Can’t I Just Do This Myself? I mean, how hard can a simple slideshow be, anyway?

The answer is: The devil is in the details.

Here’s what I hear most often as the struggle for hindsight do-it-yourselfers:

1. Their computer/scanner/DVD burner/software is having “issues” (as in major, panic-inducing issues)
2. Family members keep submitting photos and WON’T STOP! (50 photos becomes 500 photos and still going strong…)
3. “I guess Picasa or PowerPoint is good enough. Is it?” (Those programs offer no music coordination or photo movement, FYI.)
4. “I thought this would take me 4 hours and it ended up taking me over 40. Now I’m really stressed and can’t enjoy the event.”

Now, another perspective:

Having researched them all, we know there is a lot of cool consumer technology out there these days. There are multiple options, from online to downloadable desktop programs.

What it keeps coming back to is that, unless you are already seasoned at these software programs and how they inter-relate (such as how your slideshow program interacts with your DVD authoring application), this project WILL end up taking you much longer than you anticipated. And, on the flip side, it could end up looking not quite as nice as a professional version. It might not seem clear to you up front, but unless you’re an expert at these software programs, you’ll end up running into some issues. You’ll search the Internet with each task you don’t know how to do, maybe hit a few roadblocks, and give in on your principles. “Well, we don’t have to have that perfectly timed.” or “It’s OK if the photos don’t move, I mean they are still showing on the screen, right?”

We are not judging you for asking these questions! The real question in determining whether to hire a professional or attempt a DIY video project is whether or not you are OK with sacrificing your standards – what you really had envisioned in this video – because you don’t have the time to track down all the answers to problems and glitches.

We talk to people all the time who ended up spending whole days and late, stressful nights trying to finish up the project.

Now I realize I am painting a certain picture here, and you may be beginning to think I’m heavily biased. Well, yes and no. Yes because I AM a professional who does these all the time, knows what it is like, and knows what it will be like for you, especially your first few times. (And how many people really create slideshows for big events more than a couple of times, honestly?) Most people I know have created one, and only one!

And No, because I don’t want you to think that DIY isn’t a possibility. It definitely is, you just need to know what you’ll be up against:

• Expect to spend between 10 and 100 hours on the project. You think I’m kidding? It depends on your family, the number of contributors and how high your mother’s or spouse’s standards are.
• DIY is not free. Stop thinking that! Besides your TIME and stress level, which should have a dollar value placed on them, you will also need a great computer, software, potentially a scanner (or pay for scanning), with more software, DVD authoring and burning (more software and hardware), and then the DVD Media and Packaging. Don’t forget, everyone in your family will want a copy!
• Finally, my pet peeve: Slideshow software companies who ALL claim their software is THE easiest to use, “world class results”, “your grandmother could do it”, and my personal favorite: “just a few clicks of a button, and in minutes, you’re done!” These people want to sell you their product. Please do not make the mistake of thinking that all you literally need to do is click a few buttons and expect to have your beautiful slideshow on a DVD and in your hand.

Finally, ask yourself, will the final quality of my own video be the best possible result for my important special event? Am I applying “good enough” to the other aspects of my event, and if not, why do I think that about my slideshow, that will be broadcast in front of all my attendees? When you consider all these factors, spending a few extra dollars for a professional makes perfect sense. You will want something you are proud of and not something you’ll be embarrassed over, or worse, struggle to get to work while everyone looks on.

If you are considering Do-It-Yourself because of price or budget, see our EXPRESS slideshows. Can you afford $119, split over 3 or 4 payments? Then you can afford a professional slideshow where you don’t have to sacrifice quality because you’re short on cash.

If you are considering Do-It-Yourself because this project is a labor of love, for example a lost loved one, or your own wedding, you should consider still working with a professional. With our SIGNATURE slideshows you can be as involved as you want. Call us, email us, meet with us in person. Let’s go through the photos or your first revision video together and make notes, collaborate creatively, brainstorm music selections. You’d be surprised how enjoyable this experience can be when you have a creative professional working with you. Less frustrating than working on your own! And, you get the benefit of a highly polished, professional result. Because for these most important events, only the best will do.

