Deposition Video 101
Free overview. The work, the rules, the gear, the room, and where attorneys are willing to pay for it. Built for newcomers — useful for anyone who wants to understand why depositions are now videoed by default.
What a deposition is
A formal pre-trial witness interview taken under oath, on the record, outside the courtroom. The questioning attorney develops testimony; the responding attorney protects the witness. The court reporter takes the verbatim transcript. The legal videographer captures it on video.
Why video has become the default
Two reasons. First, video captures non-verbal communication — tone, hesitation, body language — that a transcript can't. Second, fewer than 1% of civil cases reach trial; for the rest, the deposition video is the trial.
Who's in the room
Questioning attorney, defending attorney, witness, court reporter, and the videographer (the Officer of the record). Sometimes a paralegal or expert. Each role has rules attached — the videographer's role is governed by FRCP 28, FRCP 30, and FRCP 32, plus the local district's standing orders.
What you actually do
Set up two cameras (primary + backup), redundant audio (lavalier + boom + mixer), monitor the live record, perform the on-the-record sequence (Officer's read-on, witness oath, identification of parties), capture the deposition, manage breaks, perform the off-the-record close, and deliver the certified video plus an Officer's Certification.
The four rule sets you operate under
(1) The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (Rules 28, 30, 32). (2) The state's civil procedure rules where the case is filed. (3) The local district's local rules. (4) The judge's standing orders. CDVS teaches all four — most legal videographers only know the first.
What gear you actually need
Two cameras, one wired lavalier per speaker plus one boom and a backup recorder, a small audio mixer, a hardware video monitor, and a redundant audio recorder (typically a Tascam DR-40 or Zoom H-series). Total kit: $5,000–$8,000. Far less than a wedding video setup.
Where this fits in the litigation lifecycle
Discovery — the longest, highest-volume phase of a federal civil case. Cases that settle never reach trial, and most do; the deposition is the single most important record of testimony in those cases. Deposition video is the most reliable source of recurring work in the legal video field.
Deposition Video Masterclass
When you're ready to do the work — not just understand it — the AGCV Deposition Video Masterclass walks through the room, the gear, the signal chain, the on-the-record sequence, and the post-deposition certification process end-to-end. Completing it qualifies you to sit for the CDVS production exam.
The credential that follows: CDVS — Certified Deposition Video Specialist. The credential that signals to firms you can run a federal civil deposition end-to-end. Assumes the work the masterclass teaches and adds a panel-reviewed production exam.
Who takes this course?
People entering the deposition side of legal video from a few directions:
Not sure where you fit? The free Legal Video Career Path course gives you the full map across all three pillars.
Ready to actually do deposition video?
Free 101 covers what you need to know. The Deposition Video Masterclass covers how to do it. The CDVS credential is what you earn at the end.