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Home: Video University Forums: Marketing & Business:
Legal Video Business - Getting Started

X-JB
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Mar 21, 2002, 7:28 AM

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Legal Video Business - Getting Started	Can't Post

I recently purchased the Legal Video Specialist Kit and am looking for advice on getting started.
I have been working as a freelance videographer, shooting weddings and special events, for the past four years. I do not own my own equipment, presently.
A quick search of the Internet and yellow pages has shown me that there are quite a few businesses out there already offering legal video services. And they are all marketing themselves as professionals with many years of video experience.
How do I compete? I'm looking for an angle that will give me an edge in getting started -- is it just price, availability and persistence? Do I just market myself to court reporting firms as a novice legal video specialist, pricing my services $5 below the going rate, saturating the market with cover letters and follow-up visits, and keeping at it until some work comes my way? Also, is it advisable to try to pick up overflow work from existing legal video companies as a means of getting started?
1 more:
What is the best way to determine the going rate for legal video services in my area?
Any advice greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
JB

X-Terry_T
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Mar 21, 2002, 11:07 AM

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Re: Legal Video Business - Getting Started	Can't Post

Hello JB,
I worked in the legal video world for 2 years before starting my own event video business.
The most important link to the attorneys, for us, was the court reporting firms. They are the first ones the secretary or paralegal for the attorney will call.
The sec/para would set up the deposition with the court reporter and if it was a video deposition the sec/para. would tell the court reporting firm to set up the video. In turn the court reporters would call us.
I'd say if we shot 50 depos in one month, 2 came from the attorneys offices directly.
An excellent relationship with the court reporters is a must.
You could maybe start with the smaller firms. Develop a professional relationship with them.
With the larger firms, they probably are already established with a video company already. But you could try to weasle your way in.
Attorneys are not like brides, they don't sit with a telephone book or magazine and price shop. This is a very serious business.
And they can't take a chance that their case will be disrupted or dismissed because of a video that proved to be less than appropriate for a judge or jury.
just my video story
Terry T.
Custom Video by Terry
New Orleans, LA

X-Eric
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Mar 21, 2002, 1:35 PM

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Terry, how was the business?? [In reply to]	Can't Post

Terry,
I am curious as to how the business (legal video) was? Is there money to be made? Why did you get out? 50 in one month, did you ever get a day off? I have always been curious about this.......thanks,
Eric

X-Eric
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Mar 21, 2002, 1:36 PM

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Terry, how was the business?? [In reply to]	Can't Post

X-Terry_T
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Mar 21, 2002, 3:38 PM

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Re: Terry, how was the business?? [In reply to]	Can't Post

Well No. 1, I was working for a "company". We had at the time I left, 7 employees. That's how we could handle that many depos in a month. We would schedule who would go where the day before. Many times we'd travel from one depo to another. sometimes it depended on who finished first or if one cancelled.
At the time I left them in 1993, the fee to the attorney was $275 first 2 hrs., 2 hr. minimum, $100 ea. additl hour. I have no idea what it is now. We billed the attorney directly. Whoever "noticed" the video deposition.
Seems like having 50 depos a month is a lot of money and it is, if you ever get paid.
You'd be surprised how many attorneys don't pay until the case settles or is dismissed. And even worse if the side that hired you, loses his case.
I left because, and I'm not whining here or gloating, I became their top videogrpher, more professional and better able to handle the more delicate situations. We did many "Day in the Life" Videos, and sensitive issues like asbestos poisoning cases, child abuse cases, etc.
So I was running ragged. At least working 60 hrs. a week and traveling too much. My sons were young at the time and I was spending too much time away from my family.
I was getting paid a salary. My woman boss was very controlling and not very nice in general to be around.

Feel free to call me if you want to talk more in detail. My number is on my website.
Terry T.
www.customvideobyterry.com

: Terry,
: I am curious as to how the business (legal video) was? Is there money to be made? Why did you get out? 50 in one month, did you ever get a day off? I have always been curious about this.......thanks,
: Eric

X-JB
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Mar 21, 2002, 7:28 PM

Post #6 of 10 (1524 views)
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Re: Terry, how was the business?? [In reply to]	Can't Post

