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What if you could capture your family's story in a way that would be cherished for generations?
A Video Biography captures a parent or grandparent in a filmed interview, sharing their life story, family history, and memories. Skillfully edited and woven together with family photos, documents, maps, and other images, this beautiful “moving portrait” is about preserving the essence of who we are.
Why Stories Matter
I always remember the glimmer of joy in my grandpa’s eyes and smile as he’d share a story of his time in the military, traveling, or something silly from the day-to-day. He had so many stories of his growth in wisdom and becoming the man he was, a true servant at heart. It took me maturing to realize how much I cherished those stories and wished I could hear them again.
This may be the same for many others, and it is part of the reason my desire grew to do these video biographies as a service in my business. It is not often we slow down and reflect on who and what matters most in this life until it is too late.
Passing Down Something Greater Than Us
A heavy lyric from one of my favorite artists, Andy Mineo, in his song 1988 Remake 2, says:
“Time, you just keep going, and one day you are going on without me. Time, time, time, where you going? Come back!”
We live in a time of quick, fast-paced media that is ever-growing in hyper-stimulation and attention-grabbing. I believe there is something timeless and valuable in longer-form keepsakes of our family.
Life is fragile; sometimes it takes the fear of death or real loss for us to realize we regret not seeking to cherish our loved ones by letting them share life lessons, wisdom, their successes, suffering, and all the unique expressions that come with that. Those are the things we will long for one day when we are grieving. We can pass along and gift something far greater than ourselves when we let our loved ones tell their story.
Creating Your Heirloom Video
The recording process starts with plenty of discussion and collaboration to make sure the vision and desired outcome are shared. Before the cameras ever get booted up, there is pre-production planning of the environment where the interview will take place for the storyteller's sake and the production quality's sake.
Typically, the recommendation would be for a family member to interview the interviewee, as there will be a sense of connection evident that an outside interviewer simply could not replicate. Although we offer an unedited/uncut version of the interview, other offerings include incorporating vintage family media, titles/chapters, and background music to provide a much more engaging and meaningful biography.
Jim Van Straten, a remarkable Army veteran, was gifted the opportunity to share his timeless testament of cherished moments, family bonds, and the enduring legacy he created. It is a tribute overflowing with love and gratitude, commemorating a life well-lived.
Thoughtful Giving
A video biography is an extremely valuable gift, not just to the interviewee but to their entire family. As families often get together for Christmas, this could be a great gift to announce during the holiday or to plan ahead so that it can be debuted to view as a family during this special time of year.
Whether it is a gift for Christmas, a birthday, or an anniversary, consider preserving the stories of your loved ones that will impact generations to come. Contact us to get started in sharing your family's story.
I have seen this gift mean a tremendous amount to families that may be spread apart in distance, but the stories bring unity and connection — love spurs on love.
One of Nathan Gutierrez’s first videos was a legacy video summarizing my long life. The photo at the very beginning of this website is of me, a ninety-one-year-old man. When my family asked if I would agree to take part in the production of the video, I was initially reluctant. I was concerned about my ability to orally summarize the highlights of my long, multi-faceted life in a chronological, coherent, and interesting manner while the cameras were rolling. When I met Nathan, my concerns were quickly allayed. His approach was very professional and aimed at making me feel at ease and in control of the situation. On the day of the filming, he arrived at my home right on time,…
I agree with everything Nathan wrote! We had Nathan create a Legacy video of a family member. It means the world to us to have the life story as told by the one who is living it😊. It shows we care and want to be able to pass down the "This is who I am and what I value." narrative to the younger kids in the family as a keepsake. Not only has immediate family viewed and enjoyed the very professionally done video but it has been sent out to extended family and friends who have then forwarded it to their web of contacts. We have received tons of comments about how much the video was enjoyed. It has…