If you’re still convinced that only Do It Yourself is for you, consider buying just packaging from us, including optional DVD label design and printing. This will give your project a professional wardrobe!

Get more Details on our Slideshow Options here.

Video Biographies do not involve a lot of work, whether you want the biography for yourself, or for a parent or grandparent. Most of the work on a family video project happens in our studio. Let’s walk you through the process to get you more familiar.

The first thing we will do is come to your home to have a consultation. The consultation is not fluff, even though it’s free. We get to know you, ask what you want to accomplish with your project, and what kinds of topics you’d like to talk about. We ask about your budget range, and sometimes we even have time to start picking out some photos, if you want to include them. At the end of the consultation, we have a “game plan”, including an interview date!

Next step is creating interview questions for you. We send these to you so you can approve them or change as necessary, and then you have time to think about them before your interview date. These become the basis of your “story”. All good video projects have a cohesive story or theme behind them, so it’s important we spend time on this. We also give you a document on “Do’s and Don’ts” for interview day. For example, taking your phone off the hook, and putting a note on your door. Our guide is more in-depth that that, but this gives you an idea. This guide is very valuable advice to ensure you get the best result possible.

On your interview day we will be there at the time indicated. We generally book 2-hour appointments for full interviews and 45-60m minutes for mini-interviews. Please allow about 20 minutes for set up, focusing, composition of your background, lighting set up, audio testing, etc. Full interviews generally last about an hour or a little more, and then of course we have to take down our equipment. Before we go we leave your home exactly as it was, we answer any questions, give you an idea of next steps, and even let you see some of your footage if you’d like! We also collect family photos at that time, if you are including them.

From your perspective, all the work is done! Wasn’t that simple? You just have to help us come up with interview questions, and be willing to talk to us for an hour about your life. What could be easier?

Depending on the package you order, your final video will be delivered via web for you to review (we send you a link to view it). Generally this takes between 2 and 6 weeks. We go through any revisions you’d like, and when you’ve approved your video, we handle final payment and your order is delivered, along with any original items.

When you are ready to begin shopping around for a professional video or film company to complete your video memoir, video tribute or other photo montage project, you will want to know that they know their stuff technically and creatively, and also get a feel for whether you’ll work well with them (ie does your personality mesh well, or clash with theirs?)

Here are some questions to ask your Videographer during a consultation or phone call:

1. What kind of equipment do you use? Most often, digital video is going to be best. You probably don’t want your final video to be on VHS, and even if it is, you don’t want it to be recorded on a VHS tape as the quality is inferior. These days you should look for someone who can shoot in “HD” (High Definition) which is the highest standard of quality.

2. Do you have your own lighting and audio kit? A true professional will have these items. If they respond that they like to use “on location” lighting only, or that they have “on camera” sound, look elsewhere. They need to know about professional lighting and have at least a lavaliere mic for capturing clean audio.

3. Can you edit home VHS? This can be useful if you want to incorporate it in your final project. You’d be surprised the number of videographers who lack VHS transfer equipment because they don’t specialize in family histories, and are not accustomed to working with older formats.

4. What methods do you use for photo restoration? Look for answers like using specialty photo scanners with Digital ICE technology, and industry-standard photo editing software such as Adobe Photoshop for image correction.

5. What ways do you work with budget-conscious clients to control costs? A customer-service oriented company will ask what the client’s budget range is, and then design a custom package that fits in that range. Unwillingness to do this can indicate a lack of knowledge of their business and products, or an inflexible attitude.

6. Have you done family history videos or personal interviews before? Ask to see samples of their work! This will tell you more than anything.

7. How do you get to know your client? They should state that they allow plenty of time before the interview day or project completion, for consultations and meetings.

8. What kinds of systems does your business use for client convenience? Examples would be online project management software, video preview ability, ability to upload photos rather than have to email them, and integration with social networking sites.

If you are preparing to mail material to TribYoute – most likely photos, but possibly other items such as VHS tapes, CD’s with music or digital files, or other memorabilia, you might be feeling a little nervous, and we can understand why. These family keepsakes are priceless and often are the only copies you have.

