tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-125194342011-11-18T09:09:20.534-07:00Personal historian and award-winning video biographer Steve Pender invites you to pull up a chair and join him at his blog, The Family Legacy Video Cafe!Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.comBlogger991100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-5236907620625141062011-08-18T10:16:00.003-07:002011-08-18T10:24:04.739-07:00

Starting today, August 18, 2011, Family Legacy Video's website has a new look and feel. As part of the redesign, the Family Legacy Video Cafe is now integrated into the site itself. From now on, you'll find the cafe here. I hope you'll continue to visit! By the way the site's homepage is still: http://www.familylegacyvideo.com/.

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-53015017146424288752011-06-23T14:47:00.002-07:002011-06-23T14:50:31.019-07:00

I'll never forget my high school biology teacher. Mr. Rutledge was terrific in the classroom. He was lively, funny and entertaining - in short, he made learning fun. Then came the the day he gave my class a taste of what many of our future college lectures would be like. Announcing that it was "college lecture day," he sat at his desk, opened a text book, bowed his head and read, in a monotone,

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-14305305385895659702011-05-16T09:11:00.000-07:002011-05-16T09:12:56.937-07:00

I'm getting to know how the folks at Xerox must have felt when people used their company name to describe any old photocopier. I've recently found several Web sites using the term "Family Legacy Video" to describe their video biography offerings. The truth of the matter is that Family Legacy Video® is a trademark of Family Legacy Video, Inc. - something these other companies now know - and I'm

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-31388459808107817042011-04-13T10:36:00.001-07:002011-04-13T10:38:18.921-07:00

In many ways, technology has certainly shrunk our world. All you have to do these days to get in touch with someone on the other side of the globe is dial a phone or log on to the Web; within seconds you can be chatting, either by voice or text. It's easy as pie. But let's say, after doing some research, you find that the video biographer you want to hire is located in another part of the country

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-65263399018694372602011-03-29T09:43:00.002-07:002011-03-29T09:45:34.887-07:00

The foundation of a successful video biography is a well-researched, conducted and recorded interview. But just as important as what the storyteller says during his or her interview is what viewers see. Many times it's just fine to have the storyteller on screen. Other times, the interview can be wonderfully enhanced by visuals that illustrate the incidents, people and places being described.What

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-26707679808836939202011-02-15T15:48:00.004-07:002011-02-15T15:54:17.765-07:00

Ajo, Arizona is a small town about a 2 1/2 hour drive west of Tucson. The town is chock-full of stories, thanks to its years as a copper-mining boom town and the mix of cultures (Native Americans, Hispanics and Anglos) who worked the mine. Preserving those stories, as told by the folks who lived them, became a passion for a group of history-minded Ajo residents. In 2008, they formally organized

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-64764942978276754552011-01-02T09:15:00.001-07:002011-01-02T09:16:59.541-07:00

It was about 1 AM in Tucson, Arizona, on the morning of December 21. I unlocked my front door, stepped into the night and looked up towards the heavens. There it was: a rust-colored moon in almost total eclipse, floating in and out of view behind a mottled layer of broken clouds. Even though the sky wasn't as clear as I would have liked, the view was gorgeous, and it was made all the more special

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-35893961686581471042010-12-08T09:12:00.003-07:002010-12-08T09:18:38.478-07:00

So you've decided that 2011 is the year you're going to create that long overdue video biography featuring your grandparents, or your mom and dad. You own a pretty nice consumer camcorder. You've dabbled in editing. You've even created birthday video DVDs for family members. Who's to say you shouldn't take on that long-awaited video biography project yourself, instead of hiring a professional

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-10195057080886897222010-11-15T09:19:00.001-07:002010-11-15T09:21:07.400-07:00

The history of the world is a complex tapestry of events, images and sounds. You'll find a small sampling of those images and sounds is available at the World Digital Library. The WDL is a free, online resource that allows you to view and listen to primary materials from a wide variety of countries and cultures.The WDL currently offers over one thousand items contributed by institutions around

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-32155924981114001422010-10-16T10:48:00.000-07:002010-10-16T10:49:06.690-07:00

My mission in life is to help individuals, families, businesses and organizations preserve, celebrate and share their memories and their stories. But once in a while, as a change of pace, it's fun to delve into my own memories. I do this using a technique I call a "memory stir." It's pretty simple, actually. I sit down and ask myself a question meant to prompt a recollection or two. It can be

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-35610255697703278062010-09-22T08:58:00.001-07:002010-09-22T09:00:36.971-07:00

Stuffed cabbage: It's one of my ultimate comfort foods, as well as a delicious reminder of my Polish heritage. Luckily for me, my mother-in-law is the "Queen of Cabbage." She brought her family recipes with her when she emigrated from Poland in 1960. Forty-nine years later, she's still at the top of her game in the kitchen. For me, her stuffed cabbage is the stuff of which dreams are made. Few of

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-80570044366921241672010-08-04T19:00:00.004-07:002010-08-04T19:06:31.562-07:00

Gene Edminster is a WWII veteran and a member of my Rotary club. I recently interviewed Gene for the Catalina Rotary Veterans Project, an initiative designed to preserve the military and Rotary service stories of veterans who are club members. At the end of our session, I impulsively asked Gene if he saw value in preserving his stories on video. He responded by talking about the war stories he

