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John Glenn Hall Company |
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PO Box 2683
Boise ID 83701-2683 |
How to Book a Video Deposition
with the John Glenn Hall Company
Put John Glenn Hall in the notice list. This not essential, but it helps.
Book your depo with your favorite court reporter firm. (Tell them you
want the John Glenn Hall Company for video)
Fax the depo notice to me at (208) 345-5629. You can email it
in PDF format, too. johnthevideoman@jghco.com
On either the same day or on the following day I confirm your booking
by faxing back (or emailing back) to you a page of the notice. When I do that,
the job is booked.
If you amended or cancel the depo, please let me know with a new fax
or email.
Territory Covered
Five (and sometimes more) fully equipped videographers are ready to accept depo
jobs in
Southern Idaho
From Rexburg to Sun Valley to Payette to Grangeville.
Eastern Oregon
All the way over to Baker City
Northern Nevada
Jackpot area.
Rates and Services
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Service Description |
Price |
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1st hour deposition |
$175 (minimum) |
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Additional hours deposition |
75 $ / hour |
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VHS or DVD copies for attorney ordering the depo video |
25 $ / VHS tape |
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VHS or DVD copies for adverse counsel |
30 % of invoice amount to ordering attorney |
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Out of Ada County travel time in transit |
25 $ / hr |
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Out of Ada County vehicle transit use |
0.45 $ / mile |
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Lodging and per diem |
At cost |
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Shipping |
Normal: FedEx 2nd Day Econ @ cost |
| MPEG1 copies | Delivered on CD ROM or DVD ROM. MPEG1 is usually the file format used for synching the video with the reporter's transcript. File Transport Protocol (ftp) delivery available. 50.00 $/hr for each video tape play back hour. Hint: MPEG1 has a lower picture quality than VHS. No sense using a high end digital camera if you are headed down to MPEG1 quality in the end. |
| Editing |
100 $/edit hr plus tape and copying costs. |
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Equipment Used |
Description |
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Cameras |
John the Video Man uses
Ron the Video Man uses |
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Tape Formats |
All depos are recorded on video tape. These tapes recorded at the depo are the Originals.
Original video tapes will be shipped to the attorney ordering the video. |
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Microphones |
Lots of Sony ECM55 mics. These lavaliere mics are provided to all who speak. Remember: Not everybody feels obligated to ware a microphone at a deposition. The videographer does not coerce anyone to ware a mic. |
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Microphone Mixer |
Audio mixers allow adjustment of all speaking voices to the same level so that they all sound good during playback in court |
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Video tape |
VHS, SVHS, DVCAM or MiniDV.
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Time Code |
Normal: None on VHS and SVHS. |
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Audio Separation |
Normal: Both witness and examiners on both audio channels. |
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Audio Tape |
Normally available to court reporter at the deposition's end at
no charge. |
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Time Date on Screen |
Normal: Yes |
Credit and Terms
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IDAHO Attorney Customer Open line of credit. Tapes delivered or shipped via UPS or USPS without delay. |
Out of State Attorney Customers Payment may be required by check prior to order shipment. Tapes shipped via FedEx 2nd Day Econ unless otherwise requested. |
Got Rules?
John The Video Man and his video associates will read into the record
during the deposition whatever you and/or your jurisdiction requires.
Idaho attorneys have decided to do this themselves using the following
script. The following script insures that the deposition complies with Idaho
Rule 30(b)4.
Click on the above to see the Idaho Read On sheet.
Sleeping John The Video Man
Alert Responsive Attentive

The famous Sleeping John The Video Man picture.
Ask for his business card.
Tips and Suggestions
Videographers arrive at the depo location at least 45 minutes
early to set and test equipment. If you schedule a depo for 8:00 AM at an office
that opens its door at 8:00 AM, please expect a delay. Think doctor's office.
If you schedule a depo at a doctor's office and the doctor's receptionist
tells the videographer to "take a seat", please expect a delay. It
would be wonderful, if a doctor depo notice included the words "Please
admit the videographer to set up equipment 45 minutes before the depo starts.
Please provide a room large enough for a minimum of six people."
