Mixing it up - tips for your video biography audio mix.

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 how few or how many tracks you need to combine, the prospect can be a bit daunting. Here are some tips that may help.

Take it one layer at a time.
Think of the audio portion of your project as a layer cake. Instead of trying to mix together everything at once, concentrate on adding to the mix one layer at a time.

Voice first.
The voice track is the most important audio element of your piece. So start by turning off or disabling all the audio tracks except for the track that has the interview. You're not deleting these other tracks, mind you, just temporarily turning them off so you hear only your interview. After you've done this, play your video from beginning to end, adjusting the voice levels along the way. Your editing software should have a visible VU meter that shows the audio levels as you go. Your aim is to keep your voice levels sounding natural, consistent and, most important, out of the red! If they peak into the red area of your VU meter, go back and adjust the levels so they stay in the green. Red levels will result in unpleasant snaps, crackles and pops when you convert your video to a DVD.

Music next.
Once you have the level of your voice track where you want it, turn on the track containing your music. Remember, the music's purpose is to set a tone (historic and/or emotional) that supports the interview. So don't blast your levels or make them too faint. Aim for a balance that enhances the interview and doesn't drown it out. And continue to keep an eye on your levels. The combined level of the voice and sound will be higher than the level of the voice alone. You may have a mix that sounds great but peaks into the red. If that happens, go back and lower the voice and music until they're in the green.

Sound effects last.
The time to mix in your sound effects is after you've mixed your music and voice. By now you should have the hang of this audio mixing routine and are keeping an eagle eye on your audio levels.

One final note: A successful mix actually begins when you start editing your video. Be logical about how you lay out your audio tracks as you edit. For example, if you have one interview put the audio for that interview on one track only. Assign one track (or two or more as needed) as your music track and put your sound effects on another track. If your editing software allows you to name your tracks, do so. Having your tracks clearly labeled and organized will make it easier for you to layer them when mixing time comes.

Unexpected benefits of video biographies

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 the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm. During the course of producing their video biography, the couple asked me if I thought there might be film of the 1912 race. I checked with the International Olympic Committee - and sure enough, they uncovered a film clip from that long-ago event. Long story short: A copy of that race, on DVD, now occupies a place of honor in Mary-Lou and Dick's family archives. By the way, when Mary-Lou, who is in her eighties, watched the clip of the race, it was the first time she saw her dad run. Her reaction: "You can't imagine what a thrill it was to see Dad running. That was an amazing thing you did for us but it meant the most to me. Thank you again and again."

Reconnecting with family.
Doug hired Family Legacy Video to create a video bio featuring his mom, Marion. She detailed events that her kid sister never knew occurred. After watching the video, her sister and other relatives rekindled their relationships with Marion. Here's how Doug described what happened: "Mother's only surviving sister, who is seventeen years younger, was not aware of the Washington adventures and many other items that the three older children had experienced. Mother and her sister are now much closer because of the video. Many nieces and nephews with whom she'd had little contact are now in touch with her again. Thank you for providing us with a Family Legacy Video that will be passed down and enjoyed by our family throughout the coming generations."

Inspiring a new interest in family history.
Family Legacy Video recently taped a conversation between two brothers, Will and Pren. They had a great time recounting their family history and adventures. The project inspired Pren to do even more to preserve his family history. According to his daughter: "One of the hidden benefits of this project was the search for family photos to include in the video. I really enjoyed looking through them all with my parents, and labeling them for future generations. What a treasure! I am so glad we did this now. My father has been so inspired that he has taken on a new project – he found boxes and boxes of slides in the basement of his Illinois home and has been scanning them. He's really enjoying it and it’s been great to see those old photos too."

Finally telling the full story.
Len made his fortune in Peru, arriving there early in 1940. He had many fascinating adventures, both business and personal, to relate. He was most interested in detailing his business success. At the end of his interview (which stretched over three days) he had this to say: "I am very appreciative. I look forward to giving my children my background. I've always told them a little bit here and a little bit there, but never the complete story."

Every video biography project Family Legacy Video undertakes results in benefits like those above. So don't wait - get started on your family video biography project today. The benefits, both apparent and unexpected, will thrill you.

