TopLaw: Videos

SmallLaw: YouLaw: California Litigator Explains the Law in Plain English

By Gerry Oginski | Thursday, March 17, 2011

Originally published on February 14, 2011 in our free SmallLaw newsletter. Instead of reading SmallLaw here after the fact, sign up now to receive future issues in realtime.

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TechnoScore: 4.5
1 = Lowest Possible Score; 5 = Highest Possible Score

California attorney David Allen seeks to educate consumers about different types of law throughout the country. He does an excellent job of explaining and educating. He's clearly well-prepared when talking about each case he discusses on his videos each week. In today's video clip he discusses a New York case to demonstrate how plaintiffs can make damaging admissions on Facebook, MySpace, and other social networks.

His goal when creating these videos is to educate you about different types of cases throughout the country. He has an excellent delivery. He is smooth, polished, and extremely credible. He knows how to drill down to the heart of the case in very easy-to-understand ordinary language. Toward the end of the video he gives you that nugget of information that the viewer needs to know — "What can you learn from all this?"

Kudos to David Allen for a great job teaching online consumers about the law.

Tip #1: Practice Makes Perfect

You must practice whatever you plan to talk about on video. The best trial lawyers rehearse to make their delivery appear natural and easy. Approach your videos as you would a trial.

Tip #2: Talk About an Interesting Topic on Which You Have or Can Develop Expertise

Here, Allen focuses on a hot topic — social networks. if you choose a topic that people aren't interested in, people simply will not watch your video.

I watched some of this lawyer's other videos and was pleasantly surprised to see how well-versed he is on every topic he discusses. These diverse topics range from worker's compensation to accidents to sexual harassment to same-sex divorces.

Most lawyers today focus on one particular legal specialty. If you are going to discuss and report cases with which you have no personal experience, then you must become fluent not only with the case you are discussing but also immerse yourself with as much detailed information as you can learn about that particular area of law.

Tip #3: Beware the Green Screen

Allen shoots his videos in front of a green screen. That means that his video editor can place any image he wants behind him. But a poor green screen can turn an excellent video into mediocre video. If you are not proficient with green screens, don't use them. Green screen editing is time-consuming and technically difficult. Not only do you have to make sure the green screen is well lit, but the actual editing task of substituting an image takes lots of practice.

In this video, the green screen effect is not as good as it should be. You notice the edges of Allen's outline tend to blur and fade into the background. If you look closely, the edges of of his head, arms and suit are not as crisp as they should be. Allen also stands in front of a tall podium that is hidden, which explains why it appears as if he is resting his elbows on a platform.

Conclusion

Allen has not search engine optimized this video. He fails to even include his Web site URL address, phone number or contact information. However, he displays a graphic that runs throughout the video with his URL.

In my opinion, this video warrants a TechnoScore of 5.0 for its content, but I deducted half a point for the lack of searchable information in the sidebar and the slightly blurry green screen effect. But overall, it's an excellent video that lawyers should emulate when educating potential clients.

Till next time, see you on video!

The Back Bench

Certified Family Law Specialist and online video producer Kelly Chang Rickert says: "David Allen is a wonderful story-teller. He captures his audience by telling a very interesting story about Facebook. I actually enjoyed my morning cup of tea watching him. He gets an A+ for presentation skills — which probably means he is also very good in court. However, after watching 3:30 minutes, I am unclear what type of lawyer he is. Tip #1: Distinguish between a purely marketing video, and a video marketing your services. The former is "All That Jazz," but no substance. The latter — what people should strive for — hones in on your legal skills, your practice area, etc. At least he included a Web site throughout the video — should you spend time researching him. Tip #2: Assume your audience is busy and your video is all the time they have."

TechnoLawyer publisher and online video producer Neil Squillante says: "I wish David Allen had taught at my law school. He explains admissions better than most law professors. But he fails to close the deal by discussing his expertise (I presume he's a litigator of some sort). David, you're smart and explain complex topics using plain English, but what kind of cases can you handle? All the same, David is so engaging that I'd visit his Web site to see if he could help me."

Written by Gerry Oginski of The Lawyers' Video Studio.

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Topics: Law Firm Marketing/Publications/Web Sites | SmallLaw | Videos | YouLaw

SmallLaw: YouLaw: Is Your Law Firm Video Commercial-Free?

By Gerry Oginski | Thursday, January 20, 2011

Originally published on January 11, 2011 in our free SmallLaw newsletter. Instead of reading SmallLaw here after the fact, sign up now to receive future issues in realtime.

