|
|
|
|
|
|
Newsletter Archive
|
|
|
July 2004 |
Helping YOU preserve your precious family stories on video. |
Family Legacy Video on TV!
Steve Pender (r) appears on AM Arizona.
See News for more info. OR,
click here to visit
the Family Legacy Video Theatre to watch the clip.
(You need to be online to play the clip.) |
Welcome to
the first issue!
Helping YOU preserve your precious family stories on video is what Family Legacy
Video is all about, and this monthly newsletter is an important part of that
mission. In the months to come you'll find these electronic pages packed with
information ranging from the practical to the inspirational, including tips,
techniques, testimonials, product reviews, Q&A and Family Legacy Video news -
all designed to help you create your own family history video, a living legacy
that will be treasured by generations of your family to come.
Please send your questions, testimonials and articles to
steve@familylegacyvideo.com. I promise to consider all
submissions for publication. - - Steve Pender |
|
You're
invited to the grand opening of the Family Legacy Video Theatre! |
A brand new
upgrade to the Family Legacy Video Web site is guaranteed to enhance your online
video viewing experience AND save you time. It's called the Family Legacy Video
Theatre, and it's where you'll find all the video clips posted on the Family
Legacy Video Web site. Decide which clip you'd like to view, choose High,
Mid or Low quality to match the speed of your connection (High or Mid for
broadband), (Mid or Low for dial up) and you're off. The clips start playing
much more quickly too, so you won't waste any more time staring at the clock
waiting for the video to start. AND you have complete control over playback
(there are controls for play, stop, pause and rewind) and sound. You can even
click on an arrow to expand the picture to fill your screen (if you want to
shrink it back down, just press escape or wait for the clip to end). The
Family Legacy Video Theatre is always open, you decide when the show starts and
admission is free. The only thing you won't find there is popcorn. To visit the
theatre, click here.
Enjoy!
Table of
contents
|
Feature story - Why produce a family history video? Consider the power of
the shared experience. |
You'll reap many benefits when
you capture your family storytellers on video. Some of these benefits are
profound while others are just plain fun. This article, the first in a series,
takes a look at perhaps the most profound way a family history video benefits
you and your family. This benefit is called the shared experience.
John Glenn's ticker tape parade down Broadway. Woodstock. Reggie Jackson's three
back-to-back homeruns in the 1977 World Series. The wedding of Lady Diana and
Prince Charles. If you were in the crowd witnessing or taking part in one of
these events, you shared an unforgettable experience with many others.
And years later, when idle chatter reveals that both you and the stranger in the
airline seat next to you were part of the same event, you'll discover you share
a bond you never knew existed. Perhaps you'll strike up a friendship; at the
very least you'll part with some sense of kinship.
This same principle applies when you capture one of your relatives on video,
relating a favorite family story or a piece of family history. But the effect
can be much more profound.
Think about it. Perhaps one of things you most enjoy about family get-togethers
is hearing Uncle Harry tell family stories. It's not just the content of the
story that brings you pleasure, it's also hearing and watching Uncle Harry tell
it: the rise and fall of his voice, the sparkle in his eyes, the way his hands
dance through the air.
Capture Uncle Harry telling these stories on video, and you create a living,
breathing record that can be enjoyed for years to come. Your grandchildren,
great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren will be able to experience
Uncle Harry just like you did. They'll be getting their family history straight
from the "horse's mouth," instead of fourth, fifth or sixth hand (or not at
all). Perhaps they'll recognize some of his mannerisms in themselves. You'll have
created a powerful link to future generations, who in turn will feel a sense of
connection and continuity with their family's past - and with you.
But don't just take my word for it.
Click here to visit
the Family Legacy Video Theatre to play a short
segment from the video I produced with my grandmother (the segment is called "My
mother Rose"). Then, imagine having a
video and audio record of your relative or relatives telling your family stories
- and what a wonderful legacy it will be. (You'll need to be online to play the
clip.)
This is powerful and profound stuff, and all
it takes is a video camera and YOU to make it happen.
Table of
contents
| Feature story - Summertime: A perfect
time to capture family interviews. |
Summer - what
a great time of year! Time to fire up the barbeques, hit the beach and break out
the camping gear. It's the time of year when most of us vacation (or go on
"holiday"). It's also prime time for family reunions and for reconnecting with
family members we see only once every few years, or just once in a blue moon.
If you've been wondering when and where you can capture footage and interviews
with distant family members, an upcoming reunion or family visit can offer the
perfect opportunity. Follow a few simple tips and you'll leave your next family
get-together with a smile on your face, a passel of great memories and some
video interviews you and your family will cherish for generations.
