SF Bay Area reporter giving free video

[Michael Tunick]

Heard of a CSR firm in the East Bay giving free video along with her regular reported depo. We heard about it from a plaintiff attorney asked us to do  the same. Lots of depos in his case so we didn't want to say no. He said that other reporter records it on her laptop (I assume a second one) with a webcam.  We tried it, and of course it sucks for various technical reasons.  Anyone heard about this reporter doing this?  We can figure out how any attorney could be happy with the results from a winky little webcam with lousy video and lousy audio.  

Mike Tunick, CLVS

Rohnert Park, CA   

[Kelli Combs (admin)]

Wow.  This is news to me.  Never heard about this.  Who is the firm that's doing this??

[Mary Ann Payonk]

Hi, Mike.  I'm in Washington, DC and I've heard of reporters in our area being offered jobs like this.  It's a person very desperate for work who would do such a thing, and I'm totally against it.  Even if it was the best recording in the world, it's wrong on so many levels.  Solidarity.

M.A.

[Janiece Young]

I have never heard of such a thing.

[Michael Tunick]

The plaintiff attorney wasn't about to tell us who this reporter was.  But I think we (my reporter Godesses and I) needed to go through this exercise to prove that it's just plain lousy video. more depos coming up i think and not sure what to tell him, other than if he wants to actually use it in trial... good luck.      -Mike 

[Janiece Young]

I have seen attorneys set up a camera and videotape things themselves but never with a webcam.

[Martha R]

Web cam on a laptop?  That has to be a horribly bad video.     I have had a few clients over the years videotape their own depos.   I don't think they use it in court though.    It might be just to intimidate the witness.

[Amanda Leigh]

From what I understand, an agency in Texas (small town--insurance work) does this and has for years.  If that is what they want for free, then I guess to keep the client happy, that's what you do.  Please don't fall into the trap of offering high-quality video for a reduced rate just because you hate for him to have video that sucks.  I would be thrilled his free video sucked, personally.

I am so fortunate to have clients that would not ask for anything from me for free.  Life is good.