Picture-in-Picture Technology: A Powerful Tool For Your Next Deposition

Picture-in-Picture technology provides an effective way of capturing both the witnesses’ testimony and their interaction with the exhibit.

Imagine this scenario: You are deposing the Plaintiff in a trucking accident. You want the Plaintiff to draw the path her vehicle took after impact. Here is her testimony: “Well, the truck hit me here and my car was knocked sideways into this car, and then hit the median here before coming to a stop right over here.” Now imagine that same witness verbalizing that same answer while the Picture-in-Picture screen shows a diagram of the accident AND shows her drawing the path her vehicle took after impact. The ambiguity in her testimony is eliminated.

Picture-in-Picture technology allows videographers to display an exhibit while simultaneously showing the deponent’s reaction on a separate screen. This enhanced feature can be utilized live on the spot.

Some of the best reasons to implement Picture-and Picture in your next deposition are:

Capturing Deponent’s Interaction

Picture-in-Picture video allows a videographer to capture the interaction between a deponent and the exhibit being presented by counsel, rather than requiring the videographer to shoot back and forth between the deponent and the exhibit. The main screen clearly shows the exhibit in detail. Simultaneously, a smaller window in the corner shows the deponent’s reaction, preserving the cohesive narrative and enhancing the video evidence.

Capturing Clear Video of Exhibits

Through Picture-in-Picture technology, exhibits are captured clearly. Viewers are not distracted by lighting issues, focus delays, or zoom motions that occur when a videographer must transfer framing back and forth from the deponent to the exhibit. When Picture-in-Picture is presented, the audience is more engaged and can focus on the evidence.

Capturing Manipulation of Exhibits

In addition to clearly displaying exhibits, any manipulation to an exhibit is captured as well. For example, if a deponent were to draw an arrow or a circle on a document, this would be captured and displayed through Picture-in-Picture video.

Capturing Impactful Evidence

The value of Picture-in-Picture technology is unquestionable in terms of capturing the most compelling evidence and—preserving the narrative of the deposition while simultaneously allowing the judge or jury to engage with critical visual information. It could make all the difference in the persuasiveness of the overall case.

Science Supports the use of Picture-in-Picture Technology

The Weiss-McGrath study, which was designed to evaluate information retention, compared retention of information presented in three different formats (1) orally only (2)visually only and (3) orally and visually. The study found that after 72 hours, the length of a short trial, people retain only 10% of what they hear orally,20% of what they see visually, but 65% of what they see and hear. Simply put, jurors are more likely to retain information that is both seen and heard.