A serious presentation tool? : Unleashing the iPad.. pushing the envelope!

Over the years I’ve written a lot about various presentations devices that can be utilized for presentations; the variety is endless and the applications are only limited by the imagination.

The iPad is slowly morphing into a stellar presentation tool. As more and more people adopt the iPad as their main device for handling day to day activities it only makes sense that, eventually, business people will be more at ease in using it in situations otherwise relegated to presentation based programs.

A few years ago I wouldn’t have been too excited to suggest that an iPad be used for a presentation of any type, especially court room presentations. Too risky. Too many “what if” scenarios.

But, that was then and this is now.

Several firms are now capitalizing on producing niche-specific iPad apps at affordable prices for the legal industry and with each new release the apps are only getting better.

Today I’m writing about utilizing an iPad without a specific app.. just using it by modifying or adapting off the shelf apps to present information to several screens at one time.

Yep, it can be done!

Video Resources Inc, (a/k/a the Mother ship) has been a leader for the past 30 or so years in pushing the envelope when it comes to problem solving and trouble shooting presentation challenges and I’m fortunate to have their expertise at my disposal. My typical “audience” is twelve jurors and a judge while the typical audience for a Video Resources presentation ranges from 250 to 1500 people.

When I’m tapped to go to court I enter into the fray knowing they’ve got my back. Seriously, there is no issue that I encounter that they haven’t solved.

OK- on with the article:

The corporate world is embracing tablet computers, primarily the Apple iPad, at a record pace. The iPad has evolved in a few short years from being another Apple novelty to a serious workhorse and The iPad is proving perfect for both sales and tech support calls. The form factor, ease of use, long battery life, no barrier presentation advantage, speed and security are well suited for many uses. Sure there are many off the shelf apps that are very useable and many organizations are either creating their own or building a custom interface on top of existing platforms. We have even built a few for our clients ranging from simple org charts with team bios, to interactive sales catalogs with product animations.

One extension of integrating iPads into an organization is training the users on the use of the required apps while also providing guidelines on best practices and tips for general iPad use. To facilitate the iPad training that Video Resources provide or that our clients provide, Video Resources came up with a wireless solution that integrates into an AV presentation environment with high-resolution projection and quality audio fidelity typically required for large audiences.

Recently Video Resources did this in Dallas, San Diego and Prague for a medical equipment sales force. The wireless solution is a natural for the iPad and allows the presenter complete freedom to demonstrate the apps and also control and present other support visuals using Apple Keynote (for PowerPoint like presentations) and any other app on the iPad.

These pictures show the iPad in action on a 40′ wide screen using DVI into a high-resolution scaler and then to a 12,000 lumen projector (12k) with a blended screen with audio into a line array speaker system.

OK – granted, you may not completely understand all the tech-stuff here, but, at least be aware that you have another arrow in your quiver should the need arise. You never can tell when you may need a solution for a presentation challenge. And we’ll have it.

If you want to learn more or to set-up support for an upcoming event just give Video Resources a call at (800) 261-7266.

“Trial Technician”, “Hot Seat Operator” or “Courtroom Wizard”?

By Charles Perez on October 2, 2012 Posted in Courtroom Presentation Tips

Well, after an obvious extended hiatus that I won’t detail here, I’m baaack. I will say the past few months of my life was a real circus and I’m happy to say it has now been downgraded to mere “Performance Art”.

My previous blog left you hanging with the line ” What’s involved in prepping for presentation.”

My plan was to pepper you with the expectations, from the trial technicians point of view, the necessary elements vital to having a successful presentation.

The wind was taken out of my sails recently when I read an excellent, downloadable , 33 page eBook entitled “The Ultimate Guide to Engaging a Hot Seat Operator” provided by A2L Consulting which pretty much says it all and I encourage you to download it here.

My emphasis to a client (as well as theirs) is the importance of communication with the Trial Tech. Early involvement is a must, and rehearsal is mandatory.

