I told this attorney that it doesn’t matter what camera you use to create your video. Content trumps all else. However, if you use video equipment improperly and your audio stinks, or your lighting technique is awful,  no matter how good your content is, your viewer will be unlikely to forgive you. With today’s high-definition video cameras, viewers have come to expect good quality video. However, many of the smaller video cameras like the Sony webbie and the Flip video camera have only internal microphones that pick up tons of ambient noise.

That ambient noise can destroy your entire video without you realizing it. There are some small video cameras like the Kodak Zi8 that have a microphone input so you can attach a wireless lavalier microphone and get good quality audio. I’ve also seen attorneys use regular video cameras but make the mistake of using the internal microphone to record the video.

The main problem with using a built-in microphone is that it picks up the mechanics of the video camera as well as all ambient sound wherever you are. Professionals use shotgun microphones which limit the audio pickup to directly in front of where the camera is.

YOUR GOAL

Your goal when creating attorney video is to make the technique as invisible as possible so that your content shines through. If anything is distracting from your message, your viewer will likely get distracted. The goal to create seamless video takes lots of practice and experience. If you have the time, inclination and desire to learn how to do it well, then I congratulate you. Most attorneys lack the desire and time to want to do this on their own. Instead, they will hire an experienced video production company, to help create video so the attorney only has to show up and start talking.A

I am constantly amazed at the number of attorneys who vigorously defend using a Flip camera to record their attorney video. After watching thousands of attorney videos, lawyers who use flip-style cameras and video cameras without external microphones tend to get awful audio. The only way to get any decent audio with those types of cameras is to stand very close to the camera. This means that you are standing about 3 to 4 feet away from the camera. Oftentimes this is not the ideal distance to capture yourself on video.

You must make your video techniques seamless. If your viewer is distracted whether by poor lighting, poor audio, or grainy video, you will have lost your viewer forever. Don’t make the mistake that since these small cameras are convenient and all you have to do is press the simple red “record” button that means that it is the ideal piece of equipment for you to market your educational message online.

On the other hand, if budget is a major concern, then find a camera that has a microphone input like the Kodak Zi8 and make sure to use your wireless microphone when you create your video.

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To learn how you can use video to get breaking news online, listen to my 58 second video here that describes how I use video to talk about recent verdicts, news and new legislation that my consumers need to know about.

To learn more about my Total Online Video Solution for Attorneys, click here.

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Flip Mino

Kodak Zi8

Sony Webbie

Shooting video is really simple now. We have the Flip Mino camera, where you just push the no-brainer red button. We have the Kodak Zi8, now. We have the Sony Webbie camera. Really simple: Just push the big button in the middle and start taking your video. We can even use digital point-and-shoot cameras to take hi-def video now too.

Here are 6 reasons to use the handy video cameras above:

1. Convenience,
2. Ease of use,
3. Simplicity,
4. No instructions needed,
5. Low price,
6. Good quality when fully lit outdoors.

Here are 5 reasons not to use the cameras above:

1. Poor in low-light
2. No external mic input (except Zi8)
3. Limited recording space
4. Battery time is limited
5. Do not use the “Press here to immediately upload to YouTube” button. (Can you say “Edit?”)

Do I use these cameras to post attorney video? No.

I use a very reliable, high-quality, hi-definition camera that provides consistent, excellent quality. Does it cost more than an ‘average’ camera? Yes. Can you tell the difference? I can. I use a Canon Vixia HF S10 that costs about $1,200.

Do you need to buy a high-end consumer camera to get good video online? Nope. You can and should make do with what you can afford.

Just remember, a top-of-the line BMW will get you to the same place as a Honda Civic. They both have 4 wheels, AC, heat, mirrors, power windows and an engine. But there’s a difference and everyone knows it. (BTW, if you drive a Honda, don’t get all bent out of shape; they’re great cars. I’m just trying to make a point here. FYI, I don’t drive either one.)

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ABOUT GERRY

Gerry is a New York medical malpractice and personal injury trial lawyer in practice for over 21 years. He has produced and created over 230 educational and informative videos to help consumers understand how lawsuits work in the State of New York. If you want to see how Gerry has used video to promote his own practice click here.

Gerry created the Lawyers’ Video Studio to help other lawyers get onto video. To get started with creating video to market your legal services, Gerry offers a simple and cost-effective turn-key video creation system where he doeseverything for you except appear on camera. To get onto video today, learn more in The Lawyers’ Video Studio.

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