DOCUMENTARY STYLED SETTLEMENT VIDEOS

Dramatic Stories Let Viewer "See and Feel" the Struggle

An elderly man, enjoying his golden years, stumbles over a concrete block in the dimly it passageway of a restaurant breaking his hip and leaving him wheelchair bound. An up and coming businessman is left brain damaged after hitting a concrete barrier on a highway in a rental car, and people hoping to shed a few pounds on a diet drug now face life threatening heart and lung diseases. All three cases settled utilizing a powerful negotiating tool - a documentary styled settlement video.

A settlement video brings to life the pain and suffering, the daily emotional and physical obstacles a plaintiff faces in a way in which even the best written legal brief cannot do.

"Every case is a human interest story and we capture the real impact of the incident, not only on the lives of the plaintiffs but their families as well, says Robyn Symon former news reporter and PBS producer Robyn Symon who produces settlement videos for several South Florida law firms including Greenspoon Marder Hirschfeld and Rafkin and Krathen Freedland & Roberts. "We live in a visual world, people like drama and they respond to good story telling. More than reading the merit of a case on a document, a video allows the viewer to enter the world of the plaintiff and see and feel their struggle in a very human way."

In the national case against the makers of the Phen-Fen Diet drug Broward law firm of d Krathen, Freedland & Roberts utilized a documentary styled settlement to turn a long list of plaintiffs into real people and real families for opposing counsel to weigh the cost in human terms as well as monetary compensation.

"Robyn produced a settlement video documenting the lives of our clients that was second to none. It clearly lived up to her reputation as a two time Emmy award winning producer," says Michael Freedland, now an attorney with Freedland, Scalese & Glassman. "Her ability to capture the story both in words and pictures is truly a gift. Her product has certainly proven itself valuable." A settlement video can be a smart investment to help make your case.

During a Pre-Production meeting, the producer works closely with the plaintiff attorney, discussing the tone and focus of the story as well as gathering materials such as video taped depositions, still photos and evidence that will be used in the production. Some videos may have medical experts weigh in on the case as well as re-enactments of an accident; others may want to emphasize a "day in the life" of a victim or a combination of both. Once the focus is established, the next phase is Production. The actual shoot which generally lasts between one and two days may include interviews with the victim, family members, friends, co-workers, medical and accident experts. Within a week, a script is written and once approved; the video is edited along with graphics and music. The video can be dubbed onto a VHS tape but increasing attorneys are using DVD which can be easily viewed on a laptop computer.

Settlement videos can be a powerful tool and smart investment during settlement negotiations. While the narrative portion may not be admissible as evidence at trial, the raw footage can be introduced and narrated by a witness. The cost of a documentary styled video ranges between $6500 to $15,000 or more depending on the amount of existing material, number of shooting days and graphics involved in the case.

[Home][About Us][Voices of Vision][Sitemap][Contribution][Awards]
[Productions][Madam President][Cousteau][Transformation]
[Future Projects][Contact]

Contact webmaster for any problems with website:
Eckweb Designs, Inc.