Viewing posts categorised under: Geo Happenings
04Jan
by Geomatrix Productions in Geo Happenings
As Geomatrix Productions celebrates 40 years, it is known as a small business that thinks big and gets enormous results for its clients.
Geo’s success can be summed up in a few words: responsive to change. The company, established in 1978 and based in Woodbridge, Connecticut, has prioritized remaining progressive and relevant. By recognizing that it must be transformational to endure, it has established itself as a prominent leader in the field of video content creation.
Geomatrix’s creative niche is the production of litigation support video. Simply put, they help lawyers win lawsuits. Through the power of video, they present cases to the decision makers – insurance adjusters, judges, mediators and juries – who decide on the outcome.
Additionally, they offer an array of expert technical services, including electronic trial presentation. Using cutting-edge courtroom technology to present evidence in real time to juries, the Geomatrix technicians become a part of the trial team.
In 2018 alone, Geomatrix has assisted in obtaining nearly $100 million in awards.
They have become the go-to company for lawyers seeking the best possible outcome for their clients.
Cathie Reese has been with Geomatrix Productions almost since its inception. Today she is the company’s president, and a partner with producers Edgar Smith and Patrick Volk, who are both skilled editors and storytellers. She says their empathy for plaintiffs and their families help them get to the heart of the message.
Geomatrix also has a strong presence in the AEC (architectural, engineering and construction) industry.
They help clients boost brand recognition and win design/build proposals worldwide. Marketing a professional service presents its challenges, but the team relies on decades of experience to get the story told. What’s more, they nimbly take on projects from clients in education, medicine and the non-profit world, incorporating 3D animation and drone aerials into their ever-expanding toolkit.
Geomatrix really listens to their clients. The team of producers, writers, editors, videographers, motion graphics and animation designers has the innate ability to react and respond quickly to any request. And they invest time and resources in their clients’ industries. Reese is on the board of directors of the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS CT) and the firm is a Gold Partner for Justice of the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association. Additionally, they present continuing legal education seminars to law firms.
The culture at Geomatrix is one of empowerment.
“When you are in a creative business, it’s important to allow people to get the job done in a way that works for them, with a result that meets our standards and the client’s needs,” said Reese. “The average tenure of each employee here is 20 years. I think people stay because every day is different, every project is different, and every client is different. We are constantly learning and being challenged. The partners also strive to make sure our employees’ futures are secure and I know that is appreciated.”
Back in the 80’s, Geomatrix’s clients consisted of mostly Fortune 500 companies with large budgets that allowed for video production. Today, as video has become more accessible and is needed by virtually every business, Geomatrix attracts and maintains a variety of loyal clients of many sizes. Reese attributes that to the Geo team’s finely-honed skills and talent, creativity, attention to quality, sound business practices and ability to stay ahead of the curve.
Geomatrix is proud of its longevity in a field where many other companies have come and gone.
“We have thrived for 40 years because we remain in tune with our clients and the industries we serve, have the right tools and the skill to use them. We can’t know exactly how technology will evolve in the next decades. But we can be certain that we will be there for the next generation of Geomatrix clients.”
Read more14Nov
by Geomatrix Productions in Geo Happenings, Legal Video
Multimedia technology has revolutionized the way evidence is presented to judges and juries in the courtroom. But navigating this new landscape of digital trials can be confusing and cumbersome for litigators seeking to win the greatest settlements for their clients. Now, Geomatrix Productions has made this task much easier with the publication of our new white paper, “Litigation in the Software Age”, a comprehensive guide to using tech at trial.
With decades of experience in digital trial consultation, preparation and execution, Geomatrix has amassed trusted and proven information that will help you paint a much clearer picture of your case in the most professional way possible.
“Litigation in the Software Age” includes details on the process and procedures you will need to conduct a seamless and successful digital presentation, beginning with your selection of a production company and trial technician. It is clearly broken down into easy to understand sections including Preparing for Your E-Trial, Video Depositions, Recording Formats, Synchronizing the Video Record with the Written Transcript, Video Depositions at the Trial: Editing for Objections, the Elmo Document Camera and Physical Evidence, Closing Arguments and PowerPoint Presentations, as well as an equipment guide and tips on securing permission for courtroom playback.
