We take all the worry out of the process for you. Once you decide on the plan and package you want, you do not have to figure anything else out.  We provide you with a simple list of what you can do to help us preserve your loved one's story.  The time and energy required of you is minimal.   We know exactly how to capture a good story, and we do 95% all the labor that is required. 

This is what we do for the person to be interviewed. We have taken the time to think through all the aspects of helping someone tell his or her story in an interesting and pleasurable manner. For example, we visit the person to be interviewed, either in person or by phone, in order that he/she can get to know us and we can explain in detail what will be required. It is very important to us to earn the trust of those who tell their stories. We go over the smallest of details with the storyteller, so the person will have a good idea of what to expect on the day we arrive to do the video interview. In addition, days ahead of time, we give the storyteller a list of questions that aids in telling his/her story. Pondering these questions will help to recall what happened at different times in the person’s life.

We know how to get people excited about their stories as a gift to the entire family—a gift that will be treasured for years, long after they are gone. We take the time to become friends with each family and storyteller we serve. It is amazing how pleased the storytellers feel to be asked; they are so proud to be able to leave their stories so that future generations will remember their lives and what they were like.

 

This is what we do for the interview. It is not unusual for us to take up to 10 hours of preparation even before we show up to do the video interview.  On the day of the interview, we may spend as much as 5-10 hours interviewing depending on how many people we interview. Sometimes we interview several older members at the same time. By the time the interview process is over, we have given you a minimal of 10-20 hours in preparation before we begin the editing. Keep in mind, we guarantee your satisfaction with our work, or you get 100% of your investment returned at no risk to you.

This is what we do once the interview is completed. Once we complete the interview and receive input from you, we begin to work with family photos, personal memorabilia, and other pictures that enhance the story line. Old family photos are cleaned up in order to decide which ones to use in the video.  Yes, we clean them up as best we can so they are returned to you in better shape than when we received them. Once cleaned, we sort the pictures chronologically to be inserted at different times in the video.  

Also, we look at the time in history in which the storyteller lived and then do research to find pictures of places and events spoken about in the story.  We find images that will further illustrate the storyline. Yes, we add to what you provide us when you give us pictures and personal memorabilia from the family.  It may well take more time than we expected, but we do not charge extra if we spend more time researching than we intended.  We aim to produce a great story and do it in an entertaining manner.  Cleaning pictures, sorting, and researching usually takes another 5-8 hours.

At this point, our videographer begins the careful work of reviewing the details of the video material from the interview. This work of rearranging the material into a coherent storyline requires many hours, usually up to two days.

We sit down and collaborate on how to develop the story and what camera angles to use where. We cut out all voices except that of the storyteller, and we eliminate any portions of the film that distract from presenting the person’s story in the best light.  

Our goal is to present the storyteller laughing, gesturing, and talking in a manner that only film can convey. His/her tone of voice, facial expressions, speech, mannerisms, and dress all help describe who this person is and what this person is like. The film captures the spirit and soul of the person in a way written words cannot.

Now remember, before the videographer begins all of this, we have conferred with you. Before he finishes, you will be given an opportunity to review the story to correct any minor errors and suggest changes before the final edition is ready for you to keep and share with your family. We will make sure you have exactly what you intended and desired.  Usually, it takes us a total of approximately 45-65 hours to complete a family video from start to finish.

Ours is not a fast track, but you will receive the final product within four weeks after the completion of the interview - if we have all the family photos and personal memorabilia.

Here is what we’ve discovered. People who tell their stories are honored, and feel so much gratitude to be asked to record their legacy. The storytellers will want a copy, and they will watch it often because it creates such pleasure to remember their lives - so much of their time is spent in remembering. The story creates a unique family legacy that is passed on from generation to generation. The family feels indebted to those who had the forethought to capture this story and who share copies with everyone to enjoy and pass on down the line of family tradition.

More than any other medium, video captures the verbal and nonverbal nuances of a personality, such as laughter and facial expressions, as well as the use and expressions of words in the narrator’s own vernacular. The video portrait reveals the life of someone through their own eyes and words to create an amazing family or business legacy with their dialect and gestures telling future generations how he/she engaged life in their day and time.

Stories told "in person" so generations will remember and honor  those who lived admirable lives and left their mark to influence future generations.

Helpful Suggestions to Prepare for your Video: