So you know that you should prepare a witness for a deposition, but what do you do? In case you’ve never done this before, there are a few key things that you should definitely pay attention to. Okay, it is slightly more than a few.

For one, you want to pay attention to the clothing that your witness is going to be wearing. You basically want something that is respectful and put together. The clothes that they are going to wear should be somewhat comfortable, but should really fall in the realm of professional outfits more than casual. Anything but casual and sweatpants should definitely be a no go.

You also want them to cut back on the patterns as well as the colors. For women, do not have them wear anything that is too revealing or is low cut in nature. For men, have them hold off on colored shirts that are too loud or ties that have a lot of patterns going on. It will look bad and look bad on camera too.

The video person needs to get a good balance of color. Try to avoid black and white as well to get everything right on the video. Posture should be natural and as comfortable as possible. Get the witness to be in a chair and sit up, getting them to have good posture to look good on camera.

Have them try to have a pleasant expression on their face that is as natural as possible. Have them try not to react and to be polite. Do not have them fidget or move around too much. Keep focus on the camera and do not have them look away.

You want all cell phones off too for this. Make sure that the back wall is also blank and not distracting. No ringing or colors or patterns with windows behind should be used. They are too distracting. The light needs to be good and you should be sure that you are working with a quality team that knows what they are doing.

They should be certified and know how to record a deposition. This is very important when you are going into a court room or recording a video. Prepare your witness and you will know that everything is going just the way that it should. You will be then likely to have a better result and be happy in the end.

There are many types of certifications out there and if you’re interested in becoming a videographer for the courts as your career, you may need to see what’s out there.

Certification desirability may vary by state or location. Depending on what county, state or local area you are in, the license and certification requirement may be different from place to place.

A popular one comes from the American Guild of Videographers and is the ‘Certified Deposition Video Specialist’ certification, but check and see what the requirements are when it comes to the court system you will be working with– it’s good to know.

This field has a few requirements, as most career fields do. While it is something that the majority of people could technically do, the fact of the matter is that your dedication level and commitment as well as some positive traits that lend themselves to success will determine how suited you are to this position.

You will likely want to check out training or licensing courses near you. Make sure that they have the proper credits or what they offer is going to work with where you may be employed in the future or that it is a popular and reliable license.

Things you will be trained in include the basics of the field, videography skills, the ability to follow procedure, how to protect records, how to problem solve, and more. The process of certification may be one that you pay for, but is also worth the value that it provides– preparing you for working in the field.

It will also allow videographers to learn how to record audio and video and pick up on body language or nonverbal cues. Video recordings offer the ability to influence a case, and jurors as well as others making decisions in the system review evidence regarding the cases frequently. Video over text transcripts or presentations can often capture and relay testimony that can help the jurors come to their ultimate decision.

When you specialize and work in this field, you will become a part of the process of court testimony. They are a crucial part of capturing the video that is presented in court. It’s also a skill that can transition outside of court and be used for recording depositions, creative work, interviews, documentary, testimonials and more.

One of the more well known purposes would be to impeach a witness while they are testifying. This can be very effective on a jury because a contradictory statement played back has tremendous impact. It’s a far more dramatic and impactful way to produce results than simply having counsel read back a conflicting quote or statement.

The truth is that we’re visual creatures but also suspicious and emotional at the same time. We can get a feeling much better if we see something for ourselves– and as they say, seeing is truly believing. Having a video as opposed to words being read on a paper can often be a very different experience and one that has a huge effect on how a trial goes.

Legal video that has been taped can often be very useful. It can take the place of a live testimony while still delivering the content of that testimony. This is often done when clients or witnesses live out of state or have a medical condition that means that they will not be able to travel. Whatever the reason is, using video to take the place of an in-person testimony is a common practice.

Video depositions are also becoming utilized more frequently these days due to their efficiency. Using video tape over getting someone all the way to court can often help save a lot of cost. Even for expert testimonials, this can be used.

Videos do not necessarily have to involve testimonials as well. They may also occasionally focus on reconstructing an accident. This can display to a jury the way that an accident occurred and cuts out the middleman of imagination for a more effective presentation. In addition, video testimonies can present to a jury the chance to see everything about a witness and their testimony.

As people have been proven to remember things that they have both heard and seen more after a period of 72 hours over things that they just heard (audio), it makes sense that video depositions are so frequently used. Trial presentations frequently benefit from using them– and that is why so many litigation parties use them time and time again.

When it comes to needing testimony, this type of videography can come in handy. It could mean the difference between winning and losing a trial.

Making Your Case: By creating a video record of a deponent, you are capturing their thoughts, actions and ideas in a permanent and resourceful way. Cases may not go to trial for years so it is crucial to preserve a deponent’s memory through use of a video. Video deps can also be used to aid in settlements. By showing a clip of a strong expert witness to your opposing counsel that you intend to show in court, you may have an advantage for a settlement.

Impeaching Witnesses: The term “I never said that” becomes extinct on the witness stand when video evidence can prove otherwise.

Cost: Save money by recording a video of an expert witnesses to be shown in court or videoconferencing an expert to be questioned in real time. Same goes for deposing witnesses that may be located in another state or even another country. By using videoconferencing software, you are guaranteed a reliable and secure connection to almost anywhere in the world.

Enhance the Official Record: While video depositions do not replace the court reporter’s transcribed testimony, they enhance it. You can even have the video and text transcripts synchronized which has dozens of advantages of its own. Meanwhile, with a video deposition, participants can pick up on non-verbal cues and tone of voice that they wouldn’t necessarily perceive by reading the transcript.

Demonstrative Evidence: Jurors retain 80% of what they see rather than 20% of what they hear. Legal video can be used to create compelling visual evidence, such as “A Day in the life” videos. Video presentations can be powerful tools used to evoke emotions and empathy within the jurors.