I've been framed!

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 with lights and you're happy with the sound off your camera's onboard microphone, the one thing you can do to flatter your subject is to properly compose your shot.

Very simply, shot composition is the way you frame a picture. For some reason, many amateur videographers frame their subjects very widely. A wide shot showing the interview subject from head to toe can certainly serve to introduce your subject and his/her location, but it doesn't bring a quality that's desirable for a conversation, either in person or on video. That quality is intimacy.

Think about it. During most of your conversations, you're only a few feet away, at most, from the person to whom you're speaking. While you're conversing, you're looking in each other's eyes and reading facial expressions. These visual cues, in addition to the content of the conversation, draw you in and help maintain your interest. You should strive to provide viewers of your video interviews with this same "up close and personal" experience.

Here are some tips for composing a more intimate interview:

• No wide shots, please. The widest you should frame your subject is from the waist up.



• Change your shots. At the beginning of the interview, pick three focal lengths - medium (from the waist up); medium close up (from the chest up); and close up (from the neck up). Switch between these shots while you ask your questions to give your interview some much needed visual variety.



• Place your camera lens at your subject's eye level. Unless you're going for some kind of special effect, don't place your camera too high or too low in relation to your subject. Remember, when we're seated we're all at about the same eye level. It's more natural when you frame your shot this way.



• Don't try to do it all. If you're the interviewer, get someone else to run the camera. This way, you can focus on the content of the interview while someone else pays attention to the composition. It's very tough to do both things at once.

Video biography workshops slated for October

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 and conduct interviews and prepare for editing.

On October 20, Family Legacy Video presents “The Business of Video Biographies.” This one-day workshop is aimed at budding video biographers interested in starting their own businesses. Topics ranging from the kinds (and costs) of video gear required, to marketing and pricing services will be discussed.

Family Legacy Video president Steve Pender hosts the two workshops, which will also feature presentations by the Phoenix production team of Dan Crapsi and Ginny Temple and Tucson-based marketing expert Dan Blumenthal. Pender is an award-winning scriptwriter, video editor, director and producer with over 29 years of experience. He is the author of the Family Legacy Video Producer’s Guide.

Discounted “early bird” workshop registration is being offered until July 28, 2008. The final registration deadline is October 4, 2008. Complete workshop details are available on the workshop page of the Family Legacy Video Web site or by calling 520.743.4090.

Damn the technology - full speed ahead!

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 say this for a couple of reasons. First, history shows that, as audio and video recording technologies evolve, so do ways of transferring older technologies to the new. Second, "elderly" technologies tend to exist side-by-side with the new kids on the block for years.

My opinions on this subject were recently reinforced in a very delightful way when Arlo Guthrie brought his "Guthrie Family Legacy Tour" to Tucson. He took to the stage with his son, daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter to celebrate a musical legacy begun by Arlo's dad, Woody Guthrie.

Woody Guthrie left behind a huge body of work. But, as Arlo told the audience, one thing his father's legacy lacked was a concert recording. Nowhere was there an audio record of Woody's interaction with an audience - or so the family thought, until a gentleman walked into the Guthrie Archives office with an old wire recording of a Woody Guthrie concert performance in New York City, circa the 1940s. Wire recorders predate magnetic audiotape - and yet this vintage performance now exists on a CD which will shortly be released for sale.

After telling this story, Arlo treated the audience to a couple of minutes of his dad's on-stage banter. The moment was magical. As Woody's voice filled the theatre, there were, in fact, four generations of this musical family represented on stage. And why was this possible? Because someone, nearly 70 years ago, had the foresight to record Woody's performance using the technology on hand.

So don't be inhibited by thoughts of what "might be" when it comes to technology. Preserve your stories on video now. The future will take care of itself.

Use maps to navigate through your next video biography

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 couple. The wife was born in the Philippines prior to World War II. I used a map of the Philippines to establish the length and breadth of the island chain and also to show the location of her home island and the areas on that island that figured prominently in her story.

