Putting Computer Animation to Work in the Courtroom
John Le Baron is Director of Animation at Legal Art Works
Computer animation has made its mark in many unexpected areas since the art form took off in the mid ‘90s. While some may associate computer animation with video games or Pixar blockbusters, it’s also having a substantial impact in many other fields, including medicine, construction, and even law.
Just ask Computer Animation graduate John Le Baron, who’s working as Director of Animation at Legal Art Works, a legal presentation company that specializes in developing CGI sequences for an entirely different kind of audience – a jury.
Legal Art Works is located in Jacksonville, Florida, and uses computer animation to produce video evidence for court cases ranging from traffic accidents to medical malpractice. Founded in 2003, the company has seen their client roster expand as the industry realizes the benefits of the medium, and John’s work has been featured in Fortune Small Business magazine, CNNMoney.com, and Jacksonville’s daily newspaper, the Florida Times-Union.
“The thing that was really attractive to me about this company was jumping into a whole new niche industry,” John explains. “We’re seeing a lot of business lately without doing any more marketing than we have in the past, and it’s been great. Especially when we have an attorney use us once, and it becomes successful for them – they usually try and find a way to use us again.”
Recreating legal scenarios in a virtual world is a research-intensive process for John, and he works closely with law firms to capture every last detail of a case. It’s a careful balance, making sure that he highlights the severity of an accident without sensationalizing the event for dramatic effect – something which can make a judge throw out a sequence as evidence.
“A lot of it involves talking to attorneys, finding out what they feel is important to show that will help a jury understand what has happened to their client,” he explains. “I try to concentrate on things looking as accurate as possible, and we like to try to encourage our clients to go in the direction of high quality visuals, because the more realistic it appears the more believable it is, and therefore more credible in the opinion of the jury and the judge.”
A typical animation will take between two and three weeks to complete, which can be a long time to be that close to some of the accidents’ more graphic content. As rewarding as the work is, John admits that some of his casework can get pretty disturbing.
“I try not to read too much into some of the cases I have to deal with because it can tug at my heartstrings pretty hard,” he shares. “You just have to remember that you’re helping somebody get restitution for their pain and anguish and that’s a good thing. And most of the time the attorneys that use our work don’t even make it to trial because it’s pretty devastating to the other side when they show up to mediation with our material.”
Ultimately the knowledge that he’s helping to contribute to both the legal world as well as this emerging animation field keeps John optimistic in his career and as he looks to the future. And as technology continues to push forward, he expects to see the legal industry grow in its demand for talented artists.
“It’s going to be interesting to see how things change in the next few years,” he shares. “The whole legal system is evolving based off new technology, and there are courtrooms being upgraded all the time to incorporate what’s come out recently. So I think this kind of work is going to be a lot more prevalent in the future.”
* For more information on Legal Art Works, visit www.legalartworks.com
Just ask Computer Animation graduate John Le Baron, who’s working as Director of Animation at Legal Art Works, a legal presentation company that specializes in developing CGI sequences for an entirely different kind of audience – a jury.
Legal Art Works is located in Jacksonville, Florida, and uses computer animation to produce video evidence for court cases ranging from traffic accidents to medical malpractice. Founded in 2003, the company has seen their client roster expand as the industry realizes the benefits of the medium, and John’s work has been featured in Fortune Small Business magazine, CNNMoney.com, and Jacksonville’s daily newspaper, the Florida Times-Union.
“The thing that was really attractive to me about this company was jumping into a whole new niche industry,” John explains. “We’re seeing a lot of business lately without doing any more marketing than we have in the past, and it’s been great. Especially when we have an attorney use us once, and it becomes successful for them – they usually try and find a way to use us again.”
Recreating legal scenarios in a virtual world is a research-intensive process for John, and he works closely with law firms to capture every last detail of a case. It’s a careful balance, making sure that he highlights the severity of an accident without sensationalizing the event for dramatic effect – something which can make a judge throw out a sequence as evidence.
“A lot of it involves talking to attorneys, finding out what they feel is important to show that will help a jury understand what has happened to their client,” he explains. “I try to concentrate on things looking as accurate as possible, and we like to try to encourage our clients to go in the direction of high quality visuals, because the more realistic it appears the more believable it is, and therefore more credible in the opinion of the jury and the judge.”
A typical animation will take between two and three weeks to complete, which can be a long time to be that close to some of the accidents’ more graphic content. As rewarding as the work is, John admits that some of his casework can get pretty disturbing.
“I try not to read too much into some of the cases I have to deal with because it can tug at my heartstrings pretty hard,” he shares. “You just have to remember that you’re helping somebody get restitution for their pain and anguish and that’s a good thing. And most of the time the attorneys that use our work don’t even make it to trial because it’s pretty devastating to the other side when they show up to mediation with our material.”
Ultimately the knowledge that he’s helping to contribute to both the legal world as well as this emerging animation field keeps John optimistic in his career and as he looks to the future. And as technology continues to push forward, he expects to see the legal industry grow in its demand for talented artists.
“It’s going to be interesting to see how things change in the next few years,” he shares. “The whole legal system is evolving based off new technology, and there are courtrooms being upgraded all the time to incorporate what’s come out recently. So I think this kind of work is going to be a lot more prevalent in the future.”
* For more information on Legal Art Works, visit www.legalartworks.com