: Well No. 1, I was working for a "company". We had at the time I left, 7 employees. That's how we could handle that many depos in a month. We would schedule who would go where the day before. Many times we'd travel from one depo to another. sometimes it depended on who finished first or if one cancelled.
: At the time I left them in 1993, the fee to the attorney was $275 first 2 hrs., 2 hr. minimum, $100 ea. additl hour. I have no idea what it is now. We billed the attorney directly. Whoever "noticed" the video deposition.
: Seems like having 50 depos a month is a lot of money and it is, if you ever get paid.
: You'd be surprised how many attorneys don't pay until the case settles or is dismissed. And even worse if the side that hired you, loses his case.
: I left because, and I'm not whining here or gloating, I became their top videogrpher, more professional and better able to handle the more delicate situations. We did many "Day in the Life" Videos, and sensitive issues like asbestos poisoning cases, child abuse cases, etc.
: So I was running ragged. At least working 60 hrs. a week and traveling too much. My sons were young at the time and I was spending too much time away from my family.
: I was getting paid a salary. My woman boss was very controlling and not very nice in general to be around.
:
: Feel free to call me if you want to talk more in detail. My number is on my website.
: Terry T.
: www.customvideobyterry.com

:
: : Terry,
: : I am curious as to how the business (legal video) was? Is there money to be made? Why did you get out? 50 in one month, did you ever get a day off? I have always been curious about this.......thanks,
: : Eric
Terry,
Thanks for the advice. Makes sense to start with the smaller firms and try to develop a relationship with them.
Overall, was your experience in Legal Video a positive one? Did your experience with the company you worked for enable you to go out on your own?
Thx,
JB

X-Terry_T
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Mar 21, 2002, 8:21 PM

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Re: Terry, how was the business?? it was good [In reply to]	Can't Post

JB wrote:
: Overall, was your experience in Legal Video a positive one? Did your experience with the company you worked for enable you to go out on your own?

Hello JB,
Yes it was a positive one. I loved my job actually.
And I have to give a lot of credit to the boss's husband who taught me all I knew at the time about professional video equipment.
They hired me as a secretary to start and knew I had some experience with shooting video, home movies. I even brought in some of my better home movies and I guess they saw potential in me.
I trained with the boss's husband for about 2 weeks and then started shooting on my own.
I really enjoyed the profession. It was always something different. Yeah the depos can be very boring when an orthopedic surgeon is detailing every visit of a person with back pain, but I learned so much about so many different things.
At the time my neice worked for an attorney and he would hire us to shoot his depos for him. He would always request me. The psycho boss woman didn't like that. Who knows why, she was weird.
Anyway when I left there in '93 I had a few little jobs, a teacher's aide, merchandising rep and I even went back to sewing. I used to be a seamstress when my kids were real little.
But I really missed the video business. With encouragement from family and friends, I borrowed some money and purchased all the equipment I needed at that time to shoot and edit a wedding.
My neice called to say that her attorney boss wanted to use me for his depositions. Well I had to go out and buy the deposition equipment.
It paid for itself in just a couple of months. I think 3 months. He paid me in a timely fashion.
But then wouldn't you know after about 2 years he became a judge. He was my only consistent legal client.
I never really went after any court reporters or attorneys.
Well the psycho boss and her husband split up in 1994 and he started his own depo business and called me to help him.
He was always nice to me. I worked for him pretty consistently. He's still a very good friend of mine. That's who I sold the JVC500 to.
But when the event business started picking up, I started turning down the depos.
As a matter of fact I also sold him all my depo equipment.
I had a lovely Wheel-It Cart.($750 in 1994) It had a Shure Mixer, tape recorder, mics, extra cables, etc. that I secured on it.
It had a monopod connected to it and it folded down to fit in my vehicle.
It was great.
He would pay me $75/hr. 2 hr. minimum. All I would do is shoot and send the tape to him.
And guess what, nows he wants to do weddings on the side and guess who's helping him? :-)

One thing that the court reporters really like is an audio tape of the deposition. I came out of my mixer directly into the tape recorder. Hand over the tapes immediately after the deposition, very discreetly as to not really let the attorneys see and you will make a friend.
You see his/her transcript has to match exactly word for word with the video. So he/she listens to the audio tape and makes sure he/she caught every word. Even the "uhhhhhhhs".

my video story,
Terry T.
Custom Video by Terry

X-David
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Mar 21, 2002, 10:21 PM

Post #8 of 10 (1524 views)
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Re: Terry, how was the business?? it was good [In reply to]	Can't Post

Terry, thanks for all the input, it's really helpful. One question though. What was the average length (timewise) of a deposition?
Thanks,
-David

X-Terry_T
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Mar 21, 2002, 10:43 PM

Post #9 of 10 (1523 views)
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Long or short depositions - ya never knew [In reply to]	Can't Post

:::One question though. What was the average length (timewise) of a deposition?

