Helping YOU preserve your precious family stories on video.
Family Legacy Video's Steve Pender
speaks about video biographies
in Orlando, Fla. (See the story below.) (Photo by Jeff Knapp)
Welcome
to the
December issue!
I've said it before and I'll say it again: The upcoming
year-end holidays provide perfect opportunities for capturing family stories on
video. If you plan on spending some some time with your favorite storyteller or
storytellers this holiday season, bring along your camera, a microphone and a
light or two and commit their stories to videotape. You'll be glad you did.
Thanks to all of you who've
helped Family Legacy Video during 2005 by purchasing our products and services,
mentioning us to your friends and families, or sending kind words of support via
e-mail and snail mail. Have a wonderful holiday season and a happy and
prosperous 2006!
By the way - the Family Legacy Video Producer's Guide and
Producer's Music make great holiday gifts! You can also give the gift of a video
biography with a Family Legacy Video gift certificate. E-mail or phone Family
Legacy Video for
details.
I hope you enjoy this issue of the Family Legacy Video™ Producer's e-Newsletter.
Please
e-mail me at
steve@familylegacyvideo.com or phone toll-free (1.888.662.1294) with
any questions or comments you have. You may visit Family Legacy Video on the Web
at:
www.familylegacyvideo.com.
Awareness of Family Legacy Video, both in the U.S. and abroad,
continued to grow this past November.
On November 3, the Accent section of Tucson's Arizona Daily Star featured an
article entitled, "Your Life Story." Family Legacy Video's Steve Pender was one
of four Tucson-based personal historians interviewed for the article. To read
the article online, click
here.
Next, Steve Pender brought his passion for personal video biographies to
Orlando, Florida. On November 11 he presented two 90-minute breakout sessions to
members of the SunBridge Network, an association of estate planners. Many
families are now realizing that family stories and histories are legacies worth
preserving - even more than financial legacies. Steve gave the SunBridge
associates food for thought and inspired them to consider ways video biographies
can be incorporated into legacy planning. Gordon Moore, a longtime reader of the
Family Legacy Video Producer's e-Newsletter, attended one of the sessions.
Here's what Gordon had to say about Steve's presentation: "It was a real
eye-opener. Have you ever tried to use your own digital video camera to develop
a complete DVD presentation for someone? If so, you will appreciate the
knowledge and experience Steve brings to the table. The difference is really
quite simple - pro vs. amateur. Imagine your local high school basketball team
vs. the Orlando Magic - get the picture?"
Family Legacy Video's fame is also growing outside the U.S. Steve was recently
interviewed, via e-mail, by Krzysztof Szczepaniak, a reporter for the Polish
Weekly Przekrój. Also, Family Legacy Video's list of customers from abroad
continues to lengthen; this month Family Legacy Video guides and music products
were purchased by residents of Canada, England and France.
You've got tickets to the hottest show in town. You left for
the theatre extra early but got held up in heavy weekend traffic. You arrive at
the theatre moments before show time. You rush across the brightly lit lobby,
through the door leading to the orchestra section and into - complete darkness.
There you stand, disoriented and nearly blind, afraid to move for fear of
walking into a wall, tripping on a stair or bumping into another theatre patron.
And then, out of the darkness, comes a smiling usher,
flashlight in hand, who leads you quickly and safely to your seat.
Wisdom stories can work like that helpful usher. They provide
valuable life lessons that light our way in times of darkness and confusion.
They can be instructive, educational and inspiring. Chances are the storytellers
in your family have accumulated more than gray hairs and wrinkles over the
years; they've probably acquired valuable insights as well, insights that will
lend depth and value to their video biographies.
What questions can you ask to elicit wisdom stories? Here are a
few, courtesy of Scott Farnsworth, founder of the SunBridge Network:
What was a difficult time in your life?
What helped you survive that time?
How did that experience help you become stronger?
What did you learn from that experience?
How have you applied that lesson to other situations?
Come see the show at the Family Legacy Video Theatre!
The Family
Legacy Video Theatre is the online theatre where you
can view all the video clips streaming from the Family Legacy Video Web site.
The clips you see there will surely inspire you with ideas for your family
video, plus you'll get to see Steve Pender talk about his passion for family
history video in two television appearances.
You'll see a window containing a video screen with controls and a list of clips.
Decide which clip you'd like to view and click on the correct speed (High,
Low) to match your Internet connection. In the bottom right of the theatre
window is a list showing the appropriate speed for your kind of
connection.
Enjoy the clip!
Select another clip or close the theatre window.
The Family Legacy Video
Theatre is always open, and YOU decide when the show begins.
Ask
Steve - This month: Starting a video biography business
Q:
Dear Steve,
First, I want to say that you have a very nice Web site. I am interested in
producing video biographies and realize the value of such a product. I just
purchased the Family Legacy Video Producer's Guide in hopes that it will help me
get off to a good start. I have been in video and community access TV for a few
years now. I really would like to focus on biographies but the concept of this
type of video has not yet been been established in my area. I've asked a number
of people and received positive responses, but some of my video friends have not
supported the idea. Any advice?
- - Suzan F., Grand Rapids, Michigan
A:
Hi, Suzan.
I'm glad you like the Web site! Thanks for the compliment. Now to your question.
If you have a passion for the business, then do your research, create a plan and
go for it. I wouldn't listen to the naysayers among your video friends. They
obviously don't have a personal interest in this business - which means less
competition for you. First, if you plan to be the one creating the videos, be
sure to take the time to learn your craft. Attend classes in video production if
you need to and create some trial projects with your family and friends as
subjects. Be prepared to spend lots of time marketing and give yourself a few
years to get the company off the ground and grow it. You will definitely need to
spend a lot of time educating prospective customers about just what a video
biography is and why it is valuable. I'm thinking of holding a teleconference on
the subject of the business of video biographies sometime in the next year,
probably in the spring. Let me know if you'd like me to notify you when this
happens.
Cheers, Steve
Got a
question about any aspect of family history video production?
Send it to Steve at
steve@familylegacyvideo.com.