TechnoScore: 2.0
1 = Lowest Possible Score; 5 = Highest Possible Score

Today's video review addresses a novel issue that I have not seen before in law firm videos. I recently came across Sulimani Law Firm, an intellectual property firm headed by Natalie Sulimani that has a video with a pre-roll ad. What does that mean? You have to watch an advertisement before watching the lawyer's video! The ad changes from day to day — one day it was Best Buy, another day Comedy Central.

Not good. I couldn't exit the video or restart it or fast-forward it. That's also not good. Many people, myself included, do not like watching pre-roll ads, especially when we're about to watch a promotional video about a law firm.

Tip #1: Don't Allow Advertisements in Your Videos

Forcing your prospects to watch an advertisement means you've lost your viewer before they ever see you or hear you, defeating the purpose of creating a video. With an educational video you establish trust, confidence, and personality that allows a viewer to get to know you. Nobody will want to get to know you if you force them to watch an advertisement first.

Only two reasons exist for a pre-roll ad:

1. The lawyer is trying to generate revenue, which is not the case here or usually.

2. The video hosting site is free, and the only way the site makes any money is to allow advertisers to buy pre-roll ads.

This video is hosted by Blip.tv, a free video sharing site.

Best practice tip: Never rely on a video sharing site without reading the terms of service. You may have no control over what they do with your content or what ads appear on your video. If possible, host the videos yourself to guarantee that your video will never contain third-party advertisements.

Tip #2: Include Necessary Disclosures Discretely

Throughout the video, the subtitle "Attorney Advertising" appears through much of the main video. In New York, attorneys must put the words "Attorney Advertising" on their Web site to "protect" consumers.

However, when it appears prominently throughout the video, it's like a trial lawyer telling the jurY during opening argument, "What I'm about to tell you is not evidence. Nothing I say is evidence, and nothing I'm going to tell you matters, since you'll hear testimony and see evidence during the trial." What the trial lawyer has done is tell the jury, "Just disregard everything I say because what I say doesn't matter."

Instead, if you must put that phrase in your video, do it once, and unobtrusively. Don't keep the visual up constantly. It detracts from your message and basically tells a viewer to disregard everything you're saying.

Tip #3: Don't Let Your Video Production Company Promote Itself

When you move your mouse over the video player, a lower-third graphic shows up with the attorney's name. Within that graphic is the video company's name with an active link to their Web site. When you click, it takes you to the video company that created this video. Also, at the end of the main video, the video company displays its name and Web site.

Why is this a problem? I suspect the video company that created this video didn't pay the attorney to market their services. I have repeatedly written in the past that you should never let your video production company advertise themselves on your video, unless they pay you to do so. Why should you give them free advertising when they just charged you to create video to market yourself? More importantly, I wonder whether the lawyer is aware of this promotion and gave it her blessing.

Bottom Line?

You must ask your video production company whether your videos will be privately hosted to prevent unwanted pre-roll ads from showing up in your videos. Also, if your video company wants to market themselves using your video, make sure they have your consent and, if possible, pay you for doing so.

Till next time, see you on video!

The Back Bench

Certified Family Law Specialist and online video producer Kelly Chang Rickert says: "Nice intro music, good speaking style. Sulimani is an IP lawyer, and her video takes us through many scenarios where you would need an IP lawyer. She would be more effective, however, if she would practice what she preached — "brand identity". After viewing the video, I have no idea what her specialty is, or what she can do for my small business. Pass."

TechnoLawyer publisher and online video producer Neil Squillante says: "Natalie Sulimani has a good pitch for small business owners, but delivers it poorly. Her script needs a rewrite to make it shorter and remove some of the awkward phrasing, and, more importantly, she needs to rehearse it a few dozen times before lights, camera, action."

Written by Gerry Oginski of The Lawyers' Video Studio.

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Topics: Law Firm Marketing/Publications/Web Sites | SmallLaw | Videos | YouLaw

SmallLaw: YouLaw: Don't Speak Like a Law Professor

By Gerry Oginski | Tuesday, December 14, 2010

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TechnoScore: 3.0
1 = Lowest Possible Score; 5 = Highest Possible Score
Today's video by Maryland criminal lawyer Kush Arora of the Law Offices of David Benowitz starts with excellent introductory graphics and thumping music. The exit graphics are the same. Kudos to the video editor who created the graphics design. However, your viewer doesn't care about the graphics. They want content.

Next, we see a question: "What is a PBJ?"

Since my area of expertise is in medical malpractice and personal injury, I have no idea what a PBJ is other than fond recollections of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

After the question disappears from the screen we see an attorney giving useful information about his area of expertise. In each of my video reviews, I never criticize the content that the attorney is trying to get across in his video. I focus instead on the techniques and strategies used to deliver this important content. The entire point of creating great quality video is to make the techniques totally seamless and transparent so that a viewer is not distracted from the message that you are trying to provide.