One never knew.
Some could be as short as 12 minutes, some as long as 7 hrs. and for some we'd have to go back the next day and the next.
It just depended on the case, or the witness, or the other side, or how many attorneys are involved.
At that time I was shooting with the Pan. AG-456. Used 2 hr. tapes, I would always bring 4 tapes with me and about 6 audio cassettes.
And don't ever believe an attorney when he tells you how long it's gonna last. Don't count on what they're gonna tell you. I don't think it's because they're intentionally lying, but once they get into their questioning, it could just go on and on.
It happened all the time.
Now if I had to say on an average, I'd say 1 hr. 45 mins.
Terry T.

X-JB
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Mar 22, 2002, 6:31 AM

Post #10 of 10 (1524 views)
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Re: Terry, how was the business?? it was good [In reply to]	Can't Post

: JB wrote:
: : Overall, was your experience in Legal Video a positive one? Did your experience with the company you worked for enable you to go out on your own?
:
: Hello JB,
: Yes it was a positive one. I loved my job actually.
: And I have to give a lot of credit to the boss's husband who taught me all I knew at the time about professional video equipment.
: They hired me as a secretary to start and knew I had some experience with shooting video, home movies. I even brought in some of my better home movies and I guess they saw potential in me.
: I trained with the boss's husband for about 2 weeks and then started shooting on my own.
: I really enjoyed the profession. It was always something different. Yeah the depos can be very boring when an orthopedic surgeon is detailing every visit of a person with back pain, but I learned so much about so many different things.
: At the time my neice worked for an attorney and he would hire us to shoot his depos for him. He would always request me. The psycho boss woman didn't like that. Who knows why, she was weird.
: Anyway when I left there in '93 I had a few little jobs, a teacher's aide, merchandising rep and I even went back to sewing. I used to be a seamstress when my kids were real little.
: But I really missed the video business. With encouragement from family and friends, I borrowed some money and purchased all the equipment I needed at that time to shoot and edit a wedding.
: My neice called to say that her attorney boss wanted to use me for his depositions. Well I had to go out and buy the deposition equipment.
: It paid for itself in just a couple of months. I think 3 months. He paid me in a timely fashion.
: But then wouldn't you know after about 2 years he became a judge. He was my only consistent legal client.
: I never really went after any court reporters or attorneys.
: Well the psycho boss and her husband split up in 1994 and he started his own depo business and called me to help him.
: He was always nice to me. I worked for him pretty consistently. He's still a very good friend of mine. That's who I sold the JVC500 to.
: But when the event business started picking up, I started turning down the depos.
: As a matter of fact I also sold him all my depo equipment.
: I had a lovely Wheel-It Cart.($750 in 1994) It had a Shure Mixer, tape recorder, mics, extra cables, etc. that I secured on it.
: It had a monopod connected to it and it folded down to fit in my vehicle.
: It was great.
: He would pay me $75/hr. 2 hr. minimum. All I would do is shoot and send the tape to him.
: And guess what, nows he wants to do weddings on the side and guess who's helping him? :-)
:
: One thing that the court reporters really like is an audio tape of the deposition. I came out of my mixer directly into the tape recorder. Hand over the tapes immediately after the deposition, very discreetly as to not really let the attorneys see and you will make a friend.
: You see his/her transcript has to match exactly word for word with the video. So he/she listens to the audio tape and makes sure he/she caught every word. Even the "uhhhhhhhs".

: my video story,
: Terry T.
: Custom Video by Terry
Terry,
Thanks, I really enjoy hearing your story!
Seems to me that a good first step for me might be to contact legal video firms and ask them if they need help. While I could purchase my own equipment right now, I need some experience and I don't think the investment would pay off right away. I imagine myself sitting at home dusting off thousands of dollars worth of equipment.
I too "miss video." In my case, video has always been a "side" thing -- shooting home movies myself, moving on to wedding videography and shooting one, maybe two, weddings a weekend. What has happened these past four years is that I've discovered that my true passion is video. The satisfaction I get after a hard day's shoot, knowing I've done a superior job and will deliver a quality tape that will last a lifetime, is something I want to experience every day, in my career, not just on the sidelines. I also love the logistics involved, the checklists, the constant education that takes place (both technical and creative), the chance to interact with people, etc.
I have a background in film also, having minored in it as an undergraduate. I have an opportunity now to take the risk and embark on a career change. I'm dying to break into video!
I'm glad to hear you had a good experience. Sounds to me like there are companies out there doing loads of depositions. Reaching out to them seems like a good start to me. At least I might get an opportunity to network face to face with some pros. Eventually, I'm thinking someone might need a videographer, take a look at my resume and samples of my work, and give me that chance.
JB