Her husband, a bomber pilot during WWII, hitched rides from Texas to Canada in order to volunteer for the Canadian Royal Air Force. I combined two moving maps, one of Texas and one showing the border of the U.S. and Canada, to help visualize his journey.

Where can you get good maps? I recently found a great resource, a company called Maps.com, which offers a variety of digital maps available for download. They're already digital, which offers convenience (no scanning) and great image quality.
I recommend downloading the PDF versions. First, they're inexpensive (many starting around $6.95). Second, if you have Adobe Photoshop, you can open the maps there and scale and crop them to whatever size you need. You can also add effects to give the maps an aged or period look, add locations, etc.

Then, import the map into your editing software, give it some motion, and you've got a great-looking, low cost visual.

The Veterans History Project needs you!

"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 Veterans History Project. Its mission is to locate and interview veterans to record their stories. Whether you plan to create video biographies as a hobby or as a business, one of the most important things you need to do is to learn your craft. And volunteer opportunities like the Veterans History Project are a great way to learn by doing. The Veterans History Project is sponsored by the U.S. Congress and the interviews are housed in the Library of Congress. The main goal of the project is to collect first-hand accounts from U.S. veterans of the following wars: World War I (1914-1920); World War II (1939-1946); Korean War (1950-1955); Vietnam War (1961-1975); Persian Gulf War (1990-1995); and the Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts (2001-present).

You'll find complete information at this Web site: http://www.loc.gov/vets/.

Taking part in the project is a great way to "learn on the job" and add to the historical archives of the United States.

Workshops teach video biography techniques for fun & business

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 conduct interviews and prepare for editing.

On April 28, Family Legacy Video presents “The Business of Video Biographies.” This one-day workshop is aimed at budding video biographers interested in starting or growing their own businesses. Topics ranging from the kinds (and costs) of video gear required, to marketing and pricing services will be discussed.

Family Legacy Video president Steve Pender hosts the two workshops, which will also feature presentations by the Phoenix production team of Dan Crapsi and Ginny Temple and Tucson-based marketing expert Dan Blumenthal. Pender is an award-winning scriptwriter, video editor, director and producer with over 29 years of experience. He is the author of the Family Legacy Video Producer’s Guide. Pender and Family Legacy Video have been featured in both print and broadcast. Print: The Explorer News, the Arizona Daily Star, EventDV, a leading video industry trade magazine, and Miami Monthly Magazine. Broadcast: “Arizona Spotlight” on KUAZ AM/FM and Fox News in Arizona.

Discounted “early bird” workshop registration is being offered until February 29, 2008. The final registration deadline is April 1, 2008. Complete workshop details are available on the workshop page of the Family Legacy Video Web site, or by calling 520.743.4090.

Use old family music recordings to score your video

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 a mandolin player and had belonged to a mandolin club during his college days. Years later, he was recorded playing and discussing his favorite tunes. This reel-to-reel audio tape was eventually copied to CD. His daughter then incorporated the words and music from this wonderful family keepsake as a featured element in her family history video.

The father of a current video biography client was an amateur musician. He wrote a tune that his daughter, an accomplished pianist, later recorded. The song, and the story behind it, will be included in the daughter's video biography, preserving it for generations to come.

So while you're considering what to include in a video biography, don't overlook the opportunity to use some of those vintage family audio recordings that have been gathering dust for years. You'll give those audio tapes new life. In turn, they'll bring an added dimension to your production - and help you "score" with your family.

Family Legacy Video on the radio - listen in!

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 half-hour chatting with the show's host, Mark McLemore. Mark edited the interview down to a little over 7 minutes in length.

I've archived the segment on the Family Legacy Video site. All you have to do to listen is go to the site's radio page. Once there, click on the audio button near the top of the page - don't worry, it's easy to find. I hope you enjoy the interview.

Some local press for Family Legacy Video

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 appeared in the September 12 issue of the paper. You can read the online version here.

Note: The article contained a couple of factual errors. I grew up in Rahway, N.J., not Clifton (I did live in Clifton before moving to Tucson). Also, my grandmothers's bio was long ago viewed by my family.

Join Steve Pender & other personal historians this November!