We encourage you to download this white paper and share it with your colleagues. The time you invest to read and consult this valuable resource could make all the difference in the outcome of your digital trials.
Use Geomatrix Productions to Tell Your Client’s Story
To learn more about video technology, contact Geomatrix Productions (203.389.0001). We lead the field in the design and execution of affordable, comprehensive settlement programs while continuing to provide premier legal video production and electronic trial presentation services.
Read more03Mar
by Geomatrix Productions in Geo Happenings, Legal Video
Great lawyers are gifted in two areas:
- their knowledge of the law
- their ability to present and persuade
The rules of evidence dictate how a legal argument is presented in court. However, during pretrial, great lawyers realize they are not as restricted, and can creatively use their gift of persuasion to better represent their clients.
One Lawyer’s use of Video Documentation to Prove Causation and Liability
Recently, attorney Paul Iannaccone, listed in the 2017 edition of Best Lawyers in America, and Partner at RisCassi and Davis, was in a quandary preparing for mediation of a significant personal injury case. The defense had taken a hard stance of ‘no causation nor responsibility’ for the plaintiff’s injuries, pain and suffering.
Initially, Iannaconne reached out to Geomatrix to create a video that would demonstrate causation and damages only, but was concerned this would fall on deaf ears. During discussions with Edgar Smith from Geomatrix, Iannaconne quickly realized video could do much more.
According to Paul Iannaccone:
“What started out as a request to just document the impact of my client’s devastating injuries, became a well-organized and logical video, incorporating witness statements and expert testimony, legal citations and video laying out the entire case from the creation of the defect up through the causation and impact of her injuries on her life. I soon realized that the Geomatrix video could lay out the entire case in under 20 minutes.”
Iannacone created a comprehensive settlement documentary that proved causation, liability, damages and cited critical legal precedents that would undermine the defense position were the case to go to trial.
News Flash: Control the Message Control the Outcome
Since the defendant was self-insured, Iannaccone’s strategy was to send a potent, comprehensive message directly to the defendant, essentially proving responsibility.
Iannaccone summed up the results of his video presentation.
“By sending a video directly to the true decision makers and check-writers, it became evident to them that they could not and would not win the case. Consequently, a favorable settlement was quickly received.”
Like many attorneys, Iannacone initially thought of video in terms of its value as demonstrative evidence. By thinking outside the box, he brought about a swift resolution of the case, avoided the cost and risk of trial and effectively advocated for his client.
Use Geomatrix Productions to Show Your Clients Story
To learn more about video technology, contact Geomatrix Productions (www. https://geomatrixproductions.com/). We lead the field in the design and execution of affordable, comprehensive settlement programs while continuing to provide premier legal video production and electronic trial presentation services.
Read more27Jan
by Geomatrix Productions in Geo Happenings, Legal Video
In the book, Experiencing Other Minds in the Courtroom, Neal Feigenson describes how the value of visual evidence is significantly impacted by who creates it, how it is made, and how it is presented. His ground-breaking research is of critical importance for personal injury lawyers today because the use of video is expanding exponentially in court cases.
Feel the Pain – See the Truth
Personal injury lawyers regularly face the challenge of helping a jury ‘feel the pain’ of their clients. This is not a new problem. Through the centuries, poets and writers spun fascinating tales to help their readers get a physical sense of someone else’s suffering.
In droves, lawyers are introducing photographic images as demonstrative evidence to help juries ‘see the truth.’ This effort began with hand-drawn pictures and now, with video technology, evolved to include augmented reality. With compelling video documentaries, lawyers introduce ‘day in the life’ videos as admissible evidence to help jurors or insurance companies – ‘feel their client’s pain.’
Simulating Reality
Feigenson cited a case handled by Attorney Michael Jainchill of the law firm RisCassi and Davis. The matter involved a young mother who suffered severe vision loss.
