© BrenDeBev (all publication rights reserved)

One of the most important aspects of a successful reporter-editor relationship is a clear understanding of the expectations of both sides, one of the most important being turnaround time.

Regular Delivery

This is the most typical turnaround time. Both reporter and scopist/proofreader have the maximum number of days to return the transcript in finished form, as dictated by local practices, agency rules, and client requirements.

Rushes or Expedites

Anything due in a shorter time than regular but longer than 24 hours is considered a rush/expedite.  When a transcript becomes expedited for the reporter, time is compressed even more for the editors.  Two-day turnaround for the reporter is really 24 hours or less for the scopist in order to allow for proofreading and finalization.

Daily/Immediate

Daily and immediate are sometimes used interchangeably. “Daily” generally means next morning or within 24 hours.  “Immediate” means same-day delivery, though “daily” is often used to describe this service as well. In order for the scopist and proofreader to turn out a transcript that quickly, the reporter and scopist+proofreader must use the quickest transmission methods possible. While Dropbox Intervals can be used in this way, the ideal method is Connection Magic collaborative editing. The quickest turnaround time is only possible with Connection Magic. Whether using Connection Magic or Dropbox Intervals, however, this method requires the highest degree of proficiency on the part of reporter, scopist, and proofreader – and commands the highest page rate for all concerned.

Connection Magic collaborative editing, allowing for a completed transcript at the end of the day, sounds almost too good to be true, and reporters may dream of utilizing that magic for every transcript, regardless of turnaround time expectations from counsel or agencies. What a wonderful concept, to come home at night and have a fully scoped and proofed transcript ready to be turned in! No rushing around trying to get that transcript done while others are waiting as well!  A service made in heaven!

But not so fast.  When scopists and proofreaders are working in that Connection Magic environment, they are working in immediate copy mode. They are putting aside the rest of their work, the rest of their lives to make the best transcript in the shortest amount of time. If the reporter is receiving regular-turnaround or even rush rates, paying scopists and proofreaders for same-day work simply isn’t cost-effective.

It is for this reason that Perfect Partners Transcript Brigade restricts its business to same-day, immediate-turnaround transcripts. We produce the highest quality transcripts as quickly as possible, allowing reporters to deliver impressively timed transcripts to their clients. Not only does the reporter regain her life (and at least some of her sanity), but the attorneys get their lives back too. No more waiting (and working) until midnight for that day’s final transcript. No more three hours of sleep per night until the trial is over. And, best of all, no more anxious inquiries every hour wondering when that final will finally be ready.

So if you’re ready to get your life back, even when you have a three-week trial with multiple parties, multiple copy orders, multiple realtime feeds, and every other complexity in existence, we can help. To learn more, please contact us via this page, our FB page, or via email at transcriptbrigade@gmail.com

© BrenDeBev (all publication rights reserved)

What are the differences between scoping, proofreading, and scoofing?  As a reporter, how do you know if you need a scopist, a proofreader, or a scoofer?  As an editor, how do you know if the work you are providing is that of a scopist, a proofreader, or a scoofer?  The answers depend on what has already been done to the transcript and what still needs to be done to the transcript. A scopist is the first person to edit the file after the reporter has written it. Some reporters simply send the freshly written transcript straight to the scopist. Others might global some names or terms, listen to various spots previously marked as troublesome, or fix some untranslates before sending to the scopist. Even with these fixes made by the reporter, the file is not yet considered scoped.  The scopist will typically listen to the full audio of the entire proceedings.  Not all reporters want or require full audio, but it is often requested.  Along with listening to the full proceedings, the scopist reads the transcript word for word.  Homonyms are addressed and punctuation is added or clarified. Any words that were dropped are typed in by the scopist. The speakers are verified, terms researched, and spellings corrected. All untranslates are resolved.  The scopist will also keep an eye on formatting issues and either flag these for fixing by the reporter or fix them during the scoping process. By the time the scopist has finished editing, the file will be in near perfect form and ready to be proofread.

In order for a file to be properly proofread, it first must be properly scoped. Proofreaders typically do not use audio. While a spot check here or there to verify a funny-sounding sentence may be required, a file that has been properly scoped to audio, as described above, does not need to again be compared against the audio of the proceedings. The proofreader reads the file for context, making sure all the words make sense (or if they don’t make sense, the proofreader confirms that this is due to speaker error rather than editing error), finalizes any missing punctuation, verifies terms have been spelled the same throughout the file (Green versus Greene, for example), and ensures that the proper choice of homonyms has been used.

There are those rare reporters who have such clean transcripts and confidence in their product that they do not require full audio for the minimal editing needed for their work. The scoofer reads through these transcripts, making occasional changes, audio spot-checking any rare questionable areas, and returns the transcript in a far shorter time than a transcript that requires heavier editing and/or full-audio scoping. These transcripts aren’t read a second time in a separate proofreading step.

All three – scoping, proofreading, and scoofing – are separate and distinct methods of editing a transcript. Open and honest communication between reporters and editors is essential. Expectations on each side need to be clearly understood prior to the start of any job.

Perfect Partners Transcript Brigade understands the subtle distinctions between these three methods of editing. When you engage us, your team of two scopists and one proofreader will work with you to produce a beautifully edited transcript in the shortest time possible. The next time you need the strength and dependability of a ready-made, professional, and experienced team of editors working on your immediate copy transcript, contact us via this site, our Facebook page, or email at transcriptbrigade@gmail.com.

