Evidentiary Video 101
A bridge course between the Legal Video Career Path and the CEVS depth course. By the time you finish, you'll know what stands between you and your first paid evidentiary shoot — and exactly what you'd need to learn to close that gap. EV101 is in development — the preview below sketches what's coming.
Coming soon
EV101 is being written. The destination — the Certified Evidence Video Specialist (CEVS) depth course — is live and enrolling now. The preview below outlines the topics the finished EV101 bridge will cover. Want to be notified when it launches? Join the Guild for free — we'll email you when EV101 opens.
Preview — topics the finished course will cover:
What evidentiary video is
Video produced for use as evidence in a civil or criminal case. Categories include scene reconstruction, day-in-the-life documentaries (typically in personal injury), drone aerial documentation, expert demonstrations, and depositions of physical evidence (rare-document close-ups, equipment in operation, pre-condition surveys).
How it differs from deposition video
Deposition video is procedural — the rules tell you exactly what to do. Evidentiary video is interpretive — you're making creative and technical choices that affect what the jury sees and believes. The technical bar is higher; the legal bar is also higher because admissibility is contested more often.
The three things that make video admissible
(1) Authentication — the videographer testifies (typically by affidavit) that the video accurately depicts what was filmed. (2) Foundation — the proponent shows the video is relevant under FRE 401 and not unfairly prejudicial under FRE 403. (3) Chain of custody — an unbroken audit trail from capture to courtroom, with no gaps where someone could have edited the file.
What you actually do
Pre-shoot: site survey, lighting and access plan, opposing-counsel notification (sometimes), expert consultation. Capture: documented setup, witnessed if possible, original-format archival immediately on completion. Post: minimal correction, no creative editing, hash-verified delivery, retained originals through the case lifecycle.
Where the work comes from
Personal injury firms (day-in-the-life), construction defect litigators (site documentation, drone), product liability cases (failure mode demonstrations), insurance defense (claim verification), criminal defense (scene reconstruction). Higher rate, lower volume — typical day rates $750–$1,500.
The gear that's different
Beyond the deposition kit: drones (Part 107 certification required), gimbals, neutral-density and polarizing filters, on-camera color reference, dual-recorder redundancy with hardware time code, and a documented chain-of-custody workflow.
The destination: CEVS
The Certified Evidence Video Specialist course is what EV101 is being built to bring you to — and it's already live. Authentication, foundation, chain of custody, drone protocol under Part 107, and the production exam that earns the credential.
CEVS is the credential for video that goes beyond the conference room. Video evidence is incredibly powerful in the courtroom — learn how to serve your clients with scene reconstructions, day-in-the-life documentaries, drone documentation, and the chain of custody that earns trust at trial.
Who takes this course?
People entering the evidence 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.
EV101 is coming. CEVS is here.
The free EV101 bridge course is in development. The depth course it leads to — CEVS — is live and enrolling now on the hub. Join the Guild for free and we'll notify you the moment EV101 opens.