If the videographer is not on location 45 minutes early, something has
gone wrong. Start calling. Don't wait.
Idaho rules have nothing for the videographer to say except "On
the Record" and "Off the Record". Please see the above Got Rules
section. Just let the videographer know what your jurisdiction's rules require.
We are all happy to help you comply.
If your deposition is telephonic, don't expect the location to have a speaker phone. Check ahead.
Broadcasting Live Depo Video Over
the Internet
This is the new big idea and it works just like watching TV. It's not
video teleconferencing, where you get to talk back. In December 2005, 114 people
watched one of the depos live over the internet.
Who would watch a depo over the internet on a computer screen?
Associate attorneys and co-counsel who want to keep up, but don't want the time and money expense of attending the depo.
Paralegals who need to know and phone in comments and facts to the examiner attending the depo.
Secretaries who want to know how the depo is progressing for scheduling purposes or setting up conference calls during the breaks.
Clients.
Experts who need to know the depo content.
Idaho attorneys are just beginning to address what rules might apply to this technology.
Check into the details of depo broadcasting by visiting my broadcasting site with the humorous name of
Editing the Video Deposition for Trial
Getting The Judge to Rule
It's wonderful if the judge will rule on the transcript days before the
trial begins. Plenty of time to do the video editing. If I recorded the video and
you can see an edit coming during trial, then let me know early. I can get the
video into my computer days in advance. This can save precious time the night
before you need the edit done.
However, it's typical that the judge will rule during the trial which makes editing very urgent. "We need it tomorrow!" OK.
What I Need to Get Started
Here is what I need to edit your depo.
(1) The depo video tapes and
(2) The transcript.
The Depo Video Tapes
If I recorded the video and if I have delivered the video tapes to you, then
please return the tapes to me. Not the DVDs that you may have also received,
but the video tapes. Now, you may not have received video tapes. In that case
please provide the DVDs. I will capture the video into my editing computer.
This process takes as long to do as it takes to play the tapes. Real time.
The Depo Transcript
Please provide to me a copy of the transcript showing what comes out. You
may use a pen to draw lines and make notes and/or you can use a highlighter.
The transcript may show a clear and orderly conversation, but the video may
show everyone talking over each other. I'l do the best that I can using my judgment.
Your can runner deliver the transcript to me at my office, or you can
fax the entire transcript to me or you can scan and email the transcript to
me. Remember: highlighting may not fax or scan well. Don't leave me wondering.
Delivering only the transcript pages that show the editing is wrong. I need
the entire transcript. The judge may issue a page and line number ruling. Send
that along to me, too.
As I work along with the transcript during the editing, I will Initial
"JGH" each point where I made an edit. This confirmation will show
you that I have attended to your edit marks. I may also write in a note or two
to explain what I did.
What You Get Back
I will edit the depo and make a DVD copy and a VHS copy.
The VHS tape is a back up to the court's DVD player either not being there when
you need it or not working at all.
You get the transcript back showing where I made the edits and any notes
that I have left.
Panic Mode: Rule on the Fly
Sometimes nothing seems work out well. You have to show the video
and there was no time to get it edited. That's when we show the video the jury and the
judge Rules on the Fly. This is not fun, but I have done it several times. All
the judges that I have worked with get into it and make it work.
Setting Up
I come into the court with my video equipment. I connect my video equipment
to the court's video system. They don't like this because they never imagined
this would have to be done. But, it can be done and we get it done. Sometimes
the court has no video equipment. We bring in what we need.
Getting Started
When the time comes, I begin playing the unedited video. I follow along with
the transcript on my lap. Before the trial I have looked ahead to all the objections
and motions to strike and made a plan.
The Judge Rules
When the video gets to the point where someone on the tape says "Objection",
I pause the video. The attorneys in the court room can now argue the objection
and the judge can rule right then and there. If I hear the judge say "Overruled"
then I play the video on through. If I hear "Sustained", then I disconnect
the court system from my video equipment to make court's screens go black and
silent. I have headphones and a small TV monitor to help me quietly advance
through the transcript to the new start point. I reconnect the court system
and hit Play. We're off to the next ruling.
Page Last Updated: 09/27/2007