Clutter and the Cross Table Shot

by Robert S. MacTavish, CLVS

More and more items are showing up on the conference room table these days, competing for space and spoiling your clear shot of the witness. Laptops, cables, documents, cups and carafes accumulate when you shoot down the length of the table. Setting up to shoot across the table minimizes the clutter and works well in most situations.

If the table runs parallel to an outside window, plan to place the deponent facing the window. With the reporter at the head of the table, and the questioning attorney opposite the witness, you are ready for a clear shot.

If you set up to the side of the questioning attorney opposite the reporter, you can maintain a well-composed shot. This approach leaves more open space in the direction the witness is looking. It won’t work if you are in a narrow room, or if you expect frequent dialogue between the attorney and another on the same side of the table. Setting up on the same side as the reporter may require that you shoot tighter to keep other participants out of the picture.

Being closer to the witness lets you shoot at a wider angle for a natural look with depth. It avoids a compressed flat look that can result from shooting zoomed in from a distance. Jerky camera movement is minimized on a wider shot.

Shooting across the table lets you meet the needs of all the participants in the deposition. The reporter is directly between the questions and the answers, and can see and hear the witness and the attorneys. The parties can each have their side of the table, and a natural dialogue can take place across it.

As always, consider the needs of all the participants, the traffic flow in the room and lighting when setting up. A professional legal videographer will be able to size up a room, anticipate the needs of others and set up appropriately in a matter of minutes with a minimum of questions.