TechnoLawyer

Originally published on October 11, 2010 in our free SmallLaw newsletter.

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TechnoScore: 1.0
1 = Lowest Possible Score; 5 = Highest Possible Score
The prevalence of inexpensive video cameras, Flip cameras and Web cameras give attorneys the false perception that anyone can create a video. But before you decide to share your latest Flip video with the world, ask yourself: Do you have the creativity and know-how to make interesting and informative video? If not, brush up on a few essential techniques before you begin.

Sure, handy technology makes it possible to create video on the fly in any location, but that doesn't mean you should do so. Today's video review showcases a lawyer who could have benefited from learning a few do's and don'ts before stepping in front of the camera.

In this video, California immigration attorney Brian Lerner of the Law Offices of Brian D. Lerner gives useful advice in what appears to be a coffee shop. The positioning of the camera and the short distance between his face and the lens indicates he is using a WebCam attached to his laptop.

Lerner speaks very softly, presumably using the laptop's built-in microphone. Music and ambient noise in the background make it difficult to hear what he has to say or concentrate on his content. The overall effect is similar to talking on a cell phone with someone who is walking down a busy street crowded with trucks, buses and cars. You just cant hear much of anything clearly.

I watched a few other videos attorney Lerner created and I give him kudos for trying share an educational message over video. However, his Webcam technique does not afford him the results he seeks.

Tip #1: Find a Quiet Location

Shoot your video in the quiet confines of a house or office. If you must shoot outside, go to a park or somewhere else relatively quiet so your prospects can hear what you're saying. Speak up and articulate. Once prospects express interest by clicking on your video, you don't want them to quickly click away because they can't hear you. The best way to ensure good sound in a video is to use a wireless lapel microphone.

Tip #2: Dump Your Webcam

Use your Webcam for chatting with your kids of parents, not for creating marketing videos. If you are on a tight budget, consider one of the new pocket high-definition video cameras like the high definition Kodak Zi8 with an external microphone. Cameras like these are relatively inexpensive and produce video leaps and bounds more professional than those pesky Webcams.

Webcams restrict the distance you can sit from the camera lens while filming. Lerner's video, for example, shows him sitting distractingly close to the camera. If you insist on using a Webcam, do your viewers a favor and opt for a less distracting background. Ideally, move away from the lens to provide viewers with a more professional perspective.

Tip #3: No One Cares Who Distributes Your Video

In his description of the video, Lerner includes "Distributed by TubeMogul." Do we really need to know this information? If your video distribution method advertises itself, find a way to turn off the automatic advertisement, which adds nothing to your description other than bumping up the video distributor's search engine rankings.

Tip #4: Tag Wisely or Risk Not Being Found

Tagging your video correctly can mean the difference between success and obscurity. Lerner's video tags are chopped into incomplete phrases. This scenario typically happens when the attorney inputs too many keywords into the tag section while uploading a video. One or more Web sites will chop them up not knowing exactly where to start and where to end a particular phrase.

This method of tagging will actually hurt your video. Why? Search engines don't recognize incomplete phrases. To avoid this pitfall, keep your tags short and targeted.

Till next time, see you on video!

THE BACK BENCH

Certified Family Law Specialist and online video producer Kelly Chang Rickert says: "This video is awful! It defines horrendous. Mr. Lerner clearly self-taped, using an old-generation phone/camera. I cannot understand a single word he is saying. Having a video like this in the public domain clearly broadcasts that he is lazy, and doesn't care about his appearance. (And is that Beverly Hills 90210 the TV show I hear in the background?) He should remove it immediately — it won't earn him any business!"

TechnoLawyer publisher and online video producer Neil Squillante says: "A TechnoLawyer subscriber recently argued that substance matters more than style in law firm videos. This video proves they're equally important. Thanks to the poor sound and video quality, mumbling delivery, radio or television playing in the background, and a distracting off-camera cough, who could possibly pay attention to and understand Brian Lerner?"

Written by Gerry Oginski of The Lawyers' Video Studio.