In this video, Arora is virtually sitting against a white background with very little space behind him, which creates almost a "mug shot-like effect" since there are shadows thrown from his body and his face onto the wall. I also could not tell whether he was reading from a TelePrompTer.

The video runs 1:31 minutes, which is fine for this type of video. The video uses a close up headshot so that you only see Arora from the shoulders up.

The title of this video is "Maryland criminal lawyer — what is probation before judgment?" Good question, but I wonder whether people (other than law professors) searching for a Maryland criminal lawyer would enter this legalese into a search query.

Tip #1: Introduce Yourself

Arora fails to introduce himself at the start of the video. Why do lawyers fail to introduce themselves when they create a video? It never ceases to amaze me that when a viewer goes online to learn about a particular lawyer or particular topic they see an attorney and the majority of them never say "Hi" to the viewer to tell them who they are. They rely on the graphics or the description to do it for them. When a new client walks into your office, do you introduce yourself? Maybe you just rely on your name being on your door and assume a new client knows who you are. Do you simply ignore the pleasantries and immediately direct them to sit down without smiling?

Tip #2: Move Away From the Wall

To create depth of field you need to have distance between you and the wall behind you. Otherwise you appear somewhat two-dimensional and flat. Your goal is to come to life by being three-dimensional. The way to do that effectively is to give yourself a few feet of distance from your nearest wall.

Tip #3: Illuminate Your Background

I cannot tell from this video whether the lawyer is using any external lights to illuminate his face. There is no additional lighting being thrown on to the wall behind him. Because of the lack of illumination behind him, it is difficult to tell whether his white balance was set before shooting this video. I can't tell whether the background is grey or some shade of off-white. The shirt appears white, but I'm not 100% sure.

Tip #4: The Description Is Sorely Lacking

I like how he prominently lists his firm's URL and phone numbers. However, the copy says "If you are charged with a crime in Maryland, a Maryland Criminal Lawyer at The Law Offices of David Benowitz can assist you." This says nothing about the content that the attorney is talking about. Why not? Looking down further, the two phrases he uses as tags are "Maryland criminal lawyer" and "Probation before judgment." When deciding which tags to use, you have to ask yourself what is your ideal client looking for when they go online to find you?

Again, I return to the question I raised earlier. Will his ideal clients know to search for "probation before judgment" to find this video? I suspect the answer is no, which would explain why there were zero views five days after this video was posted. He would probably have attracted prospective clients using layman's terms such as "erasing a criminal record."

A Final Word of Advice and Caution About the ABA's New Online Marketing Ethics Rules That May Arrive in 2011

On a final note, the ABA recently requested comments and statements regarding lawyer advertising and marketing online. My advice — make sure the content in your videos is accurate and educational. You don't want to establish an attorney-client relationship and have someone erroneously rely on the information you provide.

Till next time, see you on video!

The Back Bench

Certified Family Law Specialist and online video producer Kelly Chang Rickert says: "He does a great job explaining PBJ (NOT my daughter's favorite sandwich). I thought he was well-spoken and easy to listen to. However, I am an attorney! I think people who don't understand legalese may get lost, particularly since he makes no eye contact with the camera. It looks like he is reading a teleprompter under the camera. Also, without words popping up, the video can be a little boring. I would add some visual stimulus — such as definitions in writing, etc. I'd probably still hire him to argue PBJ, though."

Lawyer, journalist, and legal media consultant Robert Ambrogi says: "It seems to me that if you are going to use video, you should remember that it is a visual medium. Mr. Arora sounds intelligent and competent. But he looks like he's the one in the criminal line-up — all that's missing are the lines on the wall behind him. He needs to move away from the wall, find a better backdrop, and incorporate more graphics."

TechnoLawyer publisher and online video producer Neil Squillante says: "This video has excellent opening and closing graphics, and addresses an interesting criminal law topic that I didn't know about. Unfortunately, Kush Arora doesn't seal the deal. He should speak using the second person, dress more sharply (his tie is loose and crooked), employ cinematography on par with his opening and closing graphics, and expressly ask viewers to contact him for more details."

Written by Gerry Oginski of The Lawyers' Video Studio.

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Topics: SmallLaw | Videos | YouLaw

SmallLaw: YouLaw: A Law Firm Video Is Not Like a Web Chat

By Gerry Oginski | Monday, October 18, 2010

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.

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Topics: Law Firm Marketing/Publications/Web Sites | SmallLaw | Videos | YouLaw

SmallLaw: YouLaw: When the Maytag Repairman Won't Help You

By Gerry Oginski | Monday, August 16, 2010

Originally published on August 9, 2010 in our free SmallLaw newsletter.

