DEVELOPING A COLLECTION PLAN FILMING FOR GATHERING VIDEO EVIDENCE Filming for human rights can be dangerous. It can put you, the people you are filming and the communities you are filming in at risk. Carefully assess the risks before you press “record”. Do your best to implement the guidance below, but understand that nothing stated in this guide is absolute and you should modify the practices to fit your needs. When possible, seek support from local experts. Even if you cannot fully implement this guidance, your footage may still provide valuable information that could lead human rights organizations and advocates to answers and, in turn, to the protection of our basic human rights. INTRODUCTION A Collection Plan is essentially a list that is created by investigators, lawyers, and in some cases human rights activists, to detail: • The Elements of a Crime or Defense, which are the specific things that a lawyer has to prove to: i) find a defendant guilty; or ii) free someone who has been falsely accused of a crime. • Any type of evidence (i.e. video, photos, medical records, testimony) the lawyer has already collected to prove each element, or in other words, the “Completed” List; and • Any type of evidence the lawyer still needs to collect to prove each element, or in other words, the “To Do” List. FOR MORE INFORMATION Elements of a Crime are briefly defined below, but you can also learn more in “All About the Law” bit.ly/ WITNESSLibrary_ VaE 76 VIDEO AS EVIDENCE: COLLECTION PLAN V 1.0