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 in Franklin, Tennessee (right next door to Nashville), November 8-12, 2007. More than 300 personal historians - writers, oral historians, and videographers - in the business of “saving lives one story at a time” by creating biographies and memoirs in various formats - will gather from throughout the United States and Canada and as far away as Australia, New Zealand, Argentina and Europe.

According to Steve, “More and more Americans recognize the value of preserving family and personal stories on video in order to create legacies for future generations.” Family Legacy Video caters to this trend by producing video biographies and by teaching folks how to do it themselves.

While virtually unknown a few short years ago, the idea of “saving lives” through professionally videotaped memoirs has exploded in popularity. Today, professionals in the emerging field have translated their backgrounds in journalism, film, oral history, psychology, storytelling, graphic design, publishing, history and education into the business of documenting the lives of clients as well as the histories of corporations and other organizations.

Thirty distinctive workshops, including Steve’s two sessions, are scheduled for the 2007 APH Conference. Each will focus on the skills, equipment and methods personal historians must hone in order to capture lives and memories effectively for future generations. Information about APH and its conference is available at www.personalhistorians.org.

Come join Steve in Tennessee!

Audio tips for two-camera video bio shoots

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 AUDIO

Option 1: You can mount a lapel microphone on each subject, run the mics into a mixer, and feed the outputs of the mixer to the audio inputs of each camera. Of course, in order to do this you need a mixer and someone to mix the audio while you're recording. This is probably not something that's going to be possible for most family projects.

Option 2: Most consumer and many prosumer cameras have only one microphone input. When shooting with two cameras, you'll need to run one microphone to each camera. (Note: Unless you're using stereo microphones, the camera will place the audio on only one half of your camera's stereo channel. You'll need to copy the audio over to the other half of the channel during your edit.)

Option 3: You can buy an audio adaptor that contains two audio inputs. The inputs are of the professional XLR type (three-pin). The output of the adaptor is a mini-plug that plugs into the mic input of your camera. The adaptor will allow you to combine the audio from both mics and send the mixed feed to both left and right channels of your camera OR you can choose to keep each microphone isolated on its own channel. This option requires the purchase of an adaptor and some professional cables, though. If you do go with Option 3, remember that you're feeding the output of the microphones to just one camera. However, your second camera will still need to record audio (you'll be using this camera's audio as a reference only - I'll get to this in just a moment) so make sure the onboard microphone contained in the camera is working.

No matter how you record the audio, keep in mind that you're going to need to synch the tapes from the two cameras during your edit. One technique that will help is to record a very recognizable sound on each tape, a sound you can later use to match your tape positions. If you have a clapper, (you know, the small slate with a handle that slaps the top of the slate, used in motion pictures), that'll be just fine. If you don't have a clapper, use your (or your subject's) own two hands. Start both cameras recording, wait a few seconds, and then clap once, as loudly as you can. Do this each time you start recording. You now have audible reference points on each tape.

SYNCHING TAPES

First of all, you'll need editing software that provides a timeline with a number of video and audio layers. After you digitize your videotapes, you're ready to begin. The first step is to create a "rough edit" during which you synch up all your tapes. Let's say your two-shot is on camera 1. Import tape 1 from camera 1 into video/audio track one. Find your first clap (you'll hear it, of course, but you should also be able to see it clearly on the audio waveform displayed on the audio track) and mark the point with a clip marker. Next, import your close-ups from camera 2. Find the first clap on this tape and then mark it. Finally, line up the two markers.

Now, play the two tapes together on the timeline. If you don't hear any echo, you're right on the money. If you do hear an echo, you may need to shift one of the tapes back or forward by a frame or two. Once the tapes are synched, group them together using your editing software. Grouping guards against accidentally shifting the position of one of the tapes and losing audio synch as a result.

Once the tapes are synched, create another timeline, sequence or project. Use your rough edit as a source and cut and paste segments from your rough cut into the new timeline as you create your final program.

Drop a pebble in the water...