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TechnoScore: 4.5
1 = Lowest Possible Score; 5 = Highest Possible Score

Real estate attorney Hugh Fitzpatrick of New England Title & Escrow Services caught my eye with this video that stands out from the beginning. The initial opening scene looks as if he's standing at a podium in a CLE lecture. The background makes it seems like his firm has many media events.

Once the video starts to play, I realize that what appears to be a podium is just a lower third graphic. I like that this attorney looks straight at the camera and answers a specific question that people have regarding a real estate closing. Admittedly, Fitzpatrick is not as seamless and polished as he could be. Although he is wearing a suit and tie, his collar is open and his tie is pulled open a little as well.

I like how he appears to be answering the question off-the-cuff and giving an answer as if someone is sitting across the table from him asking him a question about warranties on appliances at the time of closing.

There is some unobtrusive background music during this 1:44 video but you don't recognize it till you pay attention to it.

I like the tone and feel of this attorney video. It seems totally natural. It's not overly polished and slick, and answers a specific question that many people have on their minds when buying a house.

The video zooms in at times moved around a little as well. This technique has been used often on reality-based TV shows and again gives a different feel than simply a traditional video.

Tip #1: Your Video Technique Should Not Distract From the Message

I like that Fitzpatrick's video zooms in and move around a little bit without appearing shaky. It provides a feel that many lawyer videos don't have. It is apparent that someone else is shooting this video. Many lawyers who create their own videos do not have someone to shoot it for them and create this effect.

If you want to use "outside-the-box" techniques in your video, make sure that your technique does not detract from your educational message. Your goal is to make your video technique as seamless and invisible as possible. You don't want anyone focusing on your audio, lighting, or special effects while trying to listen to your content.

Tip #2: Ask a Question, Then Give an Answer

Most lawyers and video production companies don't know about this tip. Viewers watch your video to get an answer to their pressing problem. If you ask a question on their mind, and then give them a generic answer who do you think is more likely to get that call asking for more information? You or a lawyer with a static Web site with very little useful information?

Tip #3: Think Different

Kudos to Fitzpatrick for differentiating himself from most lawyers. His video immediately stands out because he does not have the same type of background that most other lawyer videos have. Forget the patriotic scenes in your background, the flying flag, the courthouse steps, the Roman columns or even a gavel. People are tired of seeing the same cliched images in lawyer videos.

When creating educational video to market yourself online, you have a number of hurdles that you must overcome:

Visibility: Prospects finding your video when searching for a lawyer with your expertise.

Promotional Copy: Once your video is on the list among many other videos that a consumer can choose from, there must be something compelling in that little snippet of information that will persuade prospects to click on your video as opposed to those of your competitors.

Content: If a prospect clicks your video, it must have compelling enough content so that they'll watch it in its entirety.

Most lawyers who create video online today have no difficulty pressing the record button and talking. The question I often receive is "Why doesn't my video generate any business?" After years of learning what works with lawyer videos and what doesn't, I can report that differentiation is just the first of many steps to persuading people to pick up the phone and call you.

Till next time, see you on video!

The Back Bench

Certified Family Law Specialist and online video producer Kelly Chang Rickert says: "Not a bad beginning. But the middle needs work! Not only is his head cut off, he takes too long to explain a very simple concept. As in, should I just leave the appliances in the home? Yes or no? 30 seconds is good. 1 minute 45 seconds no good."

TechnoLawyer publisher and online video producer Neil Squillante says: "Hugh Fitzpatrick offers solid advice to prospective homeowners regarding appliances included in the purchase. I could criticize his loose tie and his rambling at times, but I'll cut him some slack."

Written by Gerry Oginski of The Lawyers' Video Studio.

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Topics: Law Firm Marketing/Publications/Web Sites | SmallLaw | Videos | YouLaw

SmallLaw: YouLaw: How Your Law Firm Marketing Videos Can Bat 1.000

By Gerry Oginski | Monday, August 2, 2010

Originally published on July 26, 2009 in our free SmallLaw newsletter.

Watch the Video

TechnoScore: 2.5
1 = Lowest Possible Score; 5 = Highest Possible Score
Fast talking Social Security disability lawyer Lee Coleman of Hughes & Coleman tries to set himself apart from other lawyers by discussing win/loss percentages — namely, that such records are meaningless since some law firms only accept easy cases. Coleman compares a lawyer's statistics to those of baseball players. I'm not sure how a consumer would benefit from this analogy.

This video is lengthy for this type of comparison. The sidebar description is sorely lacking, and doesn't give a viewer any way to get in touch with Coleman.

