Rachel wanted to record her parents’ stories while they were still healthy and able to do so. She also knew she wanted to include some pictures to illustrate the stories, but didn’t necessarily want to invest in a feature-length documentary film. So she chose our Hybrid Package. A step above a DVD with indexed raw footage, it takes out the interviewer’s questions, replaces them with motion graphic titles, and sprinkles relevant pictures throughout.

The result is a great way to capture family stories in a comprehensive way that stays within a lower budget.

This clip is an excerpt from Bill & Elaine’s experience in Korea during Bill’s time as a military doctor. Just from the table in the picture above, you know there’s got to be a good story there!

He then shared how his teacher was originally from France, but because she came here under the age of 12, she had lost her accent. Her brother, however, was 12 when they arrived, and still had a French accent today.

My grandmother Annette, shortly after emigrating

I began to re-tell the story of how his great-grandmother came to Baltimore when she too was 12, having escaped pogroms on horseback. How her thick Russian accent left such an impression on me, that it wasn’t until early adulthood that I realized having an old world accent wasn’t a requirement for being a grandparent.

Then I got excited. “Do you want to hear her accent? Why don’t we watch the first few minutes of the film I made about Dad’s family?”

What started out as a few minutes of evening entertainment while eating ice cream grew into an hour-long event. After he had watched a few minutes, I said we should probably get ready for bed and watch the rest another day. But he insisted on watching more. And even after watching a very sad part where he learns how his great-grandfather died, he still wanted to watch to the end.

There were many other things my son could have done that night. But he chose to watch his family’s story. And for the first time, he started to not just understand, but relate. When he realized his great uncle was only 8 years old when his father died – the same age he is right now – he thought that was just about the saddest thing he’d ever heard. “So it would be like if my Dad died right now?” he questioned at the impossibility. We both got teary-eyed and hugged.

Though I know he didn’t understand all of it, I feel like having this video to show him was just about one of the greatest things I’ve been able to give him.

Seeing and hearing the woman he was named for (from 20-year-old VHS tapes), hearing about her strength, and listening to his grandpa and great uncles talk about their formative years, with pictures to illustrate, made such an impact. He had just been with his great uncles the day before at a Mother’s Day brunch. Before, he likely saw them as people to just kiss and hug hello and goodbye. Now I think he really understands who they are and why they are important to us.

I think people sometimes wonder when is the right time to capture your family stories. I was compelled to make this particular film because I was fearful that a family member’s illness would prevent us from making the film. But not everyone has something that spurs them into action. So I’ll leave you with this thought.

When you realize how sad you will be not to have these stories around for your children and future grandchildren to hear – that is the right time. And the next best time will be when you get to enjoy watching those stories with them.

1. Cast your talent wisely

Before just asking any available customer, think about all of your current and former clients. You want to make sure the person you ask to do your testimonial has a few distinct qualities:

a)    Someone who is fairly comfortable on camera, enjoys talking and can do so in an animated way

b)    Truly loves what your company did for them

c)    Has a specific story to share of how you helped them

2. Make your talent comfortable

The best testimonials feel natural. 95% of the population does not feel natural looking into a camera lens and speaking. That is why the interview testimonial works so well. It’s a conversation that happens to be recorded, where the person asking the questions is off camera and the person answering is looking at the interviewer (not the lens) and responding in a conversational way. (And hopefully speaking in complete sentences. My trick – ask them to use part of your question in their answer.)

3. Present it like a makeover

Set up your testimonial as a problem that has a solution. As in, X was the problem, and Y was how your business, service, organization solved that problem. If it can be told as a fairly specific yet universally relevant story, your potential leads will get it.

4. Cover the basics

In a world where cell phones film in HD, you must have decent looking video. Make sure there is enough light in the room for the camera to see your subject without adding noise (grain) to the picture. Even more important, make sure your talent can be heard, ideally hooked up to a lavaliere microphone. No one will watch more than a few seconds if they can’t hear what the person is saying.