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 sea
And there's no way of telling where the end is going to be...
- Anonymous

On October 5, 2006, during the opening session of the annual conference for the Association of Personal Historians, I experienced a keynote address that was the most inspiring I've ever heard. The speaker was Bob Welch. He's a columnist for The Register-Guard newspaper in Eugene, Oregon, and an author. His talk chronicled his experiences researching and writing his book, American Nightingale - The Story of Frances Slanger, Forgotten Heroine of Normandy.

Frances Slanger was the first American nurse to die after the D-Day landings. She was killed the night after writing a letter to Stars and Stripes, a letter that praised American GIs and, in turn, inspired many of those soldiers to write letters in response. It's a fascinating, inspiring and heartwarming story. And what I'd like to do is focus on a small part of that story: the poem you see above.

A copy of the poem was found in Slanger's "chapbook," a scrapbook-like volume filled with writings and poems she held dear. As Welch pointed out in his address, it's a poem that speaks volumes to those of us dedicated to preserving personal and family stories and histories.

That's because we're the pebbles. When you start out to create a family or personal history, you create an initial splash. And the ripples from that splash, your efforts, can produce unexpected and delightful results.

In my own case, I never would have dreamt back in 1998 that the video biography I produced about my grandmother's life would impact my family as greatly as it did. The video continues to provide comfort to the children who miss her dearly. At least one grandchild included the video in a history project at his school. And, years later, it helped spawn Family Legacy Video, Inc., helping others preserve their precious histories. So the ripples continue to this day.

And, as the ripples of your efforts continue to spread, you'll find you inspire others to tell their stories. There's just no end to this personal history "ripple effect." It will continue for years, and generations, to come.

So go ahead. Drop a pebble in the water. Do it today.

Get double the coverage on your next family interview.

"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 few visuals (photos, films, memorabilia, etc.) available to lend visual interest to the finished program. Setting up two cameras (one a wide shot and one a close-up), gives you the option of cutting from one camera to the other during your edit. This lends some visual interest. It also helps when you want to rearrange answers or cut out some material. Let's say you're on the close up. You reach a point where you need to cut out some material. Simply end the close-up and pick up the new segment on the wide shot. This'll help hide the fact that you eliminated some of the interview.

Situation 2: Maybe you're interviewing two or three relatives at a sitting. What you can do is set up your first camera on a wide shot, so that you always see the entire group. Use your second camera to zoom in on whomever is speaking. You can hide any sloppiness that occurs as you move your close-up camera from subject to subject by covering those moves with your wide shot. And again, always having two different angles can hide cuts you make within the interview.

Of course, there are some challenges that result from using multiple cameras. You'll have double the amount of tape, for one. Plus, you need to have a plan for recording audio on both cameras. And then you'll have to line up the footage from both cameras in your editing timeline so that the audio and video from both cameras are in sync.

First of all, you'll need editing software that provides a timeline with a number of video and audio layers. After you digitize your videotapes, you're ready to begin. The first step is to create a "rough edit" during which you synch up all your tapes. Let's say your two-shot is on camera 1. Import tape 1 from camera 1 into video/audio track one. Find your first clap (you'll hear it, of course, but you should also be able to see it clearly on the audio waveform displayed on the audio track) and mark the point with a clip marker. Next, import your close-ups from camera 2. Find the first clap on this tape and then mark it. Finally, line up the two markers.

Now, play the two tapes together on the timeline. If you don't hear any echo, you're right on the money. If you do hear an echo, you may need to shift one of the tapes back or forward by a frame or two. Once the tapes are synched, group them together using your editing software. Grouping guards against accidentally shifting the position of one of the tapes and losing audio synch as a result.

Once the tapes are synched, create another timeline, sequence or project. Use your rough edit as a source and cut and paste segments from your rough cut into the new timeline as you create your final program.

Capture that performance on video!

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, I spent the evening of July 1 documenting a wonderful program of Chopin performed by my client's father for about a dozen friends. I was not only treated to some uplifting music, but also learned a few things about the history of the piano and the life of Chopin during short talks interspersed between musical selections.

I think it's terrific that my client cared enough about his dad to preserve a record of his passion for the piano. Not only will the concert video be enjoyed now, but it will also be a valuable keepsake for future generations. And the footage can also become part of a future video biography.