Jainchill was concerned for his plaintiff’s case because:
“Even though both sides concurred the plaintiff’s vision loss was ‘permanent’ and ‘profound,’ qualifying her as legally blind,” Jainchill said …
“And yet, by looking at her you couldn’t tell that she couldn’t see. She functions well enough to find her way around.”
Jainchill had an idea and reached out to Geomatrix Productions to simulate how his client’s world appears ‘through her eyes.’ Geomatrix used cutting-edge technology to create augmented reality video that let the stakeholders in the case have a realistic peek through his client’s eyes. Everyone who viewed the video had a vicarious authentic experience of the plaintiff’s real damages and the severe visual limitations she struggled with every day.
Revolutionizing the Court Room
A properly produced video can significantly improve an attorney’s success rate while increasing the size of a client’s settlement. Should you worry that you will encounter a rival lawyer using this new technology against you? The chances are good that you will see this powerful demonstrative tool shortly.
Per Nancy S Marker, Professor and Director of the Justice John Paul Steven Jury Center, in her review of Feigenson’s book:
“… trial lawyers need to understand the revolutionary technologies that will become widespread in twenty-first-century jury trials… video simulations enhance testimony so jurors experience the injuries that plaintiffs feel.”
Geomatrix Productions
To find out more about this technology, contact Geomatrix Productions. That would be an easy first step to see how video simulation will assist you and your clients, and let future jurors, not only to ‘see the truth’, but ‘feel your clients’ pain.’
Read more07Jul
by Geomatrix Productions in Geo Happenings, Legal Video
Ismael Alvarado’s leg had been pinned between the back end of the pickup truck and the large industrial trash compactor. He begged the driver to call 911, but she was so traumatized at the sight of the bones protruding from his shin that she collapsed in hysterics. Smearing blood across the surface of his cell phone, Ismael finally managed to contact emergency responders himself.
He was stabilized at Lawrence and Memorial Hospital in New London, but was later transferred to Yale-New Haven, where he underwent major surgery. Although the surgery was successful, Alvarado’s trials had just begun. Costly rehabilitation and diminished quality of life would test his character in the months and years to follow. To recoup these costs, he brought suit against his employer and the coworker who had caused the accident.
In the face of such costs, it would be easy to imagine Alvarado pursuing a risky trial jury in a quest to maximize compensation. But with the guidance of his attorney, Dale P. Faulkner of Faulkner and Graves, Alvarado summoned the foresight to settle. This equitable resolution was reached in part because Mr. Faulkner was able secure a generous $735,000 settlement for his client.
“One of the elements in the ability to reach a resolution was the very fine video which Geomatrix prepared after our client was released from the hospital,” Said Mr. Faulkner of the mediation process. Faulkner stressed the importance of giving the mediator a “first-hand” experience with Mr. Alvarado’s daily struggles, and credited the video with making that possible.
In most cases, Mr. Alvarado’s plight would have appeared on the judge’s desk as a written litany of complaints. But thanks to video, Mr. Faulkner was able to share a portrayal of Mr. Alvarado’s daily predicament with the mediator in a mere five minutes. “There is an inherent difficulty in positively demonstrating what a person is unable to do,” commented James Chianese, the Geomatrix editor assigned to the case. “This difficulty is compounded by the emotional willingness of that person to complain, as well as by their ability to convey their situation verbally. My role is to help create a more level playing field for those who are reluctant or unable to represent their daily struggle with the necessary legal clarity.”
Video opens the courtroom doors to a trove of new evidence because it makes visual statements that few plaintiffs could articulate verbally. Now, rather than listening to a litany of complaints that could easily be exaggerated, mediators can see for themselves the pain that a plaintiff endures. As we watch Mr. Alvarado gazing out his apartment window, we can understand what he means when he said he feels like a prisoner in his own home.
Video elicits empathy in a way that narrative cannot. It transports the viewer directly to the setting and allows them to draw their own conclusions about what’s going on. At Geomatrix, we are dedicated to represent our clients’ lives as faithfully as possible; we want to bring the injured’s hidden suffering into the light so that they are not punished unduly for their desire to carry the burden of their pain silently and alone.
