How Legal Videographers and Court Reporters Work Together
In a legal proceeding, the court reporter creates an official transcript of all proceedings. This transcript is used to ensure accuracy and can be reviewed by attorneys on either side. In many cases, a video recording of the proceedings is also created. This video can be used as evidence in a case or to help clarify something that was said during the hearing. In order to ensure that these two documents are as accurate as possible, there is often a close working relationship between legal videographers and court reporters.
Court reporters are responsible for creating a complete and accurate record of proceedings. In order to do this, they must be able to capture every word that is spoken in the courtroom, deposition, or other legal proceeding. This can be a challenging task, especially if there is a lot of background noise or if the speakers are far away from the court reporter's position. Legal videographers work with court reporters to provide them with a clear audio recording in addition to the video.
If you are a court reporter you understand that sometimes the quality of the audio recording can be crucial. In situations where the location for a deposition may be noisy or the persons speaking may be quiet at times due to distance, court reporters can rely on legal videographers to later provide them with a clear and accurate audio recording. Often times, they can even provide them with a direct feed from their mixer in the room! The use of high-end audio equipment by legal videographers is essential to ensuring the accuracy of transcripts. Legal videographers work with multiple microphones to capture different speakers at different distances. This attention to detail ensures that court reporters can go back and review the proceeding later to accurately complete parts of the transcript where it may have been hard to hear counsel or the witness.
Many attorneys are now asking court reporters to also source legal videographers for depositions. This is because video can capture not just the spoken word, but also important nonverbal cues, such as facial expressions and body language. As a result, video depositions alongside a transcript can be more accurate and complete than relying on transcripts alone. Additionally, video depositions can be used as trial exhibits, providing jurors with a first-hand look at the witness testimony. For all of these reasons, legal videography is an increasingly popular tool in the modern courtroom.
In summary, legal videographers provide audio for court reporters. Court reporting firms often source and hire legal videographers for the attorneys. If you are a court reporter looking to find a legal videography company to partner with, VCE Legal Tech is that company. We have been in the business of providing quality legal video services for over 25 years and have worked with several court reporting firms. We strive to provide the best possible audio and video not only for attorneys, but for court reporters as well. Contact us today to see how we can partner with your court reporting firm!