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-87817788168428956532010-07-05T09:55:00.002-07:002010-07-05T10:00:43.716-07:00

I can honestly say I average at least two or more calls or e-mails each week from folks looking for information about running a video biography business. Truth be told, I have my own video biography business to run and just can't take a lot of time out of my day to answer the many questions my callers have. Which is a shame, because it's a subject I love to talk about. But there is a solution -

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-90531553600843274662010-06-19T07:24:00.001-07:002010-06-19T07:29:30.028-07:00

The reported benefits of family legacy videos are usually more anecdotal than clinical. But now and again an official study affirms what video biographers know: personal legacy projects often have profoundly positive mental and physical impacts on storytellers and their families. Who says so? Researchers at the University of Michigan and University of Alabama, that's who.The "Legacy Project"

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-17268023267690394842010-06-02T14:40:00.002-07:002010-06-02T14:46:52.165-07:00

Exciting news! Just got word that Family Legacy Video, Inc., has won two Awards of Distinction in the 2010 Communicator Awards competition. Our honors came in the History/Biography category. The winning entries were A Legacy of Family, featuring the life stories of Tucson couple Bill and Wilma Hansen and Charlie's Story, featuring WWII B-17 pilot Charlie Wilson of Austin, Texas.The Communicator

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-8711679594224892792010-05-24T07:09:00.001-07:002010-05-24T07:12:18.171-07:00

So you're watching a taped interview on the evening news. The interview subject starts to answer a question, but after about ten words the position of her head suddenly changes from leaning forward to leaning backward. Then, after a few more words, her head suddenly tilts to the left. The audio sounds fine, so what's going on with the video?What's going on is this: When they got the tape back to

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-7330272280985001282010-04-10T12:22:00.001-07:002010-04-10T12:25:47.263-07:00

You've videotaped your family interviews and collected your photos, films and other visuals. But now that you sit down to edit, the prospect of creating a video that may run a hour or longer is daunting. Just how do you put together a video biography that's informative and entertaining without getting overwhelmed in the process?Think: Chapters.Any large project can be intimidating until you break

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-8727562427497223512010-02-01T09:29:00.001-07:002010-02-01T09:50:02.188-07:00

(Disclaimer: I am not a copyright lawyer - I don't even play one on TV. This article is not meant to take the place of professional legal advice.)Music. It's a key creative ingredient in video biographies. Music can establish pacing, create moods and evoke historical eras. But there's another aspect of music use video biographers need to heed: the legal side. Why?Let's look at a couple of

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-1777215940074989402010-01-02T13:57:00.002-07:002010-01-02T14:01:34.738-07:00

Video biographies are all about making and reaffirming connections - between the past, present and future and with the family, friends and sometimes complete strangers who help us on our journeys through preproduction, production and post production. Here's a case in point.Ever hear the story about the shoemaker's kids? Their dad was always so busy mending shoes for customers that he neglected

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-85159582754319786242009-12-08T09:36:00.002-07:002009-12-08T09:39:24.970-07:00

Last week I finally saw "Miracle on 34th Street" on the big screen. Not that weak color remake, mind you. I'm talking about the original, in glorious black and white. After all these years of watching the film on TV with "minimal commercial interruptions" I saw the film as it was enjoyed by audiences during its initial release in 1947.Many thanks to the Fox Theatre, here in Tucson, Arizona, for

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-43979728526027421742009-11-04T08:57:00.001-07:002009-11-04T09:00:51.271-07:00

Get ready to dust off your headsets and double check your Internet connection - Family Legacy Video's next Webinar series is on the calendar!Family Legacy Video is proud to present "Video Biography Basics," a six-session Webinar series led by award-winning video biographer and Family Legacy Video president Steve Pender. If you've been wondering what it takes to create a legacy video, this series

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-85601135619961748772009-10-12T15:47:00.003-07:002009-10-12T16:03:51.935-07:00

Remember the last time you gave someone a really great gift - and how much fun you had anticipating the reaction your present would generate - and how great it was sharing in the recipient's surprise and joy?The gift of a video biography from Family Legacy Video certainly falls into the category of unique and special gifts, but it poses a challenge: Since the legacy video is most often created

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-10930537424150107182009-10-01T09:54:00.001-07:002009-10-01T09:56:11.238-07:00

Dreams are funny things. Most disappear from my memory in an instant, like flash paper kissed by a burning match, as soon as I open my eyes to the light of day. Others, for no particular reasons I can fathom, remain inked indelibly onto my long-term memory. I like to re-examine these dreams occasionally to see if time and life experience bring additional insights into their meanings. Once in a

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-45702283562670674792009-09-23T08:48:00.003-07:002009-10-01T09:57:57.075-07:00

At the end of the day, what it is you'll remember about your loved ones? Great accomplishments? Public acclaim? Perhaps. More than likely, though, it'll be their endearing and "imperfect" qualities - like in this commercial commissioned by the government of Singapore. Enjoy!