For those of you less inclined to download their eBook A2L Consulting sums up the role of the Trial Tech’s role on the opening page in 3 bullet points:

Organizing and preparing documents, video and other evidence to be used at trial.
Setting up the war room and courtroom consistent with local court rules.
Running the trial presentation software and equipment during trial so that trial counsel can see any document, video or exhibit on a moment’s notice and so that the presentation runs so flawlessly that the fact- finder focuses only on the evidence, not the method of the presentation.

Reread that last bullet point. One of the my greatest frustrations is when a client decides to run their own presentation. I see that as a disaster is in the offing. It’s usually to “save the client some money”. “What about saving the case?” is my usual thought.

At this point I go over what the lawyer, or his paralegal, should be aware of in the court, what equipment to rent from us and the pitfalls of using their “off the shelf software” versus actual software designed specifically for a trial presentation.

If I haven’t shaken them back into reality I make a note of the court date and try to leave some time open in the event I get a “panic call”, which happens about 9 times out of 10.

It’s that 1 in 10 that always surprises me.

We had a recent request…

What Price Victory?

By Charles Perez on September 7, 2011 Posted in Courtroom Presentation Assistance, Courtroom Presentation Tips, Other Articles

How Much??? Oh My!

Like many of my trial-tech cohorts I often receive calls from frazzled paralegals tasked with the last minute, unenvious challenge of locating someone to show up at court to present visual augmentation at a hearing generally scheduled about two days in the future.

Generally for a Monday hearing.

More often than not they’re searching Google results and calling anyone with the slightest reference to courtroom capabilities. The results of their efforts are truly humbling; they have no idea what they need, and worse, no idea of what formant, if any, their presentation is prepared in.

I generally have them whimpering into tears about two minutes into the call when they realize they don’t know what equipment is needed, if any, for the presentation. This leads to me assuming a “worse case scenario” based upon their spotty input and rapidly weighing whether or not to continue the inquisition or just beg off and let them proceed down their list of Google “hits”.

If the matter sounds remotely possible to accomplish I’ll continue with my list of questions and then attack my calculator with a number of known figures (based on prior experience) and rattle off a “ballpark figure” for our services.

How much? They gasp, with disbelief that there is no value in the fact that my team and I will most likely spend the the next 48 hours creating visuals and praying that the attorney presenting the case understands the basics of communication with me.. after all, I am now a member of his “team”.

And, lest we lose sight of the fact that this needs to be presented with electronics, someone has to pay to have all the necessary equipment schlepped and set up to the court house.

If I’ve made it that far into my conversation I email the paralegal my estimate and put it out of my mind secure in knowing that if they’re shopping price I’m not their man; if they’re shopping talent they’ll call back.

Next Blog: What’s involved in prepping for presentation.

Did You Hear What I Heard? Oh.. I can do better than that!

By Charles Perez on July 26, 2010 Posted in Courtroom Presentation Assistance, Courtroom Presentation Tips, Presentation Devices

Here’s a little “video deposition war story” I’d like to share with you:

A few weeks back we had videotaped a deposition for a rather high profile case. If you’ve ever been to a correctly executed videotaped deposition then you’re aware of the fact that there are several “fail safe safeguards” in play. For example, there are generally TWO video recording devices plus an additional cassette recorder that records the audio for use by the court reporter to quality control their transcript, as well as studio-quality microphones for each of the participants to provide crystal clear reproduction of every word, snort and sneeze that takes place during taping.

A few days ago we received a call from the court reporter saying that the opposing counsel accused her of changing a portion the transcript and demanded a correction. The court reporter re-read the portion and question, listened to the audiotape we supplied and politely explained that there wasn’t an error.

“Not good enough! I’m taking blah, blah legal, yada, yada action” responded the opposing counsel. “This is an outrage! (And some other forgettable epithets).

