Vision House can capture your unique company or personal life story in a compelling documentary biography that is custom made just for you. We use commercial broadcast video production techniques to create a quality documentary video that will allow you to tell your story as only you can. We’ll help you create a compelling legacy that will be enjoyed and treasured for years to come… by friends, family and the generations to come.
We are passionate about telling your story and creating a legacy for your business or family…
Frequently Asked Questions
(Excerpted from the Association of Personal Historians web site.)
What is personal history / personal biography?
What is a personal historian?
What is the Association of Personal Historians?
How does personal history differ from genealogy?
What’s the purpose? Why would anyone be interested in my life story?
If a personal historian interviews me, what if there are some things I don’t want to talk about?
Where and how is the interview done? Is anyone else there?
How long does it take to do the interviews?
How long does it take to complete the project?
What’s the final product? How do I know which one to choose?
What is an ethical will?
What do I get from CDs and DVDs?
How much does a personal history cost?
What are some advantages of creating a video?
What will a video project cost?
What is personal history?
Personal history is the preservation of a person’s life story, memoirs, or life values in printed form or on audiotape, videotape, CD or DVD.
What is a personal historian?
A personal historian records and preserves people’s memoirs and life stories.
What is the Association of Personal Historians?
The Association of Personal Historians, Inc. (APH) is a nonprofit professional organization supporting the work and skill development of many hundreds of professional personal historians throughout North America and around the world. Our members are dedicated to helping individuals and groups record and preserve their life stories, memoirs, and histories. APH members possess the skills to elicit, record, and preserve the life stories of individuals, families, organizations, businesses, and entire communities for posterity.
How does personal history differ from genealogy?
A personal historian records a person’s life stories and experiences, whereas genealogists research and record a person’s descent from his or her ancestors.
What’s the purpose? Why would anyone be interested in my life story?
Every person’s life is interesting. 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 life is, it’s extraordinary to your descendants and to future researchers. As Mark Twain said, “There was never yet an uninteresting life. Such a thing is an impossibility. Inside the dullest exterior, there is a drama, a comedy, and a tragedy.”
If a personal historian interviews me, what if there are some things I 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 to future readers when they are going through dark times.
Where and how is the interview done? Is anyone else there?
The interviews are usually recorded at your home in a quiet, comfortable room. To avoid distractions, often it’s a good idea for other 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.
How long does it take to do the interviews?
Recording 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.
How long does it take to complete the project?
It varies according to the scope of the project. Interviews on audiotape can be completed in a matter of weeks (see above). To produce a video, CD or DVD may take several weeks. It depends on how much material is involved and the amount of time you have available to spend on any aspect of the project.
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 is an ethical will?
An ethical will is a document written to your loved ones and provides a way to express your spiritual legacy, your values, hopes, life's lessons, forgiveness and love to your family, friends, and community. It may be written at a significant point in your life or as part of your estate plan.
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 a personal history cost?
Prices 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 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.
What will a video project cost?
Video prices vary, depending on the following things:
• The number of hours of tape shot;
• The variety of locations and difficulty of set-ups (lighting, sound, etc.);
• The time needed to edit the tape and the soundtrack;
• The addition of voice-over, titles, special effects, music, sound effects, opticals, etc.;
• The number of copies made from the final cut.