If you have a desire to learn hands-on video biography tips and techniques from the pros, you'll want to join one or both of Family Legacy Video's video biography events this April:
Create Your Own Video Biography (April 17-19): A comprehensive introduction to the video biography production process. Steve is joined by video veterans Dan Crapsi and Ginny Temple. You'll leave this three-day event with the inspiration and information you need to start your own video biography project.
The Business of Video Biographies (April 20): Steve shares his experience in the video bio business, answers your questions and helps you brainstorm ideas for your personal history video business. Graphic designer Dan Blumenthal shows how to create two keys to marketing success: a logo and a graphic identity for your company.
Why attend a Family Legacy Video workshop?
Our workshops are unique - the only ones we know of that focus entirely on the video biography process.
The workshops are comprehensive - leaving you with knowledge and hands-on experience that will jumpstart your video biography hobby or business.
The workshops are great fun - you'll have a blast learning professional video biography tips and techniques AND you'll meet some terrific people.
Family Legacy Video workshops don't happen every day - our April workshops are the only ones we'll hold this year.
The Early Bird registration deadline is March 6. We need a minimum of 12 registrations by this date in order for the workshops to go forward. The earlier we reach the minimum, the earlier we can give the "all clear" to buy those non-refundable advance purchase tickets to Tucson. Plus, you'll save when you sign up at the discounted Early Bird rate. If we don't reach the minimum, don't worry. You'll receive a prompt refund.
You'll find complete details on Family Legacy Video's workshop page.
One more thing - Tucson is a great place to visit in April. You'll find a list of links to Tucson-area attractions at the bottom of the workshop page.
Don't wait - register today!
Friday, January 16, 2009
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Some inspiration for 2009
"The work that personal historians do is sacred. It's the work of the soul. It's blissful and heartfelt work."
So said James Walsh as he began his presentation at an annual conference of the Association of Personal Historians. Walsh teaches history at the University of Colorado in Denver. He focuses on the oral tradition. This tradition - passing along history through the stories of the participants - is near and dear to the hearts of all of us creating video biographies, whether we do it as a profession or as a hobby.
Walsh continued by recounting an African proverb that says there are two stages of death. The first stage is sasha. Sasha are people who have passed away physically - but the living still remember them and tell their stories. So the sasha are not yet dead. The second stage is zamani. Zamani are people who have also passed away physically. However, the living no longer remember them, nor do they tell their stories. Zamani are truly dead.
What a powerful proverb - and it connects perfectly with the quote at the beginning of this article. Speaking for myself, the work I do as a personal historian, as a video biographer working through Family Legacy Video, does make me feel blissful and is certainly heartfelt. It is indeed sacred and the work of the soul. And it is dedicated to making sure my clients and my family remain sasha, not zamani, after they depart this physical world.
And yet there are many who feel they have nothing to say, that their life stories don't merit telling and preserving. To this I offer another story related by James Walsh. He was a young man from a Pennyslvania steel town, blue collar through and through, plopped down in the middle of Duke University thanks to a wrestling scholarship. He had little in common with his classmates and felt quite insecure in class. As a result he sat in the back, saying little.
One day, his professor pulled him out of class. "Walsh," asked the professor. "Why aren't you talking in class?"
"Well professor," the young man answered, "I guess I don't think my ideas are very good."
With that, the professor slammed down his fist. "Let me ask you this," he exclaimed. "How many people in the history of the planet will ever see the world from your perspective?"
Walsh thought for a moment and then answered, "No one."
"So," said the professor. "If you won't tell us what the view is like, who will?"
Exactly - who will describe the unique views and perspectives of your life, or those of your parents, grandparents or other relatives if you or they do not?
The answer is obvious. By capturing and preserving our stories through video biographies we celebrate our unique views of the world and of our places in it. We share and relish our video bios while we're alive. And then, after we depart this earthly coil, our stories, as told by us, remain to be enjoyed by future generations of our families, keeping our memories alive, connecting our family past with its present and future - and keeping us sasha.
If this isn't sacred, the work of the soul, I don't know what is.
If you've already started preserving your family storytellers on video, bravo! If you haven't begun yet - start. Now.
And remember that Family Legacy Video is here to help.
So said James Walsh as he began his presentation at an annual conference of the Association of Personal Historians. Walsh teaches history at the University of Colorado in Denver. He focuses on the oral tradition. This tradition - passing along history through the stories of the participants - is near and dear to the hearts of all of us creating video biographies, whether we do it as a profession or as a hobby.
Walsh continued by recounting an African proverb that says there are two stages of death. The first stage is sasha. Sasha are people who have passed away physically - but the living still remember them and tell their stories. So the sasha are not yet dead. The second stage is zamani. Zamani are people who have also passed away physically. However, the living no longer remember them, nor do they tell their stories. Zamani are truly dead.
What a powerful proverb - and it connects perfectly with the quote at the beginning of this article. Speaking for myself, the work I do as a personal historian, as a video biographer working through Family Legacy Video, does make me feel blissful and is certainly heartfelt. It is indeed sacred and the work of the soul. And it is dedicated to making sure my clients and my family remain sasha, not zamani, after they depart this physical world.
And yet there are many who feel they have nothing to say, that their life stories don't merit telling and preserving. To this I offer another story related by James Walsh. He was a young man from a Pennyslvania steel town, blue collar through and through, plopped down in the middle of Duke University thanks to a wrestling scholarship. He had little in common with his classmates and felt quite insecure in class. As a result he sat in the back, saying little.
One day, his professor pulled him out of class. "Walsh," asked the professor. "Why aren't you talking in class?"
"Well professor," the young man answered, "I guess I don't think my ideas are very good."
With that, the professor slammed down his fist. "Let me ask you this," he exclaimed. "How many people in the history of the planet will ever see the world from your perspective?"
Walsh thought for a moment and then answered, "No one."
"So," said the professor. "If you won't tell us what the view is like, who will?"
Exactly - who will describe the unique views and perspectives of your life, or those of your parents, grandparents or other relatives if you or they do not?
The answer is obvious. By capturing and preserving our stories through video biographies we celebrate our unique views of the world and of our places in it. We share and relish our video bios while we're alive. And then, after we depart this earthly coil, our stories, as told by us, remain to be enjoyed by future generations of our families, keeping our memories alive, connecting our family past with its present and future - and keeping us sasha.
If this isn't sacred, the work of the soul, I don't know what is.
If you've already started preserving your family storytellers on video, bravo! If you haven't begun yet - start. Now.
And remember that Family Legacy Video is here to help.
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