5. Edit, edit, edit

They call them “money” sound bites for a reason. You want to find those gold moments of your interview – when someone says, “Product X is worth more to me than any amount of money” — and spotlight them in your video. It may take several questions to get those bites out of your interview. But once you get them, don’t waste people’s time by making them watch a five-minute testimonial. String together your bits of gold and you’ll move your potential leads in a big way. (And don’t forget to have a call to action at the end!)

Have you had great success sharing your clients’ success with a video testimonial? I’d love to hear your stories! Please share in the comments below.

Heidi hired me nearly five years ago to tell the stories of her aging father, a Holocaust survivor. He was resistant, she was persistent, and now she is eternally grateful for having those stories on video.

I can tell people all the time how important this is to do for their families, but no one says it better than a thankful client.

Which is why I’m glad that I’ve serendipitously entered into a very challenging, yet rewarding area of recording personal histories: interviewing those facing a terminal illness.

The challenges of such a project are fairly obvious, I think. This is a highly emotional time for families in such a position. But what has surprised me is how therapeutic the storytelling process can be for both ill (or simply aging) individuals as well as their loved ones.

Author Pat McNees has done considerable research on this topic.  In her article, The Beneficial Effects of Life Story and Legacy Activities, she sites a study funded by the Canadian Cancer Society. One hundred terminally ill cancer patients were asked about their lives and how they’d like to be remembered. The exercise took less than an hour, yet researchers found it reduced suffering and depression significantly, without the use of any drug. At least two other studies have shown that legacy activities have been therapeutic to both patients and caregivers.

For families, the value of a personal interview is immeasurable – to have the image and voice of their loved one preserved, to be able to hear their words of wisdom after they have gone – is an enormous benefit. The process of videotaping these stories is beneficial for families as well. “Each time an individual tells part of his/her life story, those who listen are like a mirror, reflecting and affirming their lives,” says John Kunz of the International Institute of Reminiscence and Life Review.

Nervous about suggesting such a project to a friend or family member? You’re not alone. For some people, bringing up the subject can feel taboo or like a bad omen, as if the simple act of recording one’s story is signifying the end of life. It can be awkward and divisive to families. One client who struggled with this issue recently confided in me that she felt relieved and relaxed once we completed recording her ill father. Knowing that she had preserved that bit of him, despite her Mom’s reservations, filled her with a sense of peace, and she was so happy to have moved forward with a video project.

If you know someone facing illness or advanced age, and you’d like to approach them about recording their stories, consider the gifts you are offering them and their loved ones: confirmation that they matter, knowledge that their life has meaning and purpose, certainty that their stories will have meaning for future generations.

It is impressive enough that this nearly 88-year-old woman raised five children on her own while taking on a new career in her forties, knows how to fix her own car and still drives it, and travels multiple times a year.  But how many of you would have let your kids have a pet monkey? Helen is my new hero and I think you’ll enjoy watching this story about her beloved Squeak!

One of the things I love most about creating videos for organizations is how telling a few simple stories can be so inspirational. The Association of Small Foundations was looking for a way to get new and potential members excited about their foundation work. They wanted testimonials from existing members to offer encouragement and show how much support they had received by being a member of ASF.  We created a series of three videos, titled “The Power of Small,” “Why We Give,” and “Stories of Getting Started.” I particularly love to watch this video, “The Power of Small,” because it demonstrates how a little bit of effort and money can go a long way toward helping others.

I particularly love this project because it reminds me of so many of my clients – all who have amazing stories to share and many who have incredible attitudes towards living life to the fullest. I hope you find this trailer (though a bit long at over 9 minutes) inspiring. If nothing else, watch the first few minutes with the dancing lady!

(Please note: It starts “in black” for the first five seconds.)

One day, it occurred to me to ask my husband, a handy guy, “Hey, you know that door? Could we oil it or something? It’s driving me crazy!” (Apparently, this door did not have the same effect on him, as this was our first mention of it in seven years of home ownership.)  “Sure,” he said, “It will take just a few minutes.”

And a few minutes it did. I must have opened and closed that door twenty times in utter amazement at its squeak-freeness. (A year later, it still doesn’t squeak.)