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-77939641346789899232009-09-07T12:19:00.003-07:002009-09-23T09:04:19.916-07:00

Pizza, spaghetti with marinara sauce, lasagna, eggplant parmigiana - all standard items you'd expect to find on most Italian restaurant menus. But at Spirito's, a neighborhood eatery in Elizabeth, New Jersey, these dishes are part of an on-going, inter-generational feast.Spirito's opened in 1932. Seventy-seven years later, the business is still run by the Spirito family, and descendants of the

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-59323085730597897202009-08-05T08:41:00.001-07:002009-08-05T08:48:50.064-07:00

Did you ever play Wiffle Ball? Growing up, it was the summer pastime of choice in my suburban New Jersey neighborhood. Every day, kids would congregate on the side street by my house, choose sides and have at it. Games were noisy affairs, punctuated by lots of arguments over close calls, and could last for hours. It wasn't unusual for us to suspend a game for dinner and then reconvene afterwards.

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-12109629600934524402009-07-08T10:22:00.004-07:002009-07-08T10:27:49.753-07:00

I belong to the Catalina Rotary Club here in Tucson. One of the features of our weekly lunch meetings is a segment called the "Member Moment." During this time, one of our members takes three or four minutes to talk a little bit about his/her life. Well, last week one of our more senior members had some time in the spotlight - and he made his moment quite memorable. In a matter-of-fact way he

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-42277536301047165642009-07-02T10:26:00.005-07:002009-07-02T10:47:10.125-07:00

So, how can you take part in a series of fun, informative and inspirational video biography workshops without flying to Tucson, Arizona? Easy - just register for Family Legacy Video's "Video Biography Summer Session" - a series of online Webinars offering professional tips and tricks for planning and producing legacy videos - and learn in the comfort of your own home!The series is the result of

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-68666064316012372032009-07-02T10:05:00.003-07:002009-07-02T10:23:01.535-07:00

In 2006 I interviewed Charlie Wilson. Charlie is a former B-17 pilot and a large part of his interview focused on his exploits during WWII. Little did I realize that Charlie's video biography would lead to my own flight in a reconditioned B-17 - and a chance to experience, in a very small way, the aircraft that Charlie and his crews flew under very perilous conditions.Charlie's video biography

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-18535984675410306682009-06-01T10:28:00.006-07:002009-06-01T10:46:59.160-07:00

On May 19, 20 and 21, Family Legacy Video dipped its toes into the waters of online training - and found them warm and inviting."Video Biography 101" was the first in what may potentially be a series of sessions offering online video biography education to folks who don't have the time and/or budget to attend a workshop in Tucson, Arizona. Family Legacy Video's Steve Pender hosted the morning,

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-39009171445250275882009-05-04T10:25:00.006-07:002009-05-04T10:46:26.245-07:00

Family Legacy Video's hands-on workshops are a great value - but not everyone can travel to Tucson, Arizona. So Family Legacy Video is harnessing the power of the Internet to bring our workshops to you!Based on the responses to our recent online survey, we're offering the first in what we hope will be a series of Webinars to help beginners create legacy videos for themselves and their families.

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-68497305261514976452009-04-02T11:13:00.006-07:002009-06-01T10:46:15.096-07:00

Family Legacy Video's Steve Pender recently joined the Smart Women’s Café as a Contributing Expert.The Smart Women's Café is a new and exciting online networking and coaching site tailored to women. Site founder Katana Abbott invited Steve to join the Café after following his video biography work for almost a year via the Family Legacy Video Web site and e-Newsletter. Steve is part of the

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-85281069700766110112009-04-02T10:54:00.008-07:002009-06-01T10:47:47.003-07:00

Consumer camcorders have their limitations when it comes to audio. But there's a neat device that can give your camcorder some professional audio capabilities.For starters, most consumer camcorders have one stereo audio track. Those camcorders that have a connection for an external microphone can usually accommodate only one. And the output from mono microphones (most external microphones you'll

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-73803105481059858422009-03-04T09:45:00.003-07:002009-06-01T10:48:05.650-07:00

My wife, Halina, visited a quilting expo recently. She came back with vivid descriptions of the many beautiful, handmade quilts on display. As she spoke, some of the patchwork quilts I've seen in the past came to mind. You probably know the kind, the ones composed of fabric swatches of all shapes and colors. And I realized these quilts had parallels to family history.How? As I see it, our

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-2697621219962281812009-02-02T11:14:00.004-07:002009-06-01T10:48:22.706-07:00

Chocolate, flowers, a heart-shaped card and a candlelit meal are all the standard trappings of a Valentine's Day celebration. But it's about time another item was added to the list. I'm talking about video.Why video? Because the love story you share with your wife, partner or significant other is special and unique. It deserves to be told and preserved and shared. And video provides the perfect

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-85891580528781431012009-01-16T10:04:00.004-07:002009-06-01T10:48:40.557-07:00

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

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-57600274326912781232009-01-06T09:57:00.004-07:002009-06-01T10:48:55.955-07:00

"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

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-76325107897690697282008-11-24T07:25:00.004-07:002009-06-01T10:49:34.999-07:00