From a technical standpoint, the audio could be improved. Coleman is sitting in a very pretty looking office, with a gold framed painting and a visually pleasing lamp. However, I cannot understand why the lamp is not turned on since that would create a nice lighting effect. With the light off, the entire right side in the corner appears dark.

I suspect Coleman is shooting this video himself since he is not framed correctly. There is a tremendous amount of space above his head. He should have lowered the angle of the video camera on the tripod. When shooting video on your own, it's always a challenge to make sure that you are properly framed. You should create test videos.

Tip #1: Ask This Question Before Pressing Record

Before creating an attorney video, ask yourself "Will someone benefit from the information you are about to provide?" If you can't answer the question, don't create the video.

Coleman states that evaluating an attorney's wins is meaningless unless you know what types of cases he accepts and rejects. Okay, I get it. But it should take no more than 30 seconds. Coleman makes one good point — he can't win every case. "That's what happens when you go up against a major league pitcher."

Tip #2: Skip the Fancy Graphics

The graphics in Coleman's video tend to be visually over-the-top — they fly in and out every time he changes topics. Also, they are so wordy that they take up half of the frame and obscure Coleman. Skip the flashy graphics. Creating a video with too much polish can make you seem less approachable.

Tip #3: Differentiate Yourself Without Referencing Your Competitors

It's okay to be different. But don't disparage other law firms. It not only makes you look immature, but may expose you to a defamation claim as well.

Till next time, see you on video!

The Back Bench

Certified Family Law Specialist and online video producer Kelly Chang Rickert says: "Lee Coleman does an excellent job explaining statistics. He has a frank and forthright style — I like him. However, what exactly does his firm do? He needs to explain more. The video itself is pretty good — I would opt for a different background and maybe more interesting effects — but otherwise, it's good. My motto is short and sweet. This one seems to lack on those two points."

TechnoLawyer publisher and online video producer Neil Squillante says: "I like Lee Coleman's message about how his firm accepts tough social security cases, but it takes him too long to make his point. Also, I like analogies, but I'm not sure the baseball analogy works here. In fact, I don't think you need an analogy for his relatively simple pitch (no pun intended)."

Written by Gerry Oginski of The Lawyers' Video Studio.

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Topics: Law Firm Marketing/Publications/Web Sites | SmallLaw | Videos | YouLaw

SmallLaw: YouLaw: Lawyer Video Is All Washed Up

By Gerry Oginski | Monday, July 5, 2010

Originally published on June 28, 2010 in our free SmallLaw newsletter.

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TechnoScore: 0.0
1 = Lowest Possible Score; 5 = Highest Possible Score

I like the beach. I like walking the beach and building sand castles with my kids. I love the views of the water and the wildlife. Maryland criminal defense attorney John Katz uses the beach in this video as his background. He stands close to his camera talking about something, but I can't hear anything. I have to glance up at the title of the video to learn what he's talking about — something about persuasion.

I glance at the video length, 6:25 minutes, and groan. I press play hoping to hear something useful and educational and all I get is his lips moving, barely a whisper of audio, and then tons of ambient ocean and beach noise.

I then expand the description box below the video to learn what the video is about since I can't figure it out from the video. He analogizes criminal defense to war and being fearless. Okay, I get that. What I don't get is the point he's trying to make with a lengthy six and a half minute video.

To be honest, I couldn't listen to much of the video since the sound was just awful, so I have no idea whether the points he makes will help his ideal client recognize that he's the right lawyer for them.

Video Tip #1: Shooting Video Outdoors Is a Challenge

Most amateur videographers believe they can re-create great video and audio outdoors by simply taking their video camera to a nice looking location and pressing the record button. Wrong. One of the biggest problems with shooting video at the beach is wind. If you are using your built-in microphone to record your audio, you've made a mistake from which your video will never recover.

There's no way to protect your camera from the wind hitting your built in microphone. What you get is noise — lots of it.

Video Tip #2: Put a Sock on It

You need a wireless microphone. At the very least, you need a wired microphone to record your audio. Buy a wind sock for your microphone. If you've ever seen a professional boom microphone used outdoors you will see something that looks like cat fur on the microphone itself. That's known as a wind sock. I does an incredible job of cutting down the wind noise when shooting outdoors in a windy location.

Even if you choose not to put a sock on it, you still need a windscreen, which you can purchase at any audio/video or music store.

Video Tip #3: Identify Yourself

I had no idea who I was listening to. There's no graphic identifying the lawyer. He doesn't introduce himself. Rather, it's as if we're listening to his stream of thought while hanging out at the beach.