So I got a call. “Can you check your video for “Page 46, Line 12″ and see what the deponent is saying?” “Sure thing I replied, give me a nanosecond or so”. (Well, it was actually a tad more than a nanosecond)…. Anyway, I located the deposition, which had the audio synchronized to the text from the transcript as well as having the pages and line numbers indexed which makes finding anything a snap and located the segment in question. Within a minute or so of loading the CD I located the exact spot, exported the portion onto another CD and popped it into the mail to the opposing counsel. I could have as easily emailed it to her if she had a secure email server.

Never heard a peep again from the opposing counsel, nary a peep! (Or an apology!)

And….That’s how the pros do it!

Following is a blurb from our website that reinforces the value of videotaping the spoken word:

Video For Depositions

Making the Best Use of Video

In 1980, we were one of the first companies to offer videotape depositions in Southern California. “We used our full-sized Ikegami broadcast cameras and Betamax recorders to provide the highest quality videos,” says Video Resources founder, Brad Hagen. “Today, we have compact camera systems that record to tape and DVD, but our philosophy remains the same – provide best-in-class audio and video recordings for the legal community.” Our in-house capabilities include taping and syncing video with the written transcripts to provide total flexibility in discovery and the courtroom.

Synchronizing transcripts to videotape recordings is not new, but the capability and quality available today is the ideal for a broad range of cases. Learn more by reading about the technology on our Trial Presentations blog or by contacting Charles Perez to arrange a hands-on demonstration.

Videotaping depositions at your site or ours, or any location here or abroad
Practice testimony and training
On-site complimentary audio cassette for reporters
Synchronizing transcripts to videotape recordings
CLVS certified operators
NCRA members, CLVS certified
For location recording, we’ve designed a compact, integrated recording equipment package specifically for use in our deposition services.

See you next time!

Charles Perez – Trial Presentation Wizard Extraordinaire

When Bad Things Happen To Good Attorneys!

By Charles Perez on June 30, 2010 Posted in Courtroom Presentation Assistance, Courtroom Presentation Tips, PowerPoint In The Courtroom, Presentation Devices

My last few blogs highlighted a couple of programs designed to assist the in-house counsel present their cases, unassisted, in a courtroom. I caught some flack for that from fellow presenters who thought I was shooting our industry in the foot.

I’m happy to report that my recommendation, at least on the local level, went unheeded.

Over the past few weeks I’ve had the opportunity to assist in multi-document as well as basic presentations. In the case of the multi-document case our services were there from the start, from scanning each exhibit to preparing the video depositions with synchronized text. The opposing counsel arrived with his “dog and pony show” as well, complete with his home DVD player and his PowerPoint presentation and a woefully inadequate projector. The case began, we opened first, all went well - easy peezy.

NOTE: To those of us in this industry who do this on a regular basis, this is not “Rocket Science”. After all, we’re the geeks you remember as the “Audio-Visual” guys in high school and college. The nerds with their heads buried in their computers. You know us -you pretended to hate us, but deep down you sat in awe of our abilities.

It’s what we do. It’s our calling.

When the opposing counsel’s opportunity to open came up the results were somewhat predictable: dim projector (which needed to be focused), a “PowerPoint Read-a-Long” that put everyone to sleep and a errant DVD player. Right on cue something went amiss in the PowerPoint presentation. I couldn’t see the screen because I was sitting back in my usual position but, I could tell by the “deer in the headlights” look of the opposing counsel that something was amiss. I love this part.. you know, when they have that look of hoping for divine intervention or that the jury would somehow overlook this fluke. But they really wanted to be anywhere but here.

My message here is – if you’re not comfortable with the presentation processes save you and your client the embarrassment of appearing incompetent – do what you do best – be a lawyer – leave the fun stuff to us professionals!

PS- Let us slay your dragon! – I can be reached, toll-free at (800)261-7266 or, check out our web site at http://www.VRLegal.com!

“Trial Fusion” : Simple is as Simple Does

By Charles Perez on June 2, 2010 Posted in Courtroom Presentation Assistance, Courtroom Presentation Tips, Other Articles, Presentation Devices

Quick Disclaimer: I was not, nor have been compensated in any way for this review.

