BASIC PRACTICES PART TWO: PRESS “RECORD” STEP 1 Record Date, Time & Location • Ensure your camera or cell phone is set to the correct date, time and GPS location so the digital metadata is recorded. • Record your voice saying the date, time and location. • If you need to film anonymously, write the time, date and location on a piece of paper and hold it up in front of the camera for 10 seconds. You can also film anything that shows the date, time and location, such as a clock, the front page of a newspaper, a street sign, landmarks or geographic features. about metadata There is no single legal definition of metadata. Loosely defined, metadata is simply "data about data". For our purposes here, we are defining digital metadata as information about a file created by an electronic device that is automatically stored and is often not visible to the user. Another way to think about is as the digital footprint that is left behind. This invisible footprint includes such information as date, time, location, what device was used and even a record of changes made to the file. why it’s important Metadata can make your video easier for researchers, reporters or investigators to verify that your video footage was filmed when and where you say it was. For more information see "How to Capture Metadata and Documentation" at: archiveguide.witness.org/create/what-metadata-capture. STEP 2 Document “Who” Use the camera microphone or a pen and paper to record the names and contact information for the: • Person filming; • People being filmed, and; • Other people on scene who may have information about the events that took place. 63 VIDEO AS EVIDENCE: BASIC PRACTICES V 1.0