How MLSA Uses Video Three primary uses (so far): Educate those with legal needs Train new personnel Feature/honor staff and board members

How MLSA Uses Video Train new personnel Recording trainings allows MLSA to save time, money, and allows trainees to revisit material Recordings of legal substantive topics, such as family law, have been helpful in training new Intake and HelpLine staff, AmeriCorps, and more

How MLSA Uses Video Feature/Honor Staff/Board Trustees 40 th Anniversary video featuring staff talking about their work Tribute video for former Executive Director presented at MLSA conference Tribute video for retiring Board Trustee in the works

How MLSA Uses Video Educate those with legal needs Community education videos are available on MLSAs YouTube channel: Videos have been developed through partnerships with the University of Montana Law School and the State of Montana Supreme Court Self-Help Law Program. Topics include: How to Represent Yourself at Court, How to Get Your Security Deposit Back, Finding Legal Help in Montana Plan to expand Legal Tip of the Week into short video segments in the current year

Choose Your Own Adventure Videos TIG Tested the effectiveness of the interactive video annotations features: linking videos to others and labels or highlighted text overlaid on video. Proven to be beneficial in creating educational videos about legal rights. Allows users to tailor the legal information they view, based on their specific circumstances, reducing their exposure to irrelevant and possibly confusing information. Finding Legal Help in Montana, Security Deposits, Exempt Funds: Available on MLSAs YouTube channel:

Choose Your Own Adventure Videos TIG Recommendations: Use of dramatic representation with voice-over narration format for future video development; Heavier use of text annotations to minimize text in original footage, allowing easier updates to the videos; Collaboration with community legal partners to support the development of partner videos that could be linked into the annotations features videos, thereby supplementing the videos and increasing usage.

Video Equipment that Got MLSA Started Canon Mini-DV Video Camera Battery Charger Batteries (2-very important to have multiple batteries!) Tripod Microphone, Remote Microphones (2) Weather shield (plastic cover to use on camera in bad weather) Carrying Case 4 Flip Cameras (Flip Share editing software is included) Mac computer with large screen I-Movie, Final Cut Express software Tutorials on how to use the cameras created by an MLSA AmeriCorps VISTA

Video Tips If resources are not available for the purchase of expensive equipment, use inexpensive and/or free equipment and software, such as Flipcams, smartphones, YouTube editing, resources available through Tech Soup, etc. Engage staff, VISTAs, AmeriCorps members and othersboth within and outside of the organizationwho have video skills to help produce videos Engage those without video production skills to participate as researchers, writers, actors, reviewers

Video Tips Integrate video into organizational plans for training, legal education, etc Create an organizational video-use policy Work with partners (courts, state bar, etc) to establish a strategic collaborative video plan and protocols to maximize resources and effectiveness Train more than one staff member to know the basics of video production

Video Tips Create a timeline for video production that includes specific dates for each of the following: script draft, script review, script revision and review, video shoots, video editing, video review, video revisions and review Include reviews by a team from the start…dont wait until the video is finished. Use attorneys as substantive legal reviewers of the script to get the basics right, staff who have little-to-no legal knowledge to review and suggest revisions to make videos accessible by lay-people, administrators to review quality

Video Tips Using short segments of video to create a long video allows you to edit where needed as law changes, etc. Use labels and highlights (easily accessible via YouTube annotations software) to highlight important points Most important: do NOT underestimate the time it takes to create a quality video; build in extra time, extra people to get it right

Questions? Contact: Alison Paul, Executive Director 406/ x 115 Christine Mandiloff, Communications Director 406/ x 131