You've just completed combining all the visual elements of your first video biography. Everything is in place - the interviews, narration, photos, text, etc. But don't breathe a sigh of relief yet - the audio mix is next! Maybe you have only two tracks of audio (interview and music) or perhaps you have three, four or more tracks holding various interviews, music cuts and sound effects. No matter

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-91384929487052718112008-10-03T07:20:00.004-07:002009-06-01T10:49:50.379-07:00

Video biographies are certainly wonderful ways to capture and preserve your precious personal stories and family history. They also tend to generate surprise benefits as well. Here are a few examples from Family Legacy Video's files:Uncovering an Olympic moment.Mary-Lou and Dick are a wonderful couple here in Tucson, Arizona. Mary-Lou's dad was a track star for Cornell around 1910. He also ran in

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-32020667262130199852008-09-11T10:11:00.003-07:002009-06-01T10:50:07.110-07:00

Occasionally customers ask me to edit interviews they've shot themselves. I'm only too happy to help them turn their raw interviews into more polished videos. Unfortunately, I can't do much about the picture quality, which usually suffers from insufficient lighting and hollow, low-level sound. Most of the time, there's also a third problem: shot composition. Now, even if you don't want to bother

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-65341076501147894202008-07-14T09:55:00.004-07:002009-06-01T10:50:23.812-07:00

Tucson’s Family Legacy Video, Inc., a pioneer in the personal video biography field, is holding two unique video biography workshops in Tucson in October, 2008.From October 17 to 19, a three-day workshop entitled “Create Your Own Video Biography” ushers attendees through the process of creating their own family history video projects. Participants will learn how to draft questions, light, shoot

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-66142018564210785712008-07-14T09:46:00.003-07:002009-06-01T10:50:39.806-07:00

I'd like to put my parents' stories on a DVD, but what happens when DVDs become obsolete? How will future generations of my family play the video?I hear variations of this question all the time. My short answer is always, "Don't worry, preserve your family history using the technology available to you now. Don't let fear of future technologies keep you from capturing your family stories today."I

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-56592607138196757432008-06-26T10:01:00.003-07:002009-06-01T10:50:54.004-07:00

Whether you're setting out on a cross country driving tour or wondering how to visually "navigate" through your next video biography, a good map can be a real asset. You can use maps to establish the locations important to your subject's story and also use them to impart a sense of movement to illustrate someone's travels.For example, I recently used maps to help tell the story of a married

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-3536030835429093272008-05-12T10:02:00.005-07:002009-06-01T10:51:09.526-07:00

"I want to get started in the video biography business, but I need experience. Where do I get it?" It's a common refrain and one I hear often from Family Legacy Video readers and customers. I usually suggest starting out by practicing on family and friends. But here's another option, one that will help preserve the stories of U.S. veterans and give you valuable interviewing experience.It's the

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-20782770871553457642008-02-19T09:36:00.005-07:002009-06-01T10:51:26.478-07:00

Tucson’s Family Legacy Video, Inc., a pioneer in the personal video biography field, is holding two unique video biography workshops in Tucson in April, 2008.From April 25 to 27, a three-day workshop entitled “Create Your Own Video Biography” ushers attendees through the process of creating their own family history video projects. Participants will learn how to draft questions, light, shoot and

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-40118518558871405352008-02-12T09:36:00.001-07:002009-06-01T10:51:44.835-07:00

Music can lend emotion and a sense of time and place to any video biography. And if any of the subjects of your video biographies are musicians, you may be able to use some of the music of their lives to lend a very personal touch to their video life stories.Here are two examples:A Family Legacy Video Workshop veteran recently finished a video biography that featured her father. Her dad had been

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-78554455181580336152008-01-08T13:18:00.001-07:002009-06-01T10:52:07.942-07:00

On December 21, 2007, I took to the radio airwaves to speak about video biographies. The experience was great fun - and I've archived the segment on the Family Legacy Video Web site so you can listen in!I was a guest on "Arizona Spotlight," a show broadcast every Friday morning and evening on Tucson's NPR stations KUAZ AM/FM. I actually visited the radio studio on December 5 and spent about a

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-67481824717177660382007-11-19T09:31:00.001-07:002009-06-01T10:52:24.701-07:00

Shortly after Labor Day, a reporter and photographer from the Explorer, Tucson's weekly newspaper, visited with we to talk about preserving personal history on video.The announcement of my workshops at the annual conference of the Association of Personal Historians kindled the interest of reporter Ty Bowers, who explored the subject of video biographies with me for a couple of hours. The article

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-8569178553868860672007-09-24T09:02:00.001-07:002009-06-01T10:52:42.188-07:00

If video biography and personal history is your cup of tea, you'll want to be in Tennessee this November.Author and award-winning video biographer Steve Pender of Tucson's Family Legacy Video will present two workshops (Preparing & Conducting a Video Biography Interview & Transcripts With Time Code: The Video Biographer’s Friend) at the Association of Personal Historians (APH) annual conference

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-88638460202358909922007-08-02T13:07:00.001-07:002009-06-01T10:53:25.449-07:00

Let's say you've decided to videotape an interview with two family members. In order to give yourself some options when you edit, you want to shoot them using two cameras. So how do you capture audio? And how do you synch up the tapes from your two cameras during editing?RECORDING AUDIOOption 1: You can mount a lapel microphone on each subject, run the mics into a mixer, and feed the outputs of