There are some steps you can take to reduce your risk of damage or loss significantly. We recommend the following steps be taken to safeguard your precious treasures.

Put them in plastic.

Putting especially paper items inside a Ziploc bag will ensure that nothing wet can get to them and destroy them. We’ve had a rare instance where a package next to our package on a FedEx shipment was leaking, and it leaked into our package. It doesn’t happen often but it does happen. So make your package waterproof and you’ll be one step ahead.

Use the right shipping materials.

Use a stiff photo mailer for photos, and use a stiff cardboard box for larger items. Bubble mailers are acceptable also, just realize your materials will not be protected from being bent. Stiff shipping containers offer the best protection.

Use tape freely.

Make sure that your entire package is well sealed, by more than just a “lick” of an envelope. Use shipping tape if its available to you, to ensure the package doesn’t inadvertently come open while being bounced around.

Use UPS, FedEx, or USPS with Tracking.

If you use UPS, FedEx, DHL, or another private carrier, then tracking is automatically available to you, and usually insurance also. If you use USPS, we strongly recommend using their Tracking service, and also paying a few extra dollars to insure your package. We have found the USPS treats packages better that are tracked and insured!

Don’t bother writing “Do Not Bend”.

It doesn’t matter…they bend them anyway. The best way to avoid your photos being bent is to send them in a non-bendable container!

Please Please Please…Do Not Send Very Fragile Material

If you have a paper photo that is coming apart or is over a hundred years old, please don’t send it via the mail. Take it to a local scanning service and don’t let it out of your sight. Or, take a picture of it using a digital camera and the flash off, in natural lighting. Put your camera on Macro setting to keep the image in sharp focus. If you have such a photo and live in the local Portland area, we can pick it up from you and scan it in our lab using the gentlest methods. Mailing it is not a good idea so please don’t entrust your very fragile materials to bulk mail.

Here are a few of the websites we regularly use to gain access to music with legal licensing rights, at an affordable cost. We’ve done the research for you and included their “Personal Use” clauses directly from their website. We hope you find this resource useful, and let us know if you have questions.

FreePlay Music

(www.freeplaymusic.com)

Freeplay Music is an extensive online library of music with a good search field. Music is downloadable directly from the site with no registration or charges.

Freeplay’s music is free for personal use as defined:

2(c)      Free Personal Use:

Subject to your full compliance with the terms of this paragraph 2 (c) and full execution of a FPM license, FPM grants free master recording and synchronization rights, to the FPM Production Music Library, excluding the FPM Indie Artist and Sound Effects Library, when FPM music is used for personal non-commercial purposes (personal listening pleasure, personal family slide show, (cannot be posted on a website.).  The use / purpose must be non-revenue generating, either directly or indirectly (promo, demo or other similar uses are consider indirectly revenue generating for the purposes of the preceding sentence). Free Personal use excludes broadcast use of any kind, including, without limitation, web, blog, and podcast, gaming or shareware.

Internet Fees: Personal $25, Business $100

Multimedia Productions for Dstribution: $50 for 1-100 copies

Sound Snap

(www.soundsnap.com)

This is for sound effects rather than musical tracks. The price ranges from $9 for 5 sounds ($1.80/sound) up to $149 for 200 sounds ($0.75/sound) or unlimited annual subscription for $249.

They do have some music but it is shorter (15-30 second range).

RumbleFish

(www.rumblefish.com)

A Portland-based company with a library of over 30,000 titles.

Licensing per song for the usage of a soundtrack (background) to a wedding, event or other family production, for 1-10 DVD copies, for non-profit use is $10. 11-25 copies is $13. This INCLUDES Internet streaming rights and small performance rights.

Also, for external business use the license per song is $26.

RumbleFish’s Description:

You’ve recorded the family reunion, wedding, or birthday party and now want to produce a short run of DVDs. Our Wedding and Event license pack is just for you. If your budget is under $5,000 and you are making 500 copies or less we’ve got you covered including internet streaming and small performance rights across the universe.