Posted updated on 16 June 2022

© BrenDeBev (all publication rights reserved)

Follow this step-by-step guide to help ensure worry-free Connection Magic sessions using Eclipse Version 10.

Before the Big Day:

1. Set up a shared folder with your preferred cloud service (Dropbox, Sync, Box, et cetera) between reporter and editor(s).

Export your user settings into a .set file (Alt+U>>Export Settings).
Make a copy of your main dictionary.
Make a copy of any job dictionary(ies) you will be using for this job.
Make a copy of any block files you will be using for this job.

Place all of the above items in the shared folder you have created.

2. Set your audio recording compression settings (Alt+U>>Realtime>>Audio Recording>>Compression) to Opus.

3. Make sure your Division Interval setting is at 0 (Alt+U>>Realtime>>Division Interval).

4. We strongly recommend that you disable or turn off any automatic backup service, cloud service, automatic syncing service, and/or antivirus/malware programs you may have running on your computer. Carbonite is particularly guilty of interfering with CM; even when turned off it still runs checks in the background on a regular basis. In some extreme cases, the complete removal of Carbonite may be necessary in order to use CM. We realize and understand that many reading this are reluctant to turn off their antivirus/malware protection while online, but so long as you are not using your browser or email client while you are engaged in a CM session, it is extremely unlikely that you will be exposed to any virus or malware threat.

If possible, go to the location from which you will be initiating the CM session in order to conduct a test session. If it’s not possible to access the location, run a test session from your home or other location with good Internet access.

6. To initiate a CM session, open Eclipse and start a realtime file. While in that file, select Tools>>Connection Magic>>Share current document. Make sure you check the “publicly visible” box. Choose a room and type in a password. Then click Okay. You are now sharing your document and ready to begin a CM session with your editor(s).

Once your editor(s) have joined the CM session, turn on CNN or some other audio source and begin “reporting” it. The editor(s) should hear audio and see the text populate live. If there is no audio, double-check your compression settings, double-check that you have turned off all automatic backups and antivirus software. Have your editor(s) double-check that an audio file is actually being received from you by having her check her hard drive to see if there is a matching .opus file on her computer.

If none of these resolve the problem, it’s time to call support, as there are a variety of things which could be causing the issue.

7. Practice handing off the file to one of your editors for the conclusion of the editing process after the proceedings have ended. After a successful handoff, practice placing both the .ecl and the .opus file in your shared cloud folder. If you are working remotely and can leave Eclipse open and running while your editor(s) finish up the file, this is preferred as it means that all dictionary entries will remain in the same file for use on successive days in the same case.

8. Establish a method of instant contact between you and your editor(s). Set up a Google Hangout (our preferred method), open an IM chat on FB, or arrange for texting on your phone. It’s very important that both you and your editor(s) have a way to reach each other immediately if there are problems or urgent questions that crop up during the proceedings.

On the Big Day:

1. Try to arrive and set up at least 30 minutes before the scheduled start time.

2. Go online from the location where you will be working and run a speed test at speedtest.net. If you have less than 5 Mbps upload speed, you probably will not be able to sustain a CM session and you should explore other alternatives for working on your transcript.

3. Cellular internet has come a very long way in the last decade. It is much more reliable and consistent than in years past; however, it is still less reliable than a hardwired ethernet or mifi connection. We recommend using a cellular hotspot only as a choice of last resort, and it is never a good idea to use a phone as a hotspot (only use dedicated hotspot devices).

4. If you have the opportunity to plug directly into the Internet signal at your location (Ethernet cable directly from your computer to their modem/router), do so. You will have a far more stable Internet connection that way.

5. Initiate the CM session with your editor(s). Verify that everything is visible/audible.

6. Once everything is up and running, remember this: Reporter, DO NOT go backwards in the file. Do not edit. Do not global. Go forward only. You are paying your editor(s) a premium to work in this file with you in real time. If you back up to fix something, you run the risk of destroying any edits already made. However, it is perfectly acceptable to move around in a file to view it for readback purposes or to double-check that edits are being made to known trouble spots. Try to keep this mantra in your head: LOOK but DON’T touch.

At the Conclusion of the Proceedings:

1. Talk to your editor(s) when you are ready to hand off the file to one of them (if you are working in person or cannot leave the file open until your editor(s) are finished working in the file). Once you have verified that your chosen recipient is now hosting the file, you may exit out of the file. Once the file is completed, your editor(s) will then be able to return the finished file to you via your shared cloud folder or other method you have prearranged.

2. Before you head home from an in-person location, it’s a good idea to place a copy of all .ecl and .opus files in your shared cloud folder. This way, if your editor(s) runs into any problems before you reach home, she can retrieve those files and use them even if you are not available at that point in time.

And that’s it!

Perfect Partners Transcript Brigade members are available to work with you to walk you through setting up and practicing using Connection Magic. If you are booking with us for your first Connection Magic job, we will be happy to provide this service free of charge prior to the commencement of the actual job. If you would simply like to practice with Connection Magic and run a test session with one of our team members, we offer a standalone training service with pricing starting at $25 per 15-minute interval of session time.

Connection Magic is an awesome way to produce transcripts in the most timely and efficient manner imaginable. When you work with the Perfect Partners Transcript Brigade, you are working with some of the most experienced users of Connection Magic available today. Individually and collectively, our team members have participated in thousands of CM sessions since Connection Magic’s introduction. Connect with us and watch the Magic happen!