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-13471944555915256642007-07-03T11:50:00.001-07:002009-06-01T10:53:45.619-07:00

Drop a pebble in the water; just a splash and it is gone;But there's a half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on,Spreading, spreading, from the center, flowing on out to the seaAnd there's no way of telling where the end is going to be... - AnonymousOn October 5, 2006, during the opening session of the annual

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-13473883999999380642007-06-21T16:38:00.001-07:002009-06-01T10:54:03.676-07:00

"Two cameras! Why would I want to shoot an interview using two cameras? I can barely manage one."Okay, I hear you. And, for the most part, one camera is all you're ever going to really need to videotape your family interviews. BUT, if you're feeling adventurous, there are times when two cameras can really come in handy.Situation 1: Let's say you're doing an interview with a subject who has very

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-12657618794649593752007-05-04T12:44:00.001-07:002009-06-01T10:54:21.353-07:00

It was June 28, a few minutes past 2 PM on a hot Tucson afternoon, when I received a call from a gentleman in Wisconsin. It seems his dad, an avid amateur pianist, was hosting a house concert in Green Valley (south of Tucson) on July 1. The caller had never seen his father present a concert and was anxious to have it preserved on video. "Can you videotape the concert?" he asked.Long story short,

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-1175349944400233032007-03-31T07:59:00.001-07:002009-06-01T10:54:41.298-07:00

Have you ever gone back to visit the home where you grew up? Your first school? Or any other buildings or places that figured prominently in your childhood? I bet your visits prompted a flood of memories. You can harness that power of place to help the subject of your next video biography recall memories and stories from his or her life.A while ago I took a walk through my old New Jersey

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-1169741620807614062007-01-25T09:11:00.001-07:002009-06-01T10:55:26.022-07:00

The process of creating your family history video begins with a vision. Your vision. Now, don't be intimidated by the word "vision." All it means is the way you imagine your video is going to look and sound. The clearer your vision, the easier it will be for you to pull together the resources you'll need to make your video. For example, your vision may be for a simple, on-camera interview. Or you

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-1166027653019308642006-12-13T09:21:00.001-07:002009-06-01T10:55:49.098-07:00

November's "Create Your Own Video Biography" workshop was fun and informative for all! And now that the 2006 workshop season is a wrap, we'd like to hear how to make our 2007 workshops even more beneficial for you. Please take a moment to fill out our online workshop survey. It's an easy way to get your name on our waiting list - AND your answers will help Family Legacy Video design a workshop

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-1166026858507523602006-12-13T09:18:00.001-07:002009-06-01T10:56:10.963-07:00

An interview with my mom - it's been something I've been wanting to do for a long time. And this year I finally did it. Mom came out from New Jersey to celebrate two November milestone birthdays (I turned 50 and she reached 70) as well as Thanksgiving, which was sandwiched in between. We had a great visit, and on the day after we celebrated her birthday, we sat down for an interview that

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-1162141178205700282006-10-29T09:55:00.001-07:002009-06-01T10:56:31.663-07:00

They're white satin bags, fringed with lace and dotted with pearl-like beads. They're bridal bags, designed to hold the cards given to a bride on her wedding day. Even though they've been emptied of the cards, cash and checks that once filled them, the bags are still filled with the love of their maker and are cherished by the brides who own them.My wife and I hopped a flight from Arizona to the

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-1158701904782883092006-09-19T14:36:00.001-07:002009-06-01T10:56:51.216-07:00

"Create Your Own Video Biography" workshops from Family Legacy Video offer three jam-packed days filled with inspiration, learning and fun - and leave you with the tools you need to preserve your own precious family stories on video. Our next workshop takes place in Tucson, Arizona this November.The Tucson workshop runs from November 10 to 12 (Friday to Sunday). The venue is the meeting room at

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-1158701550817818132006-09-19T14:29:00.001-07:002009-06-01T10:57:11.780-07:00

Stock historical footage. We've all seen it used in the movies and on TV. Thanks to early documentary film makers and newsreel cameramen, long ago events, from the major to the mundane, still live on in grainy, black and white moving images. Most of those clips are owned by stock footage libraries. These companies license the rights to various clips to video and film producers - and the rights

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-1152989839543209172006-07-15T11:53:00.001-07:002009-06-01T10:57:32.736-07:00

You've decided to create a video biography chronicling your life, or the life of one of your family members. That's great! You're sure to capture lots of great personal stories. But as you go about planning your interview, don't forget to include some questions that put your subject's personal history in the context of national and/or world history.We all know how quickly times change. Asking

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-1152988622451209742006-07-15T11:32:00.001-07:002009-06-01T10:57:54.825-07:00

"Create Your Own Video Biography" workshops from Family Legacy Video offer three jam-packed days filled with inspiration, learning and fun - and leave you with the tools you need to preserve your own precious family stories on video. Our next workshop takes place this September - and you're invited!The workshop will run from September 8 to 10 (Friday to Sunday). And this time we're holding the