Video Tip #4: Watch Your Video Before Uploading

With the prevalence of small and simple video cameras, lawyers use their Flip, Sony Webbie and Kodak Zi8 and smartphone video cameras to directly upload their comments and thoughts right to YouTube. The problem is that they don't bother to edit the video or even to watch their video before uploading. Even you try to watch it on your tiny video screen, you can't always judge the quality.

That's why you should never directly upload online. Always pull your video into your video editor to see how it sounds in the quiet of your home or office.

Conclusion

This video earns a TechnoScore of zero because I couldn't hear anything except the wind. Next time, put a sock on your microphone, or better yet, shoot your video in a wind-protected area so viewers can actually hear what you have to say. Finally, if you're going to create a 6:25 minute video, make sure you have great content that your viewers definitely want to learn about.

Till next time, see you on video!

The Back Bench

Certified Family Law Specialist and online video producer Kelly Chang Rickert says: "I have no idea who he is or what he does. Why? Because I cannot hear him! Someone needs to dunk him in that ocean — what a horrible idea it is to do a marketing video while competing with the wind."

TechnoLawyer publisher and online video producer Neil Squillante says: "Nice beach, lousy video. I can't hear the lawyer. Did he watch this video before uploading it to YouTube?"

Written by Gerry Oginski of The Lawyers' Video Studio.

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Topics: Law Firm Marketing/Publications/Web Sites | SmallLaw | Videos | YouLaw

SmallLaw: YouLaw: The Risks of Using a TelePrompTer in Your Law Firm Video

By Gerry Oginski | Monday, June 21, 2010

Originally published on June 14, 2009 in our free SmallLaw newsletter.

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TechnoScore: 2.5
1 = Lowest Possible Score; 5 = Highest Possible Score
Today's video review focuses on Fort Lauderdale attorney Teisha Powell whose firm handles foreclosure and loan modification cases. The opening scene shows a well-dressed woman standing in front of a magnificent bookcase in some type of library. She introduces herself and gets right to the heart of her talk: You're facing foreclosure and need help. Unfortunately, her video earns a TechnoScore of just 2.5 for the reasons discussed below.

1. Choose Your Background Wisely

Teisha's video production company did a great job of creating this video in high definition — it's crystal clear. The background looks stunning. It gives a warm, rich feel to a video that might otherwise have been harsh and typical of an attorney video. I believe that it's an extremely well done green screen image. You'll notice at various points in the video the image zooms in, and then zooms out again — a computer editing giveaway. Teisha also chose her clothes wisely — they look crisp and professional.

It's too bad more attorneys don't use different backgrounds to set themselves apart from the crowd. This one simple change may help a viewer choose to click on your video when looking at a page filled with 15 other videos. Teisha earns high marks here.

2. Skip the TelePrompTer and Talk Naturally

If you watch Teisha's eyes and face, you can see that she is reading from a TelePrompTer. Her voice sounds stilted and unnatural. I know that many video producers want to create a script for the lawyer to follow. However, using a script and TelePrompTer can produce terrible results.

When a client comes into your office and sits across the table from you and asks you questions about their legal problem, do you say "Wait a second I have to run to my cabinet to pull out my script so I can answer your question?" Of course not. You know the answer to the question and you immediately respond in an easy-going conversational tone. Could you imagine what your potential client would think if you responded to their questions in a robotic and stilted fashion?

It is difficult to express confidence and knowledge about your area of the law while reading from a TelePrompTer, even if you practice many times. This video could have been significantly improved if the producer simply pretended to be a potential client and asked Teisha how she could help her if she's in foreclosure. Her response would have been natural, more relaxed, and easier to watch.

Incidentally, most video sharing sites cannot index the words you say in your video. That's why the sidebar description is so important for search engine optimization. However, YouTube now uses speech recognition to create closed captioning text, which will only get better. But for the time being, the sidebar remains critical. Teisha's sidebar contains a typo — "principle" should be "principal" — an important term in foreclosure law.

3. Create a Compelling Reason for Your Viewer to Call You

Attorney Powel's presentation is so formal and filled with "We may get..." and "We might be able to help you..." that I'm unclear what real information she provides to a potential client. While she talks, bullet points appear on the right side of the screen — a useful way to emphasize your talking points. However, as in the sidebar, she misspells "principal."

What is the purpose of creating an attorney video? To get a Web site viewer to pick up the phone and call you. If your video is filled with only vague possibilities and unknowns, why would a viewer want to call you for more information?

Instead, use your video to explain the process of how foreclosure works. Give a viewer information that they did not know before they clicked on your video. Demonstrate that you have information that they need to know, and the way to obtain the rest of that information is to call. Stop talking about generalities. Instead, give them a reason to pick up the phone and call you.

Till next time, see you on video!

