Mitigation Films: Harnessing the Power of Visual Narrative to Humanize our Clients

I can’t think of a better topic for our 100th episode of Set For Sentencing – the topic that is so near and dear to my heart – MITIGATION FILMMAKING!

Mitigation films are arguably the most powerful and persuasive weapon in our advocacy arsenal.  They offer an unparalleled way to humanize a client and show the truth of their journey, rather than simply telling it. 

However, there’s currently a significant gap in learning and leadership within the world of mitigation filmmaking. With no established standards and a lack of a supportive community, many well-intentioned individuals—whether new to the legal field or even the supervising lawyers—often lack the comprehensive skill set needed to produce these films effectively. This gap can be detrimental to both the client and the broader cause.

 That’s why a group of dedicated, highly experienced professionals is coming together to form REEL DEFENSE: A MITIGATION FILM COLLECTIVE! This non-profit entity is committed to educating, building community, and producing these essential films for those who might not have the resources to do so themselves.  

Visit www.reeldefense.org and consider making a tax-deductible donation to support this worthy endeavor!

IN THIS EPISODE:

• What is a mitigation film and why is it such a powerful persuasive tool of advocacy?
• Announcing a new, non-profit endeavor – the mitigation film collective!
• Examples of great results gained through use of video advocacy
• Why your judges will love these (even the ones that say they hate ‘em);
• Why the claim that these are just for “rich people” is a false narrative;
• How you can support the newly formed, non-profit mitigation film collective!
• Mitigation movies and the Simpsons!?
• Bad Actors in the Mitigation film arena
• Upcoming training opportunities with the collective

LINKS:

To make a tax-deductible donation or learn more about the Collective, please visit:  www.reeldefense.org

Sample sentencing videos:  If you've never seen one, here is a sample.  This was done for the first defendant to plead guilty and be sentenced in the plot to kidnap the Gov. of Michigan.  He received, by far,  the most favorable sentence of any of the individuals charged, and the video played a big part in that:  https://youtu.be/AOhOY3uuvRQ?si=7UO2LO1EPzDDF8SW

New Book on Holistic Defense:  Early in the episode, I told you about Katie Carter's new book, Holistic Defense: a Practice.  It's a must read for anyone doing criminal defense work.  You can buy it here:  https://www.carterinvestigations.com/shop/product/

EXTRA:  The Saga of Lance Oppenheim:  

One reason for the colletive is to guard against “bad actors” who either enter the space without the proper perspective to do the work, or who simply seek to exploit the medium for their own gain.  We talked specifically, in this context, about a filmmaker named Lance Oppenheim.  While we spared the audience much of the gory details, suffice it to say, Lance manipulated his way into the defense community and behaved badly in order to further his own ambition.  And, while we're here to uplift and inspire, sometimes people just need a reality check. 

Back around 2014, Lance was a Harvard undergrad with big ambition.  He took advantage of legal professionals (myself included) that thought they were helping him with a school project, and then preyed on our vulnerable clients by using portions of their mitigation films without permission.   He neglected to mention that the little supposed “student film” he was making was actually going to be submitted to the New York Times for the world to see.  The story of Lance and his careless attitude about what we do and who we do it for, is a cautionary tale of why only those who are trustworthy and hold the mission of providing quality, holistic, representation sacred can be allowed into the inner circle of mitigation filmmakers.