We have survived the transition from VHS to DV and now we’re entering the HD era. Where will HD play a role in the legal video arena, you may ask?
 
The legal field has always lagged behind the times in the electronic age and we have sought ways of changing with the times to make a better impact on what we are currently doing with video for the legal market.
 
When I first started out as a legal videographer, beating the streets and taking hundreds of video depositions a year, my main camera was an AG-456 VHS camcorder modified to input stereo audio. Then, after years of shooting weddings and events with an evolutionary Canon XL-1 Mini DV camcorder, I videotaped a few depositions and, thankfully, the standards started to change. You couldn’t just eject the tape and hand it directly over to the attorney to take with them. Unfortunately, you had to convert it to, guess? VHS! That’s right! Even after acquiring a better resolution on a much better grade format, we digressed to what we needed for trial presentation which was, at the time, VHS editing and playback. It wasn’t until we converted our videotape through software or hardware did we dare say to an attorney … There is a better way to do this.
 
Ultimately the attorneys had a choice after a deposition was completed. You could still offer a VHS; however, the options for us to provide an electronic file on a CD or DVD became even clearer and offered a better solution for courtroom playback. Through the further development of trial presentation software like Visionary, Trial Director, Sanction and Trial Smart (MAC), editing was made easier. When the video was produced into an Mpeg-1 or other acceptable trial presentation format, it was then synchronized with the transcript. Once this process is complete, a total package is presented to the attorney from which they can fully edit and play back in the courtroom, on the fly.
 
High Definition has arrived! Where will HD come into play in this process? First HD, in itself, is a different format all around. It clearly has better resolution, no pun intended! Its 16:9 aspect ratio delivers a much wider picture, so do you really want to shoot a depo with extra space on the left and right of the screen? I would say not … Isn’t it bad enough when we have a witness that fills the screen like Max Headroom!
 
HD will be a huge asset in proving Day in The Life video for settlement videos. Site inspections for demonstrative video will also be very impactful due to the great amount of detail it can capture, not to mention the presentation on a large LCD or Plasma screen to a settlement conference or a mediation proceeding.
 
The current HD cameras will allow you to choose between the 4:3 aspect ratio of SD and the HD 16:9 aspect ratio so you can have the best of both worlds. Shoot depositions in Standard Definition for court playback and save the HD for the creative needs of settlement video or demonstrative evidence.
 
HD will secure its place in the legal arena as it was intended for purposes of presenting breathtaking images to make a lasting impression on its audience.