Tip #1: Plan ahead. Contact the relatives you'd like to interview before the
reunion. Make sure they're willing, and brief them on the questions you plan to
ask.
Tip #2: Schedule a time for the interview. Figure out a time that will work best
for you and your subject - then stick to it. Having a firm appointment helps
both you and your storyteller prepare and is a statement of commitment. If your
attitude is "we'll get around to it sometime during the reunion," chances are
you never will.
Tip #3: Set up away from the crowd. You'll need a quiet place away from the
crowd in order to avoid distractions, keep your subject from feeling
self-conscious and guarantee sound that's as noise-free as possible. Maybe your
hotel room is the best bet, or maybe your host has a room you can use. Be sure
you're set up and ready to record when your subject arrives.
Tip #4: Use the same room for all your interviews. If you have multiple
interviews scheduled, don't waste time looking for different locations for each
of them. Use the same room! You'll only have to set up all your gear once. Then,
between interviews, shift your camera and subject positions slightly. Simply
shooting into a different corner of the room or changing some of the background
objects can give the same room a whole new look on video.
Tip #5: Treat your tapes like gold. Label them. Don't leave them in hot cars. If
you're flying, ask security to hand check them. Do whatever it takes (legally,
of course) to get them
(and yourself) home safe and sound.
Good luck! And remember: the Family Legacy Video™
Producer's Guide has all the information you'll need to prepare for family
interviews - during the summer, or any time of the year.
Table of
contents
|
Family
Legacy Video in the News! |
On May 13,
2004, Family Legacy Video President Steve Pender made his second live television
appearance of the year. As a guest on KAZ-TV's "AM Arizona," Steve spent eight
minutes telling the Family Legacy Video story to hosts Tonya Mock and Lew Rees
and their Prescott/Phoenix viewers, inspiring them to produce their own family
history videos, showcasing the Family Legacy Video™ Producer's Guide, showing
clips from his own family history video and demonstrating how to build a
homemade lighting setup for use in taping family interviews. To watch
Steve's segment, click here.
After you reach the Family Legacy Video Theatre, look for the video labeled "FLV
on TV: AM Arizona."
Table of
contents
|
Ask
Steve - This month: Avoiding "shaky-cam" |
Q:
I've seen too many family videos that look like they were shot during an
earthquake.
How do I keep my shots
steady? - - Eddie H., Rahway, N.J.
A:
Eddie, great question. At best, constant camera movement is distracting. At
worst, it makes viewers
headachy and nauseous. Here are some tips to help keep
your footage on a steady and even keel:
-
Image
stabilization - If your camera has this feature, turn it on and keep it on.
-
Maintain
your concentration - You can only shoot one thing at a time! Hold each shot for
at least
a count of ten before you move to the next.
-
Look at the
viewfinder - This sounds silly, but you need to pay attention to what you're
shooting. If it looks shaky in the viewfinder, believe me - it is.
-
Find some
support - If you're outside, lean against a tree or fence or the side of a
house. Inside, lean against a wall or prop your camera arm on a sturdy piece of
furniture. And cradle the bottom of the camera in your non-camera hand. A little
support goes a long way.
-
Breathe -
Breathe steadily and evenly. A calm and steady breath will help you relax.
-
Use a tripod
- Handheld (if it's steady) can be great for a lot of situations. But - for
interviews and shooting photos and other memorabilia, a tripod designed for
video cameras is indispensable.
Got a
question about any aspect of family history video production?
Send it to Steve at
steve@familylegacyvideo.com.
Table of
contents
|
Earn
money - Join the Family Legacy Video Affiliate Program! |
If you have
a Web site, an e-newsletter or even a way of adding a link your e-mail, you can
partner with Family Legacy Video and earn some extra cash - for yourself, your
business, your church, your school, your association. Here's all it
takes:
-
Sign up
online - Affiliate sign up is FREE and easy.
-
Receive your
unique linking code and a choice of text and banner links.
-
Post the
link on your Web page or e-newsletter.
-
Earn a
commission whenever someone clicks on your link, comes to Family Legacy Video
and makes a purchase.
Like to
learn more?
Click here to go the Affiliate Program page of the Family Legacy
Video Web site.
|
Coming next
month: How a family history video project can bridge the generation gap.
Top of page | |
|
Copyright 2004, Family Legacy Video, Inc. All rights reserved.
| |
|
|
|
|