I came across this extremely simple to operate presentation program about a month ago and finally got around to testing it out last week. Generally, with a new program I set aside a few hours to pick it apart and run it through its paces and explore where I may be able to incorporate it in a future presentation. Most of the programs I review have several options, a myriad a bells and whistles and along with a moderate (to steep learning curve to boot.

After trying ExhibitView last year I assumed that courtroom presentation programs couldn’t get much easier, however, that was before I came across TrialFusion.

TrialFusion has one (and only one) function : to categorize, Bates Stamp (optional) and bar code your exhibit photos in about 4 easy steps and without the use of very few brain cells.

TrialFusion Sample Photto

Once you’ve printed out your exhibit and put into your exhibit folder you’re ready for court with a fail safe method for calling up any photo, in any order by either inputting the ID Number from your computer keyboard or (preferably) using a hand-held bar code scanner and projecting it to the jury.

That’s basically “it”. No other bells, no other whistles!

Just a simple, yet affordable, method to simplify an otherwise daunting task.

TrialFusion has a quick 3 minute overview of the program that you can watch by clicking here.

Exihibitview Revisited

By Charles Perez on May 2, 2010 Posted in Courtroom Presentation Tips, Other Articles, Presentation Devices

Way back in December of last year (seems like a lifetime ago) I wrote what was to be my last official blog before I took my unexpected “leave of absence” on a new trial presentation software called “Exhibitview“.

In my post I sang the praises of the simplicity of the program and probably put the livliehood of several smaller trial presentation companies at risk. (So I’ve been told).

Last week, as I began my second week back on the job with my newest jaw I was pleasantly surprised to get an invitation to watch a webinar on the latest incarnation of Exhibitview, this being Exhibitview 3.0 . Apparently, while I was out this little company had been upgrading an already impressive product..

Let me pause here and and state that there are a slew of terrific programs for trial presentation available: we use Visionary as our main program of choice because it’s intuitive and, if we’re fortunate to be involved from the beginning of a case where we are also scanning exhibits it gives us greater control over load files, Bate Stamping, etc. Visionary is a viable alternative over the other programs because it’s very intuitive and easy for a paralegal to “get the hang of”.

I’m the type of individual who likes to find whatever he’s looking for on a website in three clicks or less. I believe the more complicated the software program is to use, the less chance that it will be utilized, BUT,that’s in no way meant to disparage TrialDirector (a real workhorse) or Sanction (a very popular program). These programs have their place and and will continue for the foreseeable future to have their fans.

Whoops.. almost forgot: I have in no way been compensated by Exhibitview for my comments on this post.

OK -all that being said, I’m not going to launch into a blow by blow highlight rant of the new and improved Exhibitview, you can visit their web site and they’ll be glad to tell you everything you need to know plus give you a two week free download.

What I am going to comment on is one of several “plug-ins” the program has that I was really impressed with: the Drag & Drop ability to import a text synchronized video deposition and then edit that video “on the fly” within your presentation. This is done with a very simple slide bar and or time clock interface and is extremely easy to manage. The real power in this part of the program is that you can actually stop testimony at the actual end of the testimony and not pick up a portion of the next line like many programs. Visionary offers this ability which really makes for a clean presentation in court (another reason we use it here at VR Legal).

And, while we’re on the subject of software, Ted Brooks, a fellow “trial presenter” in Northern California and owner of Litigation-Tech, LLC has written a great review about the “new and improved” TrialDirector6 that has been recently been released. Visit Ted’s blog at Court and Trial Technology Blog.

In closing.. it’s GREAT to be back! I hope to be a little more prolific with these blogs!

SLOWLY making my way back……

By Charles Perez on April 8, 2010 Posted in Other Articles

This is just a quick entry to thank all of you who responded to my recent travails as I once again got into a death match and barely made it out intact.. well, sort of.