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-1150645436595771232006-06-18T08:38:00.001-07:002009-06-01T10:58:14.806-07:00

It's too much work. I don't look good on camera. I don't have much to say. I already have lots of photo albums - why should I make a video?If you've tried to convince a reticent parent or grandparent to sit for a video biography interview, you've probably heard excuses like these. Than again, maybe you're the parent or grandparent offering up the excuses. So why is a video biography an invaluable

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-1144269344938934532006-04-05T13:24:00.001-07:002009-06-01T10:58:35.809-07:00

Family Legacy Video's mission is helping folks just like you preserve your stories and family history on video. While you can certainly hire Family Legacy Video to create your video biography, you may be a do-it-yourselfer who'd like to learn how to produce the video yourself. Well, you're in luck. Family Legacy Video is holding two "Create Your Own Video Biography" workshops in the coming months

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-1142192305124830362006-03-12T12:33:00.001-07:002009-06-01T10:58:55.079-07:00

Imagine you're in a theatre, waiting to see the latest hit musical. The house lights dim. Audience chatter ceases. Then, from the orchestra pit, comes the first notes of the overture. During the next few minutes you enjoy a sampling of the musical delights to come. Your excitement builds, your anticipation grows, and, by the time the curtain rises, you're totally focused on the show.Think of the

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-1138825297151575832006-02-01T13:17:00.001-07:002009-06-01T10:59:18.914-07:00

Most humans are visual thinkers. Our thoughts are composed of imagery and pictures. And the right combination of images and sound coming from a TV or movie screen can inspire a wide range of emotions that leave indelible memories behind.In addition to emotional impact, photos, family films and other memorabilia like newspaper clippings, trophies and medals lend your documentary what video pros

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-1136398615032369722006-01-04T11:14:00.001-07:002009-06-01T10:59:41.171-07:00

Telling and preserving family stories is fun and fulfilling. But you may be surprised to learn that sharing family stories and family history can promote and enhance the self-esteem and academic skills of your children and grandchildren.At least that's what some new research indicates. The research is detailed in a recent Wall Street Journal Online article. Click here to read this intriguing

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-1133977952629465202005-12-07T10:51:00.001-07:002009-06-01T11:00:12.678-07:00

Ever thought a video biography could bring a family closer together? Happily, the renewal of family relationships can be a fringe benefit of video biography project.Yesterday I received a letter from a recent client telling me about the wonderful effect his mother's video biography has had within his family. Here's the first paragraph from the letter:"To date we have distributed over thirty-five

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-1133821867353903832005-12-05T15:26:00.001-07:002009-06-01T11:00:36.518-07:00

When I was a kid, I had an uncle who owned a film camera. The only way he could get decent exposures indoors was to use lights. There were several of them, set in a bar that was mounted on his camera. When those lights were on, you could see nothing else. I can remember smiling sheepishly, waving, trying to be natural, all the while staring into what seemed light a million kilowatt glow.While

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-1132765381217368262005-11-23T10:01:00.001-07:002009-06-01T11:00:58.077-07:00

Many estate planners are now looking to help their clients pass along legacies of stories as well as money. I met some of these forward-thinking professionals during a recent trip to Orlando, Florida.The event was the annual symposium held by the SunBridge Network, a unique association of estate planners devoted to helping their clients meet their life and financial goals and create legacies to

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-1130257509930683992005-10-25T09:22:00.001-07:002009-06-01T11:01:18.227-07:00

Tripods designed for still cameras and those meant for video, while similar, are very different beasts. They both have three legs, of course. They're both designed to provide a steady platform for your camera. But there's a critical difference between the two.It's in the head of the tripod, the part where you mount your camera. Video tripod heads are called "fluid" heads. They're designed

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-1129068895336065422005-10-11T15:10:00.005-07:002009-08-03T17:14:22.597-07:00

Family Legacy Video thinks seeing is believing - that's why we created the Family Legacy Video™ Theatre.The Family Legacy Video™ Theatre is the online theatre where you can view all the video clips streaming from the Family Legacy Video Web site. The clips you see there will surely inspire you with ideas for your family video, and you'll get to see Steve Pender talk about his passion for family

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-1127252479611994422005-09-20T14:38:00.001-07:002009-06-01T11:02:03.597-07:00

Most elder family members are great sources of family stories and family history, but have little interest or experience with video technology. Many younger family members know little family history but are aces when it comes to computers and video. What can bring them together? Try a family history video project.There I was, at a local Rotary Club, in the middle of a talk about creating family

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-1126130937593770082005-09-07T15:07:00.001-07:002009-06-01T11:02:24.898-07:00

I was on the phone with a sales rep last week. We got to talking about my business and as soon as she heard what Family Legacy Video was all about, she said, "I think what you're doing is wonderful!" Turns out that, prior to her sales career, she was a nurse at a hospice.She went on to say that she always tried to get families of hospice patients to tape remembrances with their loved ones and

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-1124922738443769552005-08-24T15:18:00.001-07:002009-06-01T11:02:47.319-07:00

We've seen the scene in movies countless times. Bereaved relatives gather in a lawyer's office. An attorney picks up a sheet of paper and begins to read, "I (insert name here) being of sound mind, do hereby bequeath my estate to..." And so on and so forth. A last will and testament, the document that details how a person disposes of his or her physical property after death, is a pretty common

