Vision House can help you capture a unique company or personal life story in a compelling, custom made documentary biography. Using commercial video production techniques, we create documentaries that allow you to tell your story first hand, with your passion and personality- a compelling legacy that honors employees or family, and can be enjoyed and treasured for years to come. It is a new idea for some, and we get questions about the process… so here are some of the most common questions around this service:
Frequently Asked Questions
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[toggle title=”What is a Corporate or Personal History video?”] A corporate or personal history is the preservation of a person’s life story, memoirs, or life values in video, printed form or on audiotape- or all of these. It is a great gift for retiring employees, company histories or for telling an enduring personal life story for friends, family and colleagues.[/toggle]
[toggle title=”What’s the purpose? Why would this be interesting?”] Every business or personal life is interesting. Wouldn’t it be interesting to communicate the early years of business growth? Wouldn’t employees appreciate the history that went into the founding of what exists today? Or on a personal level, wouldn’t you like to know what your great-grandparents’ lives were really like—in their own words? No matter how ordinary you might think your your story is, it’s extraordinary to others, to your descendants and to future researchers.[/toggle]
[toggle title=”What kind of questions will be asked in the interview?”]Everything relevant to your story. The more detail, the better. What if there are things you don’t want to talk about? Leave them out. No one will force you to say anything. However, it sometimes helps to review painful periods and realize how you survived them. This can be especially valuable for future business leaders or family members when they are going through difficult times.[/toggle]
[toggle title=”Where and how is the interview done?”] The interviews are usually recorded at your office or home in a quiet, comfortable room. To avoid distractions, often it’s a good idea for employees or family members to occupy themselves elsewhere. Even if two people, such as a married couple, are both being interviewed, better results are usually achieved by having separate interviews.[/toggle]
[toggle title=”How long does it take to do the interviews?”]Recording a business history or a person’s life story can average from an hour to several hours, depending on the narrator’s memories and desire to share them. Sessions last from one to three hours each, depending on your energy and comfort, and are spread over days or weeks.[/toggle]
[toggle title=”How long does it take to finish the project?”]It depends on how much material is involved and the amount of time you have available to spend on any aspect of the project, but typically 3-4 weeks.[/toggle]
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Other common questions:
What’s the final product? How do I know which one to choose? The result could be a set of audiotapes, a book, an ethical will, a web site (with geneology) a CD or a DVD or a combination of these. Each choice has its own benefits and price range. A personal historian can clarify which products might suit your needs.
What do I get from CDs and DVDs? CDs and DVDs are computer disks on which you can store a lot of information digitally. Our professionals can help you tell your story in text, photos, audio, documents, and even film and video clips, all on one disk. Designed to give the computer user easy access, CDs and DVDs help you create a new form of storytelling that will be fresh in the eyes of future generations.
How much does it cost? See our price guidelines here. Prices can vary widely, depending upon the length of the interviews, the services you need and the end result you want. They may range from several hundred dollars to many thousands for a complex corporate or personal biography, a large family or company history, or an intricate video production. A personal history project can be crafted to fit your budget. Often several family members who believe in the importance of preserving their family’s legacy can share the cost.
What are some advantages of creating a video? Video captures the subject in action, telling his/her life story in his/her own voice, showing facial expressions and gestures. Future generations can see the people and objects that are most important to the subject, as well as his/her favorite places and activities. Video production can be simple or complex, depending on the client’s desires. It may include music, sound effects, titles, opticals, or interviews with other family members.
(Parts excerpted from the Association of Personal Historians web site.)
