Nothing is more boring than watching a witness testify on
videotape. Especially after lunch. Jurors who don't
nod off should be given prizes.
We live in an age of hyper-active movies, videos and TV
shows. Jurors are conditioned to fast-paced action.
Although trial videotapes don't involve eye-popping martial
arts battles, they can certainly be more interesting than they
generally are. You can produce a good videotape by exercising
your inner Steven Spielberg.
You first need to consider the deposition background. Too
often witnesses are videotaped against boring monochromatic walls
having no visual interest. You can do better. Use a
library stocked with books as the background. If your law
office doesn't have one, you can easily find one.
Consider a nicely furnished office with diplomas, artwork or other
interesting items displayed behind the witness. Your videotape can
take place wherever you choose, so think about where it can be done
most effectively.