Read more05May
by Geomatrix Productions in Geo Happenings
Click to start a quick quiz to figure out where you belong on the video crew!
Read more19Apr
by Geomatrix Productions in Corporate Video, Geo Happenings
A high caliber project deserves high caliber coverage and that’s exactly how Stantec sees it. Upon completion of the Barclays Center Station at Atlantic Yards and using a commercial cleaning service, Stantec collaborated with Geomatrix Productions to create a video highlighting the benefits this project has brought to Brooklyn and the City of New York.
Stantec’s objective was to showcase the teamwork involved in the design and construction of a new subway entrance and their goal of improving the flow of people coming from the subway up to the Barclay Center. Geomatrix took this idea and ran with it.
“The biggest piece that really makes the video special is the animation Geomatrix created. Everybody just loved it and it really helped them understand the benefit we brought to the station design. This project greatly improves people flow and the idea to add the animation just captured that perfectly.” Alison Smith, Public Relations Manager, US Northeast, Stantec
Not only did Geomatrix introduce the idea for the animation, they also helped structure the interviews Stantec wanted to include in a way that enhanced the video.
“We knew the general story we wanted to tell, and we knew the people who were going to be in the video. There was someone from Stantec, one of our clients, and the general contractor who worked on the project. We had prepared some overview questions, but Geomatrix was really great on the fly and able to expand on them provoking comments that worked really well for the video,” said Smith.
There were many challenges faced by both Geomatrix and Stantec in the production of this video. Between freezing 8-degree weather, loud background city noise, and security issues with filming in a New York City subway station, just shooting this project was a feat in itself.
“Watching the video, you wouldn’t even be able to tell the challenges we faced. It is truly a testament to how easy it is to work with Geomatrix,” said Smith.
Stantec’s strategic use of video has allowed the design firm to truly separate itself from the competition. Instead of simply featuring projects with photos and text, Stantec uses video to tell stories about their people and projects, highlight their diverse creative range, and artfully display the different types of projects they produce. “It allows us to differentiate ourselves,” said Smith.
In addition to using video to feature projects, Stantec also creates videos for coverage of community service work they do throughout North America. In this way, Stantec has become a thought leader in their industry, showing their commitment to not only bettering themselves but also the community.
“We tend to focus a lot of video on our people and community service work, which Geomatrix has done for us as well. We have an annual company volunteer day and make a video every year for that. It tells a great story; it’s always visual and people oriented,” said Smith.
Stantec’s Atlantic Yards web feature is a great example of how quality marketing is just as important as the quality of your work.
Read more24Dec
by Geomatrix Productions in Geo Happenings
Project-Magriplis
May 6, 2015
Geomatrix Productions produced a video mediation statement which helped plaintiff attorney Patrick Kennedy of RisCassi and Davis recover $1.18 million for his client Dimitrios Magriplis, for injuries sustained after being struck on the head by a 200 pound pallet from 20 feet in the air at Restaurant Depot, a restaurant supply facility in Orange, Connecticut.
Due to the incident, Magriplis experienced brain injury, behavioral change, a fractured and dislocated ankle and post-traumatic stress disorder amongst several other ongoing injuries.
According to Kennedy, when he came to Geomatrix, he had two concerns. The first was that “the accident was difficult to explain and visualize.” His second concern was “some of the damages suffered by his client were invisible.”
Geomatrix’s professional video production team created a video that satisfied those two concerns by using 3D animation, documents and photographs, combined with interviews with family members, close friends and professionals about how the plaintiff was a “changed man.”
In preparation for Kennedy’s case, as in any successful settlement video, the following items were addressed:
Identifying the Video Production Objectives
Working with Attorney Kennedy, we identified two primary objectives. The first objective was to explain the mechanics of the accident, how it occurred and why the incident was particularly egregious.
The second objective was to demonstrate both the physical and emotional damages suffered by Magriplis.
Collecting Demonstrative Evidence or “Asset Material”
Documents, including doctor reports and specialist summaries, helped explain the injuries sustained by the client from the accident.