I now sport a new right jaw that almost matches my former "new" left jaw and incredible swelling that will take a few weeks to subside. I’m staying positive and focused on the future and antsy to get back to work.

Each day is a new adventure and I just wanted everyone to know that I appreciated every prayer and positive vibe that was sent my way (especially from my friend Virgina who, while at a Zen retreat, had the kind folks put me into their thoughts). Every bit helps!

Thanks again.

Hope to be back here sooner than later!

Grace Under Fire..Down, but not out!

By Charles Perez on March 22, 2010 Posted in Other Articles

Feeling sorry for yourself? Depressed about your life? Take a few minutes and read my blog… you’ll feel better in no time!

In the past few weeks I’ve received several emails wondering about the "non-posts" here on the blog as well as the absence of "Tweets" on Twitter. Generally I wouldn’t share my personal adventures with the world, but, I felt that an explanation was was in order and, since I do lead an interesting life full of challenges, that I’d make the exception and share the last few weeks with you.

As many of you are aware, In 2004 I was diagnosed with cancer in my left jaw. After several months of radiation therapy and chemotherapy a decision was made to completely remove and replace the left jaw; a little radical to say the least, but at that time a wise decision.

Since 2004 I have lived a cancer free existence with minimal health issues until this past January.
In late January I developed a blockage in my digestive track. This necessitated a 3 day stay in the hospital until the issue resolved itself. Once I returned from the hospital I prepared to start back to work; unfortunately, I had suffered dehydration which lowered my blood pressure and caused me to be on bed rest for almost 3 weeks.

During my bed rest I noticed I had a slight pain in my right jaw which I assumed was "after effects" caused by the 2004 radiation treatments (a fact that I had been told by a variety of doctors).

But, as luck would have it, the evening before I planned on returning to work, (about 6 weeks ago), I fractured my right jaw. Upon further examination it was discovered that, yes, indeed, the 2004 radiation treatments had slowly killed the jaw bone on the right jaw and there is no way to repair it. But…..Luckily - NO CANCER this time around.

On March 24th will be entering UCLA Medical Center for surgery that will remove and replace the right jaw.

Unfortunately, the pain involved has been horrific while I’ve had wait for our HMO to decide which direction to take; consequently I have had massive doses of powerful pain killers. While this kills the pain it also makes me unable to navigate around a room and due to the nature of the broken jaw I cannot speak coherently so I am reduced to communicate via email, text messaging, or "I.M.".

Once the surgery is complete the healing process is quite fast, especially since I don’t have to deal with the radiation after-effects and and am able to swallow. I hope to be fully "back in business" by mid-April.

So – the next time you’re feeling blue about your "sucky life", give a few thoughts to how well you’ve actually got it and say to yourself:

"hmmmm… could be worse, I could be Chuck".

Be well and hug those you love and let them know how much they mean to you, ’cause, let me tell you, "You just never know!"

But, what about business…?

Funny you should ask.

This whole ordeal has been pretty transparent to our clients. We have enough depth at VR Legal that a very smooth transition in responsibilities within the firm allowed fellow team members to assume duties that I may have been unable to perform.

I also need to heap a lot of credit on my trusty little BlackBerry. With the ability to "Instant Message", text message, and receive and respond to email it’s as if I’m in the office so, when needed, I "bark" orders from bed and I’m always kept in the loop on our various projects.

There, I hope you feel better now. Glad I could help out.

Be Well!

Charles Perez

ExhibitView – Finally, Presentation Software ANYONE can use!

By Charles Perez on December 2, 2009 Posted in Courtroom Presentation Assistance, Courtroom Presentation Tips, Litigation Software Options, Other Articles

OK- First – a short story: Often times I’ll go into a law firm and discuss their upcoming cases and the best way that their exhibits should be displayed. Naturally, I’m hoping to leverage the skills of our presentation department together with our litigation assistance and our presentation rental facilities at VR Legal Resources. Typically, if we’re brought in from the beginning, we’ll design the presentation around my software program of choice "Visionary" since, in my opinion, it encompasses the best features of CTSummation, Trial Director and Sanction which are all excellent programs in their own right but possess one commonality : a very steep learning curve.