A few minutes, and this seemingly mammoth issue that I had endured for so long was so easy to solve.

I share this story because I often get similar reactions from the people I talk to about taking on a family history project. They view it as this mammoth, daunting task. Sadly, they often end up doing nothing (as I did with my door for seven years!).

Except my project was just a door. A person’s life story is far more important.

That being said, here are some ideas to take you from mammoth to manageable:

Break It Down

If you start to think of all the different things you want to include in your project, you’ll go bonkers. So break it down into parts.

• First, start with the person or people on whom you’d like to focus. Think about the different things you’d like to find out about them. If this seems overwhelming, take it from a chronological angle.
• Next, look at all of the elements you’d like to include and what you have (photos, video interviews, old home movies, family mementos, etc.).

Start With One Thing

• Maybe it’s the photos you want to tackle first, for example. Decide if you want to compile them into a scrapbook, digital book that can be duplicated, photo movie, or consolidate them into an archival photo box.
• Next, select your materials: photo scanner, editing software, or scrapbooking supplies.
• Set aside time throughout the month to start compiling photos. Stick to one task until it’s complete, even if it means setting aside another project for the time being.

Keep It Simple

• A photo project can get overwhelming because there can be so many pictures. So many that you don’t want to start, which defeats the purpose.  Start with something you know you can do quickly and easily, like grabbing your video camera, turning it on, asking a few questions and seeing what happens.
• Do what comes easily to you first, that you can have a sense of accomplishment with.

Ask For Help

• Fixing the squeaky door was daunting to me, but luckily I knew who to ask for help. Similarly, with a personal history project, there are many people who can help you.
• You may have a family member who is an avid genealogist, another who is a scrapbooker, and a third who loves to use his or her video camera. Ask them for help!
• If no one in the family is able to help, look for professional help. A professional organizer can help you with photos, and a personal documentarian can help with your video interviews and putting the project together.

Let your family history project BE the squeaky wheel (or door) that gets the grease. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

And yet, money did matter. A lot.

It mattered in terms of updating existing exhibits as well as being able to create new ones. One museum administrator spent close to a year, and over 100 hours of his own time, to create an audio walking tour of his small city. Yes, the project was “free,” but what was his time worth?  Could his skills have been better utilized elsewhere if he’d delegated the project to a paid professional?

Which leads me to the old adage – sometimes you have to spend money to make money.

One of the best ways to do that, particularly for non-profit organizations, is to create a video that moves people to donate to your cause. You will have to invest money, but the money you bring in as a result will make up for the expense, sometimes 16-fold. Does this sound too good to be true? The Harrison Medical Center Foundation in Bremerton, WA could never have imagined what video could do for them, until they decided to invest in a video to show at their annual gala. The amazing response from donors (they raised $65,000 instead of the targeted $30,000) made it possible for Harrison Hospital to respond to far more community healthcare needs than they had dreamed.

Here are some ideas to consider if you are thinking of making the investment:

• Video makes things personal. Much like Skyping with your family versus emailing, seeing and hearing someone is more meaningful than reading text. It takes a human, emotional connection to move a lapsed donor to give, and video can help you make that connection.

• Video makes it easy for viewers to understand your mission. Potential donors want to see and hear about your achievements. They want to “get” why you do what you do. Repurposing clips and photos from the past year or two is a great way to show people how their valuable donations are being used.

• People relate to individuals more than they do a group. Choose one or two charismatic people who have an interesting story to tell and whose lives have somehow been impacted for the better through your organization. Or find a voice from the community to talk about the work your organization has done for the greater good.

• Get your message out there! Think wide-range.  Post the video on your website, but also take advantage of popular social media outlets like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, as well as sponsors’ and supporters’ websites. The more people who see your message, the more chance it has to succeed.

• Make it easy for your supporters. Include a “donate now” tab for their convenience, so that when they’ve been touched by what you’ve shown them, they are more likely to give. (For more information on how to create this for a YouTube video, click here.)  Also, check out this video.

If you’d like to learn more, please contact us.  We love working with nonprofits and would be happy to discuss how we can help with your fundraising efforts.