions are played back during trial if all counsel and the judge agree to it.

Legal videography has grown to be a crucial aspect of many litigation support services. Read the most frequently asked questions about the service below.

How should my witness prepare for a video deposition?

Video depositions should generally be approached in the same way as an in-person deposition when it comes to one’s speech, but there are some presentation issues to take into consideration. Don’t wear shirts with busy patterns (they can be warped on camera and distracting) or flashy jewelry that can refract light from the lighting equipment. Don’t wear jewelry that is too long and could brush up against the microphone. This will cause interference and distort what is said.

Remind your witness to sit with good posture and avoid fidgeting too much. Do not do anything that can cause excess noise (such as muttering or clicking pens) because the microphone will certainly pick it up.

What is the point of deposition synchronizing?

It is always helpful when playing back a video during trial to have it synched with the transcript. Whether a juror is a visual learner or auditory learner, both are able to be viewed/heard through a video synched with the transcript (it is also great for the hard of hearing). Deposition synchronizing is the process of having the final transcript and the video files merged together into one product where the transcript appears as captions during the playback of the video.

“We were thrilled with the transcripts and video recordings of our depositions for a big case. The Hanna team was excellent.”

Sarah B.

Attorney

Professionalism

Hanna & Hanna Reporting is a full-service court reporting firm offering complete legal support services, videoconferencing and deposition suites. We provide a wide variety of services related to the court reporter profession, including realtime, transcription service, closed captioning, litigation support and legal video services.

Experience

We offer the professional technical support and legal support that makes your job that much easier.  We are a member of NCRA, STAR, NNRC, TCRA, TEXDRA and HCRA. Hanna & Hanna Reporting is privileged to have an exceptionally dedicated and committed staff of professionals for all your court reporting needs.

Locations

Hanna & Hanna Reporting  is headquartered in Houston, Texas and offers worldwide scheduling of depositions, court reporters and videoconferencing. Our Texas locations can provide local services across the region.

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