So if you get the opportunity (or can make the opportunity) to capture the special talents of a loved one on video, go for it! You'll have both a unique recording for your family to enjoy - and valuable footage you can use in a future family legacy video.

Looking to jog some memories? Try a road trip.

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 neighborhood, still filled with tree-lined streets and small, post World War II bungalows. My childhood home looked completely different, with a second story added and lacking all of the trees that used to shade our corner lot. Even so, just looking at the property brought back memories - of events and feelings. I remembered what it felt like to climb those old trees, clear the yard of leaves each autumn (and jump in the leaf piles, of course) and, for some reason, I vividly remembered what it felt like to run from my backyard onto the narrow stone path leading to our side door, and slam that door shut as I charged into the house. Quite frankly, I was surprised at how spontaneous and keenly felt that simple memory was.

A member of my Rotary club recently told me how he took his dad on a tour of the homes that figured prominently in his life. Video camera in hand, he'd stand his father in front of one of his boyhood homes and record the stories and remembrances the place stimulated.

If you think a road trip may be in order for your next video biography, here are some tips to consider:

Plan ahead. If you'd like to shoot on a property, contact the current property owners, explain what you'd like to do, and get their permission. Remember - no trespassing! At the very least, if you're not on their property but are including the building in your shot, just knock on the owner's door and let him/her know what you're doing. Who knows, maybe you'll get invited inside.

Locked down or hand held? You may opt to set your camera on a tripod, and videotape with your subject between the camera and the building, the way you always see TV reporters shot when they're reporting from the White House. Another option is to follow your subject as he/she walks the property and relates their memories. You can do this by taking your tripod with you, setting up a shot to establish an area, and then having your subject walk into the shot and speak. Or, if you're steady enough, you can ditch the tripod and shoot hand held.

Audio. You're going to want to mic your subject as closely as possible. This means a lapel (also called a lavaliere) mic. If you're going to simply have your subject stand and talk, you may be able to get away with an extension cable so you can attach the microphone directly to your camera. However, if you plan on doing any walking and talking, think about renting or purchasing a wireless microphone. A wireless mic has a small transmitter your subject wears on a belt or sticks in a pocket. The audio is sent to a receiver that connects to the audio input of your camera.

Places figure prominently in our lives. And, with a little planning and creativity, you can use them to generate some interesting visuals and some fascinating memories.

Begin your video biography now. Here's how you start.

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 may want to create something a bit more involved, including stills, family videos and music.

If you've been watching TV most of your life, you've been exposed to a wide variety of video techniques. You probably just haven't really paid much attention to them. Watch some of your favorite documentaries in the next few days or weeks and take note of what you see and hear. Is the show comprised of nothing but on-screen interviews? Or are the interviews combined with still photos, film and video clips? How do the shows proceed from one topic or scene to the next? What kinds of transitions are used?

Once you have an idea of how TV programs are structured, take the next step and imagine the video biography you'd like to create. Who is in it? What are they talking about? What kinds of things do you see and hear? Make some notes of your thoughts and ideas. Store your notes in a folder or three ring binder to keep them handy and organized.

Congratulations - you now have a vision for your video. You're on your way!

How can our video biography workshops benefit you? Let us know!

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 experience that will help you.

Click here to fill out the survey.

Capture family memories on video during the holidays

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 celebrated her life.

I'm so glad I took advantage of her holiday visit to preserve my mother's stories on video. And this holiday season I urge you to do the same. A holiday visit can afford you the time you need to interview family members you may not see during the rest of the year. If you have a relative whose memories you'd like to record, give them a call and arrange an interview while he or she is in your neck of the woods.

Here's another idea: We all have lots of memories centered around the holidays. Think about grabbing short interviews with as many family members as possible - interviews that focus solely on their remembrances of past Christmas, Hanukkah, Solstice, Kwanzaa and/or New Year's celebrations. Then use these interviews to create a "family holiday memories" DVD that you and your family will treasure.
Whatever holiday you're celebrating this month, have a wonderful time - and don't forget to capture some of your family storytellers on video!