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-1124041960978242372005-08-14T10:37:00.001-07:002009-06-01T11:03:10.764-07:00

A new study finds that, when it comes to family legacies, an overwhelming majority of people believe preserving family stories, histories and values is more important than money.A recent story by By Andrea Coombes of MarketWatch says that: "When it comes to thinking about inheritances, both boomers and older Americans say money's not everything. Instead, baby boomers say their parents' personal

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-1123086490318957272005-08-03T09:22:00.001-07:002009-06-01T11:03:31.858-07:00

I just found a site where you can generate your own personal historical timeline.If you have a few minutes and want to see how your personal history intersects with world events, head on over to OurTimelines.com. Enter in your name, the date of your birth and the current year, and the site generates a timeline of historical events - and tells you what your age was when these events occurred.Enjoy!

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-1122507026430921562005-07-27T16:18:00.001-07:002009-06-01T11:03:53.346-07:00

It's nice to be back at the cafe. I admit I've been lax in posting, but I have a good excuse. I've been busy finalizing plans for two exciting video biography events in September. I hope you'll join in the fun!So, what's been keeping you from getting a jump on that family history video project of yours? Not sure where or how to start? Maybe the technology, from cameras to computers, is too

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-1121186767756415812005-07-12T09:29:00.001-07:002009-06-01T11:04:14.696-07:00

I've recently received a number of phone calls and e-mails from potential customers who are already taping, or planning to tape, family video biographies. They've all asked the same thing: Can you edit our video for us?The short answer: Yes. Here's how it works.First, we need to consult. I need to know your vision and your goals for your video. I also need to know what I have (or will have) to

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-1121098237848823242005-07-11T09:07:00.001-07:002009-06-01T11:05:10.024-07:00

My local paper, the Arizona Daily Star, just picked up a column by Ted Kooser, the Poet Laureate of the United States. The first column carried by the paper featured a wonderful poem by Andrei Guruianu that relates to family history in a very personal way. The poem really resonates with me; I hope you enjoy it.Grandfatherby Andrei GuruianuDead before I came into this world, grandfather,I carry

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-1120936095909766212005-07-09T12:03:00.001-07:002009-06-01T11:05:30.367-07:00

Just yesterday I received a most wonderful letter from a Family Legacy Video customer. I really want to share it with you, because it shows what Family Legacy Video is all about - and it reinforces the value of preserving your precious family stories on video.Here's the text of the letter I received. I've removed the client's last name for privacy reasons:Dear Steve,As Tom and I prepare for our

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-1120330864919304772005-07-02T11:57:00.001-07:002009-06-01T11:05:52.096-07:00

At my Rotary meeting the other day, a fellow member turned to me and said, "Steve, I've got lots of home movies from the 40s and 50s. What I can do with them?" The answer: Lots!If all you want to do is free your old 16mm, 8mm and Super 8mm films from the back closet and make it possible for you to view them again (without having to set up a screen and projector), have them transferred to DVD. You

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-1119580540230804572005-06-23T19:31:00.001-07:002009-06-01T11:06:12.183-07:00

In my post of May 12, 2005, I talked about helping a family uncover long-ago Olympic film footage. Well the story just made the local paper!Bonnie Henry, a columnist for the Arizona Daily Star in Tucson, loved the story and wrote about it in her June 22 column. If you'd like to read it, here's a link to the online version of the article: http://www.dailystar.com/dailystar/allheadlines/80874.php.

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-1119201912144739212005-06-19T10:19:00.001-07:002009-06-01T11:06:33.467-07:00

Would you like to feature more than one person in your next video biography? Should you videotape them together or separately? Here's my advice.In the two-people-shot-with-one-camera interviews I've seen, the subjects always look a bit uncomfortable. First, in order to make the shot as tight as possible, they're seated very closely together. Then there's the awkwardness that occurs when one

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-1118848720244870592005-06-15T08:07:00.001-07:002009-06-01T11:06:54.688-07:00

I just spent several hours editing a video sequence in which a client describes her trip to the 1939 World's Fair in New York. What fun!She was a recent high school graduate when she and a friend journied from Michigan to the Big Apple for several memorable days in New York City. Fortunately, she created a scrapbook filled with photos and momentos of her World's Fair experience. Using her

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-1118501116661909772005-06-11T07:37:00.001-07:002009-06-01T11:07:14.307-07:00

Sorry I haven't written in a few days. It's been a very busy and exciting week!I started editing another Family Legacy Video this week. After all the prep work - the interview, collecting and creating visuals and selecting music - it's time for the "rubber to meet the road." Editing video is a very intense and enjoyable creative experience for me and it's pure joy to see my client's story coming

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-1118082868797913632005-06-06T11:07:00.001-07:002009-06-01T11:07:42.161-07:00

So what's a cereus? And what does it have to do with video biographies?Actually, I'm referring to a plant called a "night blooming Cereus." It's a droopy, spindly little cactus that exists here in Arizona. What makes it special is that it blooms only once a year, usually sometime between May and July.It's actually a pretty neat event. A plant that looks like a dead stick suddenly sprouts stalks

