Welcome to the home page of Kelly Hughes deposition services. Here you will find information about my services, documents I use, and even
some articles I've written to assist other videographers. Use the menu above to select the sections you wish to access.
Prices and Benefits:
$70/hr and no travel charges within 30 miles of downtown Houston or Katy
Fifteen years of experience shooting depositions and running video departments in the Houston area
All digital recording -- no tape changes needed. Attorneys love this!
Real-time monitoring of all recording decks assures no missing audio or video ever
articleRead an article about how single chain hookup prevents problems
I deliver DVD masters, and MPEG-1 at no extra charge. MPEG-4 and HD camera files available to those who want it
No tape or disc charges, regardless of depo length
for sharpest, cleanest video. Masters are 1080p, and 4K is available though not advisable
Mobile 4G open Wifi internet connection provided at all locations where reception allows
I pamper your clients. I bring a
goodie trayClick to see my goodie-tray Items less often used (Cough drops, coffee condiments, hand warmers) are in my toolbox so they don't waste table space
of snacks, stapler, paperclips, binder clips, reading glasses, phone chargers (no A/C required), coffee condiments, cough drops, mints, back scratcher, Advil/Tylenol, water flavors, handwarmers, sometimes home-made fudge.
Audio options for reporters: line feed with volume control / headphones, USB feed, MP3/Wav file, or download from server
Notary Public for non-steno depositions
Careful attention to video - custom settings used for properly colored faces, even when CWB can't nail down correct colors
Awesome audio - a studio grade compressor ensures consistent volume not only from speaker to speaker, but also between quiet and loud passages, with no "AGC pumping".
No job dropping - once you schedule me, that time is yours. I won't drop a job back on you if a bigger one comes along
Equipment stays pre-wired, so I can be setup in under 15 mins. No space needed on conference table if seating is tight
Backup videos
are archivedCurrent long-term format for archives is 720x480 MP4 h.265, cropped to 4:3 aspect ratio. I can re-make any current deliverable from this format without noticeable loss of quality from conversion. In the event that widescreen aspects or higher resolution video becomes more popular in the legal industry, I will adjust archive formats to match.
for all my shoots for 5 years. Replacement discs always available later if yours are lost/broken
I keep backup PDFs of all paperwork and invoices turned in. Copies can be sent via my phone in seconds
2 hour minimum, $75 cancellation after arrival, $100 cancellation after setup
Automatic batch processing, using FFMPEG. Video joining and batch conversion in one app!
All of my previous batch file utilities have been replaced by a single "grandma friendly" Windows console app I wrote myself.
The 64-bit version is preferred, but for anyone stuck on a 32bit version of Windows, there is a 32bit version available too.
Only the file sizes seen in the Joiner require 64bit, and none of the joining functionality depends on those
values, except the initial placement of dividers.
So if you're on 32bit and you have files over 4GB, just ignore the sizes, put your own dividers wherever you want, and
everything works fine. Below 4GB, everything looks normal anyway.
Monitor.exe - Watches a folder (use "start in" field of a shortcut) and lets you know which batches are running or done. Probably more
useful for someone running a video department like I do, less so for individuals who work on one or two jobs at a time. This one is only 32bit.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR INSTALLATION:
1) Download the EXE files to wherever you want them. Keep them together because AutoMTS4 will look
for FFMPEG.EXE in the same folder where its own EXE lives.
2) To avoid annoying Windows dialog messages about the program coming from another computer,
right click on each of the EXE files, hit properties, and there should be a security option
at the bottom that lets you unblock the program.
3) Next, drag a shortcut from AutoMTS4.exe to the desktop. Right click and choose properties, and
WIPE OUT THE "STARTS IN" FIELD. This is hugely important. You want to be able to drop a copy of
that shortcut into each new MTS folder you work in, and with that field empty, it will use the current folder
as where to look for files to open -- ie, your video files you want converted!
That's all there is to the setup. To use it, just drag a copy of the shortcut to the
folder where your videos need converting, and double click it.
That's it! Easy peasy!
Articles I've Written
MPEG-1 bitrates and Why I like MP4 better
People sometimes ask me what bitrate to use for MPEG-1. Here's what I use, and why I like MP4 better
The Problems with portable DVD recorders
Portable DVD recorders usually make awful discs that require recapturing the depo at 1X speed. Here's why
Single Chain Hookup (outdated)
The Single Chain Hookup Technique is an important part of what makes me a great videographer. It's a simple technique that any videographer can use to increase his reliability and reduce risk factors. This article explains it in broad detail.
Benefits of HDD Recording (outdated)
Recording to redundant hard drives in the field gives the videographer several key benefits, both in convenience and decreased costs to be passed on to the client.
My Log Sheet 
AutoMTS4.exe