The Back Bench

Certified Family Law Specialist and online video producer Kelly Chang Rickert says: "SLOW video. She may be a fabulous attorney, but in front of a camera, Ms. Powell speaks with hesitation and appears to stumble over her words, even while reading a TelePrompTer. Her ill-at-ease behavior in front of the camera does little to convince potential clients that she is adept in the courtroom. In a fast-paced industry such as real estate, I would be extremely hesitant to hire someone who comes across as timid as she does. The video quality itself is poor. The law library background is trite and overused, and the music is better used as a lullaby. I give this flunking video a 1 (for effort)!"

Lawyer, journalist, and legal media consultant Robert Ambrogi says: "I thought this was well done all around. Well photographed and edited, with nice use of cutaways. A clear and direct script. Effective use of graphics to underscore key points and provide contact information. And Attorney Powell came across as clear, direct, and concerned. I'd give it a 5."

TechnoLawyer publisher and online video producer Neil Squillante says: "I like Teisha's use of the second person throughout the video, and I like the production values, but the video runs too long. If Teisha either edits it down to one minute or makes it more informative by discussing the foreclosure process in greater detail she'll have a winner."

Written by Gerry Oginski of The Lawyers' Video Studio.

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Topics: Law Firm Marketing/Publications/Web Sites | SmallLaw | Videos | YouLaw

SmallLaw: 12 Ways to Use Video in Your Law Practice

By Lee Rosen | Monday, June 14, 2010

Originally published on June 7, 2010 in our free SmallLaw newsletter.

It's time to incorporate video into every aspect of your practice. It's a great tool for marketing, communicating, documenting, and training. You can leverage an inexpensive camera like no other single tool in your arsenal. You can buy a camera, microphone, tripod, and lights for less than $500. You'll recoup your costs in a few hours. We use a $150 Kodak Zi8. We've added a lapel microphone from Radio Shack, a tripod from BestBuy, and some bright halogen lights from Home Depot. The high definition picture looks stunning. Below you'll find 12 ways you can put video to work. You'll come up with more once you get started — plus check out fellow SmallLaw columnist Gerry Oginski's law firm video reviews.

1. Put Video on Your Web Site

Let prospective clients get to know you. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video must be worth a million. Video gives people a real feel for who you are and what you're like. If you've got video and your competition doesn't, you're going to win every time. Provide tutorials on the law throughout your site. Help people understand the issues. Use video rather than a headshot on your bio page, and tell your personal story. If you already have written content on the site, you can recycle it as video.

2. Create a YouTube Channel

YouTube is the second largest search engine, and generates two billion video views per day. YouTube video shows up in the traditional search engines too. Create a channel and post your videos explaining the law and providing practical advice. It works — I had a guy chase me down at a local mall to ask if I was "that lawyer from YouTube." He thanked me for my advice.

3. Send Video Messages via Email

Create video "newsletters" and client updates. Explain the latest developments in your area of the law. Send special messages for special events. Send a video holiday card, adding humor if you've got it in you. How about a video birthday greeting for your most important client?

4. Record Your Next Presentation

We all give speeches from time to time. Have someone record your next lecture and post it on your Web site and your YouTube Channel. You're putting time into preparing for your talk so you may as well maximize the return on that investment. Odds are that you'll have far more viewers on YouTube than you had at the live presentation.

5. Prepare a Guided Tour of Your Office

If you have a nice office show it off. Give prospects a behind-the-scenes tour. Introduce everyone and show their offices. Zoom in on the knick knacks and have your staff tell stories behind the items they have on their desks. Clients love knowing what the office looks like before they visit. It reduces anxiety and builds the client's connection with your firm.

6. Record Your Client's Opinions About Your Work

Create a three-to-five minute video of a happy client explaining the outcome of their case. Let your client tell the story and explain how you were able to help. Post the video on your Web site, YouTube channel, and elsewhere. You can automate the upload of the video to sites other than YouTube with a free service from Tube Mogul. (Just be sure to check the rules on testimonials in your state.)

7. Create a Facebook Page for Your Practice

You can upload your videos to Facebook and receive tremendous exposure. Facebook has half a billion users. It can't hurt for your smiling face to show up on a site with that much traffic.

8. Practice Your Speaking

Use your video rig to practice opening statements and closing arguments. Then sit down and watch the video. Other uses — prepare for your upcoming Rotary club speech or CLE presentation. There's no hiding from the camera. You'll learn more about your public speaking shortcomings from video than from any other source. Even your spouse probably won't be nearly as cruel as your camera.

9. Prepare Your Clients

Sit them down in front of the camera to prepare for depositions, trial testimony or other presentations. Telling clients what they're doing wrong isn't nearly as powerful as showing them. In some jurisdictions you can use your own video camera to record a deposition and play parts of it back at trial.