Photographs taken before the accident illustrated how the plaintiff was an avid semi-professional soccer player, while post accident photos contrasted the struggle for him to perform everyday tasks, even walking.
Eyewitness and police reports provided data pertaining to the incident. Kennedy hired an expert witness who described the proper procedure for pallet loading, and opined that Restaurant Depot was in violation of industry standards. Documents detailed previous lawsuits with similar fact patterns that had been filed against Restaurant Depot.
Establish Interviewees
In a relaxed on-camera interview at home, the plaintiff described the daily struggles caused by the injury. He revealed his concerns about his work, his family and his capabilities. Though subtle, the effect of the head injury was revealed in his demeanor and speech.
Interviews with his wife and brother gave a first hand account of how the client and his family have suffered financially and emotionally. They detailed how Magriplis was changed, that the confidence he once had was gone and the physical toll was evident.
Prepare New Evidence for Animated Video Production
Although photographs captured the aftermath at the scene, it was a 3D animation of the pallet falling on Magriplis that illustrated the mechanics of the accident.
Working with the theory that the fallen pallet had been improperly loaded,
Tom Coben, Geomatrix Productions’ in-house animator, reviewed investigator reports and eyewitness testimony to create a very clear and compelling picture of how the pallet fell.
Once all the evidence was gathered, the pieces were edited into a cohesive and unique story that met the video production objectives. In this case, the objective was to visualize the accident and make the effect of head injury visible.
There is no question that a compelling settlement video can help explain the facts, reveal the clients’ pain and suffering, and clearly demonstrate changes in the daily life of injured plaintiffs as a result of the negligence of others.
However, this is not a substitute for good lawyering. Good lawyers are well-prepared, hire experts and have a complete understanding of the case. Though this video service was narrated by a professional, it was Attorney Kennedy who wrote the script. He had a clear vision of his case, and it was our job to tell the story visually. Working together, we had great success.
24Dec
by Geomatrix Productions in Geo Happenings
Our world here at Geomatrix includes a disparate collection of clients from very diverse industries.
We are recognized as the leading provider of litigation video support services in Connecticut, we create effective web marketing programs for industry, and we produce fund-raising and development video for non-profits.
When the non-profit Children’s Law Center of Connecticut approached us to do a PSA to raise awareness of the work they do, I immediately knew we were the perfect fit. We drew upon the varied experiences from all our work to create this compelling piece – and even included the children of production colleagues and Geomatrix partner and editor Patrick Volk.
The CLC protects the legal rights of children in Family Court, shields them from the crossfire of parental conflict, and in so doing, strengthens families in crisis. The approach is groundbreaking in that they use a cross disciplinary, child centered model that combines legal representation with a mental health component for clients.
Singer-songwriter Suzanne Sheridan provided the soundtrack, “Stand for Children,” Executive Producer Rozanne Gates put the people together, and the video premiered recently to over 300 people at the Children’s Law Center’s annual fundraising event entitled, ”We Are Family.”
And for Geomatrix, this project was family.
Read more24Dec
by Geomatrix Productions in Geo Happenings
In The Company of Women – 20th Anniversary Digital Media Production
A woman’s biggest inspiration often comes from the other woman in her life — her mother, sisters, friends and co-workers. Each spring, YWCA Hartford Region hosts the annual In the Company of Women luncheon. This year’s event brought together over 1,800 diverse and successful women from the greater Hartford area for the largest networking luncheon in the state to be inspired and to inspire one another.
Award-winning actress Viola Davis wowed this year’s crowd with her keynote address about believing in oneself and overcoming odds to achieve success
The theme, “I Believe” was the message of a video produced by Geomatrix Productions which was highlighted at the luncheon. The video features girls, teens, women and boys whose lives are affected by the many programs offered by the YWCA.
Celebrating its 20th year, the In the Company of Women luncheon is YWCA’s most important annual fundraising event, with proceeds helping to fund YWCA’s many programs and services that support the mission of, eliminating racism, empowering women.
We were proud to be a small part of this great event.
NOTE: Lots of pics of shoot, video, event available.
Read more
