Cut to the Point: Video Deposition Trimming App

PROBLEM:

Legal teams were always asking if there was a way they could manage their own deposition videos.

With tight budgets, it isn't always possible to hire consultants to clip videos, and video editing software can be complex and expensive with a steep learning curve. Not likely something you want to tackle when heading into trial.

Free online resources lack the security required for sensitive confidential material. Attorneys needed a simple and secure way to trim and organize videos for legal proceedings.

SOLUTION:

I applied my breadth of experience in the legal field to this problem. With Cut to the Point, users can open a case, upload videos, and trim clips.

If they have a time-synced transcript, they can also enter page and line citations (the most common legal citation style for depositions) to create new clips. The app will derive the timecode from the sync file. Simple HH:MM:SS timecodes can be used if no transcript is available.

Clips can then be downloaded as a stitched together highlight reel, a zip of individual clips, or they can be added to a PowerPoint deck. If a transcript was provided, the text will also be applied to the slide, otherwise the video is large and centered on the slide. Slide decks can be created on the individual video level or on the case level.

Once clips are created, they can be tagged for stages of trial. Users can create custom tags for each case in addition to the default ones provided. Multiple users can share the workload and you can add and remove users from a case as it progresses.

There is a case messaging system that allows users to quickly communicate in the heat of trial and cut down on email traffic.

All files are stored on an encrypted AWS S3 storage system with secure uploads, downloads, and video streaming.

Automated Export Script

PROBLEM:

Exporting images from Illustrator was a time-consuming and tedious process. Images had to be manually named and saved. In legal graphics, we often use builds to help walk though a concept slowly and methodically, which would be a lot of exporting time.

In the fast paced moments of trial, every opportunity to reduce errors and tighten up a process is an immense help to the team.

SOLUTION:

I began to study the use of JavaScript and Adobe Creative Suite and developed a script to read through layer labels in our illustrator files to determine what layers should be combined for export. Prints can be created at the same time, so if the client is waiting on you, they can get prints as the graphic is processed.

Layer numbers on the graphic as well as the filename are dynamically generated based on the file name and the layer name in the file.

All text on the slide is collected and embedded in the image in the form of keywords so that graphic libraries could be quickly searched. Images are sized perfectly in Photoshop.

There are steps built in to make sure that quality control processes are completed before the graphic would go out to a client. An export log is generated to track who has touched the file, and when to make sure other team members know who to ask if they have questions.

Automatic Deposition Generation Script

PROBLEM:

Depositions are a crucial key to successful litigiation. Teams like to keep a large library of testimony that they can call on to help discredit a witness or to speak for witnesses who are not availble to appear in court.

Once trial begins, the pressure is on to complete sometimes hundreds of these slides. Teams would be up all night generating these types of slides burning them out for creative work.

SOLUTION:

In times of trial, every minute counts, and being able to create slides in a matter of seconds instead of 5-10 minutes can be a lifesaver.

Using Adobe's Javascript capabilities, I was able to create a template that allows anyone on the team to create quality looking depositions slides without requiring the assistance of a graphic designer. The user would collect the content and paste it into a dialog box, and hit create slide.

The script targets templated areas, inserts the content from the dialog box, resizes the text to fill the space, centers the content perfectly, and exports a jpeg for the client in the process. A title can be added if needed and is adjustable from no title up to a two-line title.

The text from the slide is added to the jpeg as searchable keywords to help the team quickly find the slides they need in the heat of the moment.