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-1117912349956846982005-06-04T11:56:00.001-07:002009-06-01T11:08:07.223-07:00

There's lots of low-cost video editing software available today. But software is just a tool. And before you start concentrating on which tool to buy, you should learn the process first. Believe it or not, you probably already have software that'll help you do this for free.Windows XP computers come equipped with free editing software called Windows Movie Maker (the software is also available for

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-1117640099928118362005-06-01T08:14:00.001-07:002009-06-01T11:08:25.543-07:00

Welcome! If you're new to the Cafe and to blogs, here's some information that'll help you.First off, if all you want to do is read the posts, just click on the post titles. You'll find the most recent posts on the main page. You can search for others in the archives.You'll notice that each post starts off with a short introduction. To read the entire post, click on the "Read more!" icon.Like to

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-1117388950088533292005-05-29T10:39:00.001-07:002009-06-01T11:08:44.348-07:00

World War II veterans are dying at an alarming rate. Do you have a vet in your family? Preserve his or her story on video before it's too late.I've read that we're losing between 1,000 to 2,000 World War II vets every day. I'm sure Korean War vets aren't too far behind. I think it's a tragedy that so many of them pass on without leaving a record of their experiences - in war and in peace, for

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-1117209905434051872005-05-27T08:55:00.001-07:002009-06-01T11:09:06.491-07:00

Here we are, on the cusp of another Memorial Day weekend, certainly a time to reflect and focus on family history. It's the perfect time to start planning a video biography. Start now, and by the end of the year your production could be ready to present to your family. Imagine what a wonderful and unforgettable gift that will be.Please leave a comment to let Cafe readers know about your video

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-1117039249044043202005-05-25T09:26:00.001-07:002009-06-01T11:09:33.473-07:00

Capturing a loved-one's story on video is a fantastic experience. But even the most compelling interview can cause an audience to nod off if all they're seeing is a "talking head" on the screen. A variety of visuals can help make your interview entertaining and take your video biography to a higher level.What visuals can you incorporate into your family history video? Photos are the most obvious

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-1116721372176289572005-05-21T17:16:00.001-07:002009-06-01T11:10:00.757-07:00

Just a short note today to say how excited I am about the first six-session do-it-yourself Family Legacy Video workshop that finished today!It began in March. We started small, with four extremely motivated students who had very little experience shooting, producing and editing video. In just three short months they organized their productions, shot interviews and learned the basics of editing.

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-1116607314844717052005-05-20T09:22:00.001-07:002009-06-01T11:10:34.394-07:00

With each passing day I'm more and more convinced that the practice of preserving family stories is gradually catching fire. What stories do you want to preserve and pass along?It never fails - after each and every speaking engagement or workshop session, audience members approach me with stories about their families. I enjoy hearing the stories of course, but most of all what I really love is

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-1116514672290459762005-05-19T07:56:00.001-07:002009-06-01T11:11:06.346-07:00

Here in Tucson the Saguaros and Palo Verdes are in bloom - a gorgeous site! This means summer is near. It's the time of year when most of us vacation (or go on "holiday"). It's also prime time for family reunions and for reconnecting with family members we see only once every few years, or just once in a blue moon. If you've been wondering when and where you can capture footage and interviews

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-1116284528230177902005-05-16T15:40:00.001-07:002009-06-01T11:11:33.341-07:00

As kids, I bet most of us never thought of our grandparents as ever being children themselves. I know I didn't. Then one day my grandmother Ciurczak told me a story about a childhood indiscretion that revealed her inner child to me. Seems my maternal grandmother was in the school choir during her high school years in Elizabeth, New Jersey. One day after choir practice, she and a group of her

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-1116107029572928572005-05-14T14:28:00.001-07:002009-06-01T11:12:33.090-07:00

I'll always thank my lucky stars that I captured my paternal grandmother and her wonderful stories on video. I wish I'd been able to do it with my other grandparents as well. I really feel a keen sense of loss when I think about all the family stories I'll never hear and especially about the fact that the chance to capture the images and voices of my other grandparents is lost to me

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-1115936737886226642005-05-12T15:01:00.001-07:002009-06-01T11:12:55.651-07:00

Imagine finally seeing your father run in the Olympics - the 1912 Olympics, that is. Creating video biographies is always fulfilling for me. But occasionally I'm able to provide a special service that really gives me the warm fuzzies. Here's what I'm talking about:Just before Christmas of 2004 I completed a Family Legacy Video for a wonderful couple, Mary-Lou and Dick, here in Tucson. It turns

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12519434.post-1115855167571360912005-05-11T16:35:00.001-07:002009-06-01T11:13:15.077-07:00

Lord knows she tried, but great-great-grandma just couldn't cook. Take peas, for example. She'd buy peas in the pod, shell 'em - and burn 'em. Then she'd toss out the burnt peas and serve canned ones instead. When great-great-grandpa complained that his peas didn't taste fresh, she'd storm into the kitchen, return with handfuls of empty pea pods and declare, "See! Here are the pods from the fresh

Steve Penderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367028136098903915noreply@blogger.com2