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By Allen Shinder
Ever since Covid 19 showed its ugly face, Lawyers have used zoom to interview witnesses remotely.
I have used Zoom interviews in Litigation Videos I have created. This blog article will help you improve all witness interviews recorded on Zoom.
There are 14 things you can do:
1. If your witnesses are using a mobile phone to record their video, they should keep the phone in a horizontal position rather than vertical. In this way, the video will be in the same format as other videos used in the presentation.
2. The witness should mount the phone on a tripod or some other stationary device so it doesn’t move while recording.
3. The witness should look directly into the camera or phone when speaking. The recording will then look like the witness is looking directly at the person watching the video.
4. Check the volume level so the recording can be heard clearly. Adjust the volume level accordingly.
5. The video should be well lit. Adding a light on your witness will make the witness look better. Avoid back lighting. If the background is too bright it will make the witness appear too dark. A dark background will work best.
6. Be sure that the zoom is being recorded in a quiet location with no background noise. This means the room where the video is being recorded has no tv or radio on in the background. The door to the room should be closed at all times during recording. People in other rooms should be made aware that they need to be quiet during the recording period.
7. Consideration should be given as to where in a house or office the zoom should take place. It will provide the background for the witness. Keep it simple, clean and clutter free.
8. The person being recorded should not be wearing very bright or intense colors.
9. Make sure the camera or phone is in focus. This means the picture is not blurry but sharp. Moving closer or farther from the camera or phone may help.
10. If any charts, diagrams, drawings or photos are being used in the presentation get a copy of the original as a pdf, jpg or Word document. These can be recorded and edited into the video at a later time.
11. Tell your witnesses they need to be well groomed and look presentable.
12. Use high speed internet connections. Slow speeds will cause the video to pixelate and even skip frames.
13. At the conclusion of the witness interview, I always try to get the witness to quickly summarize the main points by asking a question based on the statements they made previously. It is interesting that since they have spent time thinking about these things, they find it very easy to do and will generally make a significant statement in response.
14. One of the best features of zoom meetings is what you see is what you get. If you see something is wrong with any of these points, try to get the witness to change it or correct the problem yourself.
By following these 14 points, you will be correcting most common problems with Zoom witness interviews. You will be able to use these interviews in many different forms from pretrial to trial and they will fit right in.
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