Adam Silbert                                                                                       10/21/02

English                                                                                                Mock Trail Proposal

 

My video presentation will be the product of three separate cameras.  Two of the cameras will be placed on tripods and one will be held by me.  The stationary cameras will be positioned in such a way as to capture strategic locations.  I anticipate one of these cameras will be focused on the witness stand and the other camera will likely be a wide shot of the courtroom that will include the judge and the jury.  The hand held camera will be used to supplement the overall action that has been captured by the two stationary cameras.  The hand held will be used to obtain close ups of key players in this trial.  In addition I will use the hand held to capture reaction shots from various participants to round out the feel of the drama.  In addition to capturing the trial in real time I anticipate obtaining interviews from key participants both before and after the trial in an effort to capture expectation vs. reality.  In post production I plan to use iMovie� a program I am familiar with.  Although not definite, I would like the final product to resemble something like the trails seen on Court TV.  By careful editing and obtaining good raw footage I hope to recreate the underlying emotion of the trial and avoid the mere creation of a simple compendium of the action.  Depending on the capabilities available for output I will present the final product either on VHS tape, a DVD or directly from the laptop.

Adam Silbert                                                                                                   10/29/02

English Mock Trial � Videoographer                                                  Reflection

 

            If the purpose of this trial was to make the reader reexamine their initial reactions to the events that occurred on the island then the trial was successful.  Based solely on my reading of the book, I felt that Jack Merridew was responsible for the murders of Piggy and Simon as well as the attempted murder of Ralph.  The scenario presented in the book was so powerful that I made my conclusion based largely on my emotional reaction to the story.  In effect, I convicted Jack because my emotions wanted some semblance of justice.  However, the trial helped me put the events of the book into a more rational perspective.  The defense did a very credible job of making me review the events on the island in a less emotional state of mind.  Upon reflection I now believe that it definitely was possible that Jack may well have confused Simon with the beast in the confusion of the moment.  It is also well within the realm of possibility that Piggy met his fate largely independent of Jack.  However, I do believe that Jack was indeed culpable in the attempted murder of Ralph.

            The trial made me realize that to convict somebody of a capital crime the evidence has to be incredibly strong and the decision made with a clear head and not influenced by emotion.  In the Merridew murder case all parties involved did an excellent job distilling out the non-factual elements in the case.  The trial showed me how literature can move you to see things with your heart while a trial makes you see things with your head.

Adam Silbert                                                                                                   10/29/02

English Mock Trial � Videographer                                                   

 

            In the Mock Trial that took place over two days, I had the unique perspective of viewing the action through the lens of a video camera.  As a result, I got to see the reactions of the participants in a way that others did not.  This provided me with the advantage of viewing the trial several times from several different angles.  I am convinced that the presence of TV/Video cameras in a courtroom have an effect on a trial�s atmosphere and possibly even its result.

            I was pleasantly surprised with the level of preparation evidenced by the majority of the participants.  From their attire to their performances most of the students seemed to take the trial seriously and made a clear effort to make it a success.  I was able to interview all the attorneys, the defendant, as well as polling the Jury at the conclusion of the trial.  Although all the attorneys were well prepared I was personally impressed with the defense.  He had a plan that would entail introducing enough reasonable doubt into the proceedings that it would be impossible to find Jack guilty of the most serious charges.  It was clear from my perspective behind the camera that the Jury was receptive to Jacob�s plan.  Danielle Liss rounded out the defense team.  She was obviously well researched but I felt she should have been more aggressive in her questioning.  From my camera angle it was sometimes difficult to hear her and I wonder if the Jury found her similarly soft-spoken.  Jack Merridew was convincing as a witness.  He did not get rattled under cross-examination.  Greg Postyn did not fall into the trap of getting emotional during questioning and this professional approach scored points with the Jury in my estimation.  Morgan Salton added a different type of questioning to the prosecutions arsenal.  She was more �personal� than Greg and I believe the two of them made a good balance. 

            After the verdict was announced I interviewed the jurors.  It appeared that there was no dissention among them.  I believe they tried to be fair and decided to �split the apple� finding Jack guilty of the least serious charge.  By doing so, they appeased both the prosecution and the defense giving each some measure of victory.  I was unable to interact with the journalists in the courtroom but I imagine they probably felt the way I did. 

            By having the proceedings videotaped, I think the attorneys and the judge were aware that their conduct was subject to review and they did not �play� for the camera.  In real court settings, the presence of cameras is a hotly debated issue.  I think my peer group is very comfortable in a media environment and as a result, it did not really affect them.  However, I do believe that in an actual trial, the presence of a camera could well alter the conduct of the participants.  Attorneys and Judges could try to �make a name for themselves� knowing they are on television.  This could profoundly effect a trial.  The infamous �OJ� case is a good example of how people who were not actors by training were suddenly placed in a media spotlight, perhaps making them less effective as attorneys and judges.

            Overall, I found the Mock Trial to be interesting and educational. I learned about court proceedings and gained an understanding of some new terminology.  From a technical standpoint, I had an opportunity to use three cameras for the first time and edit down the final product from a live action shoot, which is something I had not done in the past.