10. Use Video With Skype

Client meetings over Skype with the camera turned on result in much better communication than audio-only. You can see facial expressions and understand where the other party is coming from. Your video camera or Webcam can easily integrate with Skype for free videoconferencing.

11. Shoot Video for Illustrations and Archives

A camera will come in handy as you meet with clients. When clients show you something, film them. This way you'll have a visual record you can use to explain records or property to others. This footage might even prove useful should you go to trial and need an exhibit.

12. Create Training Videos

Record your office procedures. Some tasks are easier to show than to tell. For example, as the Food Network has proven, a video on making coffee is much more effective than written instructions. The same is true for running a complicated copy job. Create a training video when it makes sense.

Video is powerful — magical even. You've got to use it in your law firm. With a little effort, a little gear, and some creativity, you can put it to work for you in dozens of ways. One final tip — take a vacation after making all these videos, and bring your video camera. We all love sitting down in your living room with some popcorn to watch your vacation videos.

Written by Lee Rosen of Divorce Discourse.

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Topics: Monitors | SmallLaw | Videos

SmallLaw: YouLaw: Your Video Has Been Deported

By Gerry Oginski | Monday, May 10, 2010

Originally published on May 3, 2009 in our free SmallLaw newsletter.

Watch the Video

TechnoScore: 1.0
1 = Lowest Possible Score; 5 = Highest Possible Score

California immigration attorney Brian D. Lerner has good information in his video. However, the poor quality of his video overshadows this information.

It appears he's using a Webcam. The video quality is poor. The pixelation is high. The lighting is extremely dim. The background is even worse. The positioning of the camera places the top of the attorney's head somewhere in the bottom half of the frame, leaving tons of free open space in the top half of the video frame.

Lerner sits in a reclining executive chair which is a major drawback when creating video. You'll notice him bobbing back and forth while he talks. Always use a straight fixed-back chair. I could not tell whether he used a built-in microphone on his Webcam or computer, but the audio is sorely lacking.

Each law firm video I review starts out with a full five points. What happens after that is up to the video. Here is how Lerner lost all his points: Poor audio, -1. Poor video, -1. Poor lighting, -1. Poor positioning of the camera and bobbing chair, -1.

Tip #1: Prospects Will Not Watch Webcam Video

When YouTube started posting high definition video, many other video sharing sites followed suit. As a result, the the bar for creating online videos has risen.

If you create videos using your Webcam, no one will ever watch them. Using your Webcam to create attorney video is simply not a good idea. HD cameras are relatively inexpensive and easy to use. Even pocket cameras (which I do not recommend) like the Flip, Sony Webbie, or Kodak Zi8 are markedly superior to any Webcam.

Importantly, if you're going to create your own videos you must learn everything possible about video technique, lighting and audio. If you're not willing to spend the time and effort to learn everything you can about how to improve the quality of your video, and importantly what content to put in it, skip the do-it-yourself part and go straight to a video production company with a track record in the legal market.

Tip #2: Content Is King, Including Video

When lawyers first started creating Web sites, they didn't realize the importance of publishing educational content. That's what search engines like to index. Today, social media is all the rage. Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter have emerged as publishing platforms to use in conjunction with your Web site. But content remains king. And the next big thing in content is video because it's becoming increasingly searchable.

For example, YouTube recently started using closed captioning, and now uses voice recognition to turn speech into text for newly uploaded videos. I had a chance to try it out with this video and some other videos. It's pretty cool to see it in action. If you hum and haw during a video, the text translation doesn't know what to make of it and gives you gobbledygook.

Tip #3: Create An Ongoing Series of Videos

It's important to create not just one or two videos, but an ongoing series. Doing so will help boost your search engine visibility and increase the chances that someone will find one of your videos. To his credit, Brian Lerner has created multiple videos. Of course, he should scrap and recreate them using better equipment.

Till next time, see you on video.

The Back Bench

Certified Family Law Specialist and online video producer Kelly Chang Rickert says: "This is a horrible video! Bad sound quality. Bad picture quality. I think my BlackBerry takes better videos. In addition, the guy is off-center the whole time and the lighting is non-existent. I would never hire this guy — he cares so little about the quality of himself — why would he care anymore about the quality of the work he does for you?"

TechnoLawyer publisher and online video producer Neil Squillante says: "Brian Lerner should save the amateur hour videos for Chatroulette. Get a better camera and turn on a light or three."

Written by Gerry Oginski of The Lawyers' Video Studio.

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Topics: Law Firm Marketing/Publications/Web Sites | SmallLaw | Videos | YouLaw

TechnoLawyer: Videos