Court Reporter-Videographer Dynamic

[Quyen]

Reporters:  Have you ever refused or requested not to work with a particular videographer? If you would care to tell why, that would be great. Thanks.

[Kelli Combs (admin)]

I've complained about a few videographers.  One in particular would leave the room in the middle of the deposition to go make phone calls.  Two other videographers I complained about were both asleep in the depo.  So not good.  

I do have to say there is about six videographers that I work with all the time and love them.  I even invited a few of  them to my party at my house last Saturday night.  It's just the few that are just there to collect a paycheck and don't care about doing a good job, those are the ones I point out to the office. 

I show up on jobs and do the best job that I can do.  I expect the same from the videographers.  Oh, yeah, there was another one that was playing videogames all day and I had to tell him that the witness' microphone fell off.  He didn't notice.  Also, his picture went out on his monitor and he didn't notice because he was playing games.  There is a blank screen on the video for about eight minutes.  No excuse for that.

[Quyen]

Thanks, Kelli.  But have you ever told a firm, "I don't want to (or won't) work with X-videographer"?

[Kelli Combs (admin)]

Once I tell my firm what these videographers are doing, they cut them from the pack and don't use them again.  I don't even have to tell them that.  We, as reporters, are on the front line; once we give the negative feedback, that's all it takes.

 

 

[Frank Quirarte]

I can't believe you still haven't invited me to one of your parties...

[Janiece Young]

Hi, Quyen, 

Well, almost.  I told them I would give him one more chance.  

The reason I did not want to work with him is as follows:  He would take the cellophane wrapping that his digital tapes came encased in and he would take his pocketknife and he would rake the cellophane wrapping over his pocketknife over and over and over the wrapping.  It made a lot of noise.  He did this once to me in the middle of a very difficult doctor's deposition.  It was a video conference in the middle of a thunderstorm and very technical.  I complained.  He personally apologized to me.  I said, "No problem.  We're starting fresh."

About a year ago he did the exact same thing at a PhD's depo.  The doctor was talking 280 and he was an economist, lots of numbers.  

Basically even if it's easy testimony, that kind of thing can break your concentration, let alone be a noise that can make a reporter miss something.

I complained again and told his boss I would give him one more chance, but if he did it again, I would request that he did not cover my work.  They have not sent him on my jobs since.

I think this guy had anger-management issues because one time he yelled at me when I asked him what audio file I should copy over to my computer.  I did ask him more than once, but sometimes at the end of depos my brain is so fried...

[Rhonda Hall Breuwet, RDR CRR CLR]

I H-A-T-E when they open the new tape while working.  They know they are going to eventually use their stash, so why not open them ALL as soon as they purchase them?  Or at the beginning of the day, open enough to get through lunch and then at lunch open enough to get through the end of the day?  It isn't like they will ruin once the seal is broken.

And don't even get me started on those videographers who save their potato chips from lunch to eat as soon as we go back on record.  Grrrrr

[Janiece Young]

Rhonda,

This was not simply opening a new tape.  I would not complain about that, although I agree with you.  They should open it on a break when there is no testimony.  This was when we were on the record using the cellophane wrapper as a toy for something to do over and over and over.  It was like a nervous tic or something.  It was very irritating.

[Rhonda Hall Breuwet, RDR CRR CLR]

oh, my!  I'm surprised you didn't take his pocket knife and use it on him.  LOL

[Janiece Young]

LOL, :-)

And can you believe he did it at two different depositions?  I talked to another reporter and she said he did it at her depositions too.

[Judy]

There was a videographer that I worked with a few times that c-o-n-s-t-a-n-t-l-y ate during the proceedings.  Brought bags and bags of food and just continued to eat during the entire proceeding.  When one bag/Tupperware container was finished, the next one would be opened.  Very irritating.

I had another one that was so engrossed in whatever she was doing on her computer that she pretty much ignored what was going on in the depo room.  Like Kelli, I had to tell her that somebody wasn't mic'd up and, once, when they were discussing whether to take a break or not, she jumped in with "We are off the record..."  Very embarrassing.  This gal was also 30 minutes late coming back from lunch, and she was just at the adjoining restaurant (met her parents for lunch).

Rhonda, I think there is some sort of "rule" that says can't use tapes that have been pre-opened.  I somewhat remember that being a topic of discussion with a videographer many years ago.  Although, he could have just been pulling my leg too, I suppose.  But then again, it was probably the videographer that tried to open a court reporting business and proceeded to call all of his client's (CR firms) clients (attorneys) and tell them he'd undercut us to get their business. 

 

[Mary Ann Payonk]

Quyen, I have never said that.  I have, however, told agencies in no uncertain terms the actions or appearance or other thing about a videographer are not a good reflection for an agency and that they should think twice about using them again because they are unprofessional or for whatever reason.

[Kelli Combs (admin)]

I had a videographer that has worked for (agency name) for years.  I showed up on a few jobs with this videographer and it was clear she had not bathed for quite some time.  I had a hard time even being near her.  I never said anything because I know she's worked with them for at least 15 years.  I only work with that agency maybe a half a dozen times a year and felt it was not my place.  It was tough, though, gagging on her stench all day.  On top of that, she was very nice and I've known her for years.  She's an older gal and I think she forgets people can actually smell her.  Yikes.