While demonstrating our trial presentation prowess to a large firm here in Orange County I asked if they had ever considered using visual demonstratives other than PowerPoint to simplify their presentation in court. One of the junior partners quipped "we have a program called Trial Director" and then he kind of trailed off. "That’s a terrific program" I replied, "how do you like it?" Cold silence followed. Finally, the same junior partner said "Well, we’ve never used it; we bought it and installed it but no one had the time to figure it out".

Moral of my short story: If you aren’t using it, it isn’t any good!

Last month I stumbled upon a new program called ExhibitView making bold and brash claims that it was "The most powerful presentation software..allows users to present with ease, using multiple integrated technologies,( yada, yada, yada). In my line of work you hear a lot of this so I watched their 2 minute video intro and downloaded a 30 day demo from their website and proceeded to pick it apart and see what all the ranting was about……

(Oh – Full Disclosure – let me add right here that my opinion is based solely on the trial version of the product.. I have not received any compensation for what I’m about to state.)

Simply put: "WOW!"

You’ve Gotta Try This!

If your firm has ever balked at using a software presentation program my advice is to go download ExhibitView and try it now. Granted, I have the advantage of working with several different programs in our line of work and I’d have to admit that I’m fairly well versed in the different applications they all have to offer – but – this is probably the easiest program I’ve ever used. Read the info on their website and see all of its impressive capabilities.

"Learning Curve"? This one is FLAT ; if you can work a word processing program and know the basics of "drag and drop" you’re home free.

The program downloads all the tools you need to get started and then actually configures your computer to prepare it for your presentation; it really does support multiple integrated technologies – practically ANY document or image type as well as supporting an arsenal of audio and video formats.

The program is one of the most intuitive programs I’ve ever used – truly "Idiot Friendly" (and I mean that in a nice way) – I can safely say that you will not be overwhelmed with techno-babble, just concise, easy to understand, simple instructions. (Additionally they (ExhibitView) appears to have fast, online tech support however, I didn’t have any issues so I didn’t test that part out).

I imported a text synchronized video deposition created with another application (Visionary – but, it could just as well been from YesLaw , Trial Director, etc) and it imported seamlessly into the control pane. From there I discovered that I could easily "edit on the fly" the video if needed.

I then imported a variety of documents (PDFs, Excel Spreadsheets, Word Docs) and found that I could easily enlarge any portion of the document, create annotations (again "on the fly"), highlight and then print them out. The same could be said for JPEGS, GIFS, BMPs or PNGs.

I didn’t get the opportunity to see how many documents I could squeeze into a presentation, the most I’ve accomplished with Visionary is something in the 300,000 range, but I was told that the program could hold as much as a hard drive would allow and I don’t see any reason to doubt that claim.

Obviously the other presentation programs all have their places – each has applications which may be similar or unique to a situation and each of them will have their "fans". They all have additional features that you may or may not need and all of the existing programs perform incredibly well - if you use them.

(NOTE: If you’re happy and content with your exisitng solution by all means stick to the familiar, every program has its "comfort level" (even PowerPoint!) -but, if you’re technically challenged this is worth a try.)

For those of you who are still contemplating wading into the 21st Century but still reluctant to because of some old horror story you heard about some poor attorneys presentation "melting down" in front of the jury and the panic and woe that followed – GET OVER IT!

This is the program you should at least try. If you can’t master ExhibitView in 30 minutes give me a call so our firm can create your presentation for you!

To my fellow presenters: keep your eye on this program. In fact, go and download a trial copy and let me know what you think - I believe you’ll be quite impressed but I’d like to get your thoughts and comparisons in the next few weeks and maybe revisit the topic.

Trial Presentation Blog

Preparation & Presentation of Visual Exhibits at Trial or in Pre-Litigation