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Why Professional Video? In 1963 the assassination of President Kennedy was first reported "over the television airwaves at 1:40 P.M. EST when CBS News anchorman Walter Cronkite broke into As the World Turns with an audio announcement over a bulletin slide: "In Dallas, Texas, three shots were fired at President Kennedy's motorcade in downtown Dallas". At 2:37 P.M. CBS news editor Ed Bliss, Jr. hands Cronkite an AP wire report. Cronkite takes a long second to read it to himself before intoning: "From Dallas, Texas, the flash, apparently official. President Kennedy died at 1:00 P.M. Central Standard Time, two o'clock Eastern Standard Time." He pauses and looks at the studio clock. "Some thirty-eight minutes ago." Momentarily losing his composure, Cronkite winces, removes his eyeglasses, and clears his throat before resuming with the observation that Vice President Lyndon Johnson will presumably take the oath of office to become the thirty-sixth president of the United States". (Thomas Doherty) News coverage over the next few days was primarily presented from a New York newsroom. Viewers lived one of the most historic events in American history through the words and emotions of Walter Cronkite. In the 1960's film, which required developing, was the primary medium used to shoot breaking or location news. Live coverage required that the camera be physically tethered to studio control. The camera's signal would then be sent through a microwave transmission to a satellite. (Video Tape Recorders (VTR) had been in use since 1956. However, due to size limitations, camera had not yet benefited from the new technology. Video Cassette Recorders (VCR) were introduced by Sony in 1971. The first' truly' portable camera/recorder units were not available until 1975-76.) Times have changed. Today we have 24 hour news and entertainment programming available with the click of a remote. Americans can watch the War on Terror as it happens. Newsrooms still have anchor desks, but the anchors that use them frequently take on the role of news traffic controllers. Their primary job is to introduce reporters that are live, on scene, of breaking news stories or at point of interest locations. The reporter's tell us the stories that are important to our world, and local communities. We have grown accustom to seeing news as it develops. Americans will never forget where we were on the morning of September 11, 2001. However, no matter where we were as individuals, most of us were unitedly fixed on a television screen watching, live, as terrorist's attacked the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington DC. Our constant exposure to live or taped quality broadcasting coupled with the advent of computers and digital video has heightened viewer's production quality expectations! You might ask what all this has to do with legal video? Basically, everything! We are the 'TV' generation. Most of us grew up watching the television industry evolve into the power house business that it is today. Good or bad, 98 % of American have one television in their home, 41% have three or more. Those televisions are turned on for an average of seven hours, forty minutes everyday. That constant diet of professional video production has set our video quality expectations to high. Yet, with the affordability of good quality video equipment, another advantage of advanced technology, any Joe can shoot video. And, they frequently do. For example, the producers of the television program America's Funniest Videos have based their entire program on entertaining their audience with amateur video. Additionally, none of us would have ever heard of Rodney King if it hadn't been for the efforts of novice videophile George Holliday. Obviously amateur video does have its place in American culture. And, there are times when nonprofessional quality video is okay. But okay is not what you want to give to your legal clients! The average American is too video savvy to accept anything less than professional quality in the court room. A video deposition, day-in-the-life video or settlement documentary shot by a video professional has a quality that can be seen by all parties viewing the tape. Location, lighting, background, composition and audio are all important factors when it comes to any video. No big surprises there. But, there are other factors too. For example, did you know that the camera lens' height can give a physiological advantage or disadvantage? Did you know that a busy or cluttered background can leave a negative bias? A video professional does. And, they know a lot more. Your client deserves the best quality that the legal and video professions allow. You can provide them with the best legal defense. Let me provide them with the best video defense. Contact Cec Video Depositions
Day-in-the-Life Programs
Settlement Documentaries
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