Helping YOU preserve your precious family stories on video.
Do you have a talented family member?
Don't pass up the chance to capture
his or her performance on video. (See the story below.)
Welcome
to the
August issue!
The summer is flying by. So much to do and so little time -
but just enough time to send you along some information (about TWO upcoming video biography
workshops) and, I trust, some inspiration as well.
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. Visit Family Legacy Video on the Web
at:
www.familylegacyvideo.com.
"Create Your Own Video Biography" workshops in Mesa & Tucson.
You now have, not one, but TWO chances to learn professional video biography
tips and techniques before the clock runs out on 2006. In addition to our
September workshop in Mesa, Arizona (near Phoenix), Family Legacy Video has
added a November workshop in Tucson to our calendar. Here's the skinny:
Mesa workshop:
Attention early birds! You have until August 4 to get your early registration discounts for the Mesa video biography
workshop.
The workshop will run from September 8 to 10 (Friday to Sunday).
And this time we're holding the event in an actual television production
facility - Skyline Productions,
65 S. Sycamore in Mesa, Arizona. For those of you outside of the area, there are
nearby hotels and motels. And September in Arizona is a good time to get
off-season hotel rates! NOTE: The final registration deadline for the Mesa
workshop is August 29.
Tucson workshop:
The Tucson workshop runs from November 10 to 12 (Friday to Sunday). The venue is
the meeting room at the Arizona Small Business Association, in the Crossroads
Festival Shopping Center, 4811 East Grant Road (the corner of Grant and Swan),
in Tucson. The early bird deadline for the Tucson workshop: October 6.
"Create Your Own Video Biography" workshops from Family Legacy Video offer three
jam-packed days filled with inspiration, learning and fun - and leave you with
the tools you need to preserve your own precious family stories on video.
SO if you're itching to tackle your own do-it-yourself video biography
project - BUT you lack the skills and experience you need to move forward - THIS IS YOUR CHANCE to learn professional video production tips and
techniques.
Complete details (along with testimonials from past workshop
participants) are on the workshop page of the Family Legacy Video Web site.
It was June 28, a few minutes past 2 PM on a hot Tucson
afternoon, when I received a call from a gentleman in Wisconsin. It seems his
dad, an avid amateur pianist, was hosting a house concert in Green Valley
(south of Tucson) on July 1. The caller had never seen his father present a
concert and was anxious to have it preserved on video. "Can you videotape the
concert?" he asked.
Long story short, I spent the evening of July 1 documenting a
wonderful program of Chopin performed by my client's father for about a dozen
friends. I was not only treated to some uplifting music, but also learned a few
things about the history of the piano and the life of Chopin during short talks
interspersed between musical selections.
I think it's terrific that my client cared enough about his dad
to preserve a record of his passion for the piano. Not only will the concert
video be enjoyed now, but it will also be a valuable keepsake for future
generations. And the footage can also become part of a future video biography.
So if you get the opportunity (or can make the opportunity) to
capture the special talents of a loved one on video, go for it! You'll have both
a unique recording for your family to enjoy - and valuable footage you can use
in a future family legacy video.
On July 18 I received a very thrilling and inspiring phone
call from a friend of Family Legacy Video. His name is Leonard and, until
Hurricane Katrina hit, he was a native of New Orleans. It seems Leonard has been
planning a video biography featuring his mother. He had compiled lots of
valuable video footage for this project, which he stored in a tightly-capped
rubber container on a shelf in his home.
The ceilings in Leonard's home were eight feet high - and the
hurricane filled his house right up to the eight foot mark. The only items to
survive, literally, were those videos featuring his mom. Now living in
Lafayette, Leonard feels the tapes were spared for a reason - and he's
redoubling his efforts to create that video biography for his mom. I'm so glad
that Leonard, and those precious videotapes, survived the storm's vicious
onslaught. Good luck, Leonard!
Our July e-Newsletter featured a story entitled, "Looking for
memories? Hit the road!" It chronicled my visit to my boyhood neighborhood and
had some tips for those of you considering a "memory lane" road trip of your
own. The story prompted newsletter reader Margaret Flowers to write and share
her "memory lane" experiences. Thanks for sharing, Margaret! Here's what she had
to say:
Steve,
First of all, let me say I look forward to your
e-newsletters. I read with interest this latest one.
I too, took a trip down memory lane about 3 years ago to my
grandparents "home place". ( I would like to caution those who are considering
this....time changes things and don't go back expecting it to look the same as
it used to.)
The beginning of the video was me driving down the country
road (lane) to the house. I videotaped around the house, barn, meat house, and
other outbuildings, the church and cemetery. I talked some on the video, but
most of it was a voiceover (my reading of a very moving poem my grandmother
composed after the death of her husband, my grandfather about her home, church
and cemetery). She alluded to the song "Amazing Grace" in the poem and I was
lucky to find that on CD to add as background music during part of the video.
This was added to a previous interview I did involving my mother, uncle and
aunt. It made for a comprehensive DVD.
I just wanted to share this with you and please keep up the
good work. We need, more than ever, to preserve our heritage, be it ever so
humble.
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. NOTE: Please be patient - you may need to wait a few seconds before
a clip plays.
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.
