Video Depos

[jane hong-elsey]

ok.  here's another "dear in the headlights" moment for me.  It's like I just got out of court reporting school!!!

Took a videotaped deposition.  and at the end, the video guy hands me cassette tapes.  WHAT?! I have audio on my computer.  I have to go over the transcript with his cassettes? WHAT?  How long is this gonna take?

[Marge Teilhaber (TILE hobber)]

Jane, are you telling us this is the first time a VAOFR has ever given you his mic'd audio?  Or is this your first video job?  

The VAOFR gives us his/her video.  The good ones do it with digital audio.  The others give us cassette tapes.  I take the tapes even though I never use it because I don't have a tape recorder anymore.   But I take it as an insurance policy as in what if my audiosynch failed and so did my digital recorder, which I use to back up my audiosynch.   You use the VAOFR's audio if it suits you, if that's the only way you can create an accurate transcript.  Hopefully your audiosynch is crisp and clear and you don't have to even think about the VAOFR's audio.

[Deborah M.]

I'd rather have the audio tapes myself.  I hate digital files.  It's easier for me to play the tapes on a recorder with a foot pedal than to sync his file with my audio.  And I bought a digital foot pedal but it's very hard to get used to because with the tapes, you hold the pedal down to keep it going, and that's not how the digital one works.

[Martha R]

You can tell him you don't want them.   But check your audio first and/or back it up before you leave to make sure you have some audio.   Yes, now I am getting digital audio but some still do the cassettes.

[Rosalie Henshall]

If you already have the audio, you do not need his cassettes, but sometimes it's still good to take because you never know if and when your computer fails.  What is really nice when the videographer plugs directly into your laptop too.

[Kerry]

Lately, I've needed the videographer's audio to hear objections from opposing counsel who speaks too softly or

a soft spoken witness or attorney who turns his back away from me.  But I just spot check it and mostly use my audio.

I used to love cassettes over MP3 files, but depending on the videographer, sometimes they're not on the ball enough to turn over the cassettes, and sure enough, just what I need isn't on the tape.

[Sue Baker]

I'm sorry, but I just have to be the one to tell you, it's "deer" in the headlights because when you come upon a deer at night on the road, they are mesmerized by the headlights and just stand and stare at you and cannot move.

[Kelli Combs (admin)]

You only take the tapes as a backup measure in case your audio on your computer doesn't record properly.  I'm surprised you got tapes; most vids don't offer anything but MP3 audio files now.  I don't even bother taking them.  Just as a backup.

[Keith Rowan II]

I've only worked with the ones who give Mp3s.  I didn't know there were still some who do it the old way.  I've never had to use them because the audio backup I already have is good.  Audiosync makes everything so easy.  Just play it right from the spot in the tript. But I take them anyway, why not.

[Daniel Schloss]

Hi, I'm one of those video guys.  I use to give tapes but when the reporter left them in the room and the others told me they didn't really need them, I gave it up.  My mixer records to an SD card and at the end of the depo I have a really long USB cable that I simply give the reporter who plugs it into their laptop and copies over the file.  Tapes are at the end of their life cycle.  And of course I always have a cable to connect from my mixer to their laptop or even a set of headsets so they can hear better.  Just trying to be part of the team.

[Tricia McLaughlin]

Daniel,

I only know of one other videographer who hooks into the reporter's laptop.  It is, by far, the best way to go!  Kudos to you!

[Alice Clark]

When the videographer can plug right into your laptop, usually you get amazingly good audio.  Be sure and sound check before the deposition starts, however, because a few times the audio has been scratchy and bad for some reason.  In that case I just use my own.

[Lisa O, CRR]

Does anyone get a direct plug-in who also listens at the same time? Do you know what I mean? It seems like when I've tried the direct route, my monitoring ability is taken away. I have the USB mic that has a jack each for external mic and headphones.