The License Terms:

LICENSE: Wedding & Event Videogram

Terms and Conditions of Song Use: License made this day between Rumblefish, Inc., 107 SE Washington Street, Suite 700, Portland, OR 97214 and the company specified above (Licensee). Rumblefish grants Licensee the non-exclusive right to use the master recording(s) and underlying musical composition(s) listed above (individually and collectively, the “Song(s)”), in synchronism or timed-relation with a videogram made and produced by Licensee for the Production named above, in the capacity described below:

I.Videogram rights include the non-exclusive right and license to synchronize, fix, record, reproduce, use, distribute, and authorize the fixing of the Song(s) and portions thereof, in and as part of the Production for the purpose of manufacturing, distributing, selling, renting, leasing, and licensing audio-visual devices (“videograms”) utilizing technology now known or hereinafter discovered, including but not limited to video cassettes, video discs (in all formats) and video downloads.

II.The non-exclusive right and license to synchronize, fix, record, reproduce, and perform publicly, either for profit or non-profit, and to authorize others so to perform the Song(s), as embodied in the Production, for non-theatrical exhibition, with or without admission charge, including but not limited to the right to perform the Song(s) by transmission of the Production into such locations.

III.Internet rights include the non-exclusive right and license to synchronize, fix, record, reproduce, and perform, exhibit and/or broadcast the Song(s), as embodied in the Production, for streaming video.

IV.Foreign language translations include the non-exclusive right and license to prepare, or have others prepare, foreign language translations of the lyrics of the Song(s), and to display and perform such translated lyrics in connection with the exhibition, performance and other use of the Production, in any and all media, whether now known or hereinafter devised.

V.No additional small performance rights from Performing Rights Organizations such as ASCAP are required. No mechanical licenses are required.

VI.Artist name and likenesses includes the non-exclusive right and license to use the name, likeness, and biographical material of any or all of the writers, artists, producers, (individually and collectively, the “Artists”) and titles in connection with the Song(s).

VII.License Term, Territory, Song Use and Song Use Duration are specified above in the “Invoice Description Field.” The License Term begins upon initial release of Production.

VIII.License Fee – By using the Song(s) in the Production, Licensee agrees to be bound by this Invoice and License. No rights are granted until Rumblefish receives full payment of the Fee. Nothing contained in this License obligates Licensee to embody the Song(s) in the Production and Rumblefish acknowledges that Licensee has not made and is not making any representation or warranty with respect to whether any use of the Song(s) will be made.

IX.Any disputes Licensee may have concerning the invoice amount, License Fee or the rights granted, including any rights to a refund, must be submitted to Rumblefish, Inc., in writing, within ten (10) days of the invoice date (see Notice below), or it shall be deemed that the Licensee accepts this invoice and License as issued.

X.Unless permitted in the License, you may not:

a.Sublicense, re-license, rent or lease any Song
b.Copy or publish any Song to a network or bulletin board
c.Otherwise distribute or allow any Song to be distributed to or used by anyone other than the authorized users, without prior written consent from Rumblefish.
d.Use any Song in connection with any form of pornography
e.Use any Song in a libelous, defamatory, fraudulent, infringing or otherwise illegal manner
f.Use any Song to promote a business that sells or licenses Songs, or otherwise competes with Rumblefish in any manner
g.Ship, transfer or export any of the Songs into any country or use any of the Songs in any manner prohibited by any export laws, restrictions or regulations

XI.Rumblefish warrants and represents that it has the right to enter into and perform this agreement, and that the proper exercise by Licensee of the rights granted hereunder will not violate the rights of any third party. Licensee warrants and represents that it has the right to enter into and perform this agreement.

XII.Indemnification – Rumblefish agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Licensee from any and all costs and expenses (including but not limited to legal costs and attorney fees) resulting from any and all claims inconsistent with such agreements, representations, or warranties made herein.

XIII.Breach and Remedies – Neither Rumblefish nor Licensee can be deemed in breach of this License, unless the notifying party gives notice of failure to perform to the other party and such failure is not cured within thirty (30) days from and after such notice or, if such breach is not reasonably capable of being cured within said thirty (30) day period, proceed with reasonable diligence to complete the curing of such breach thereafter. In the event of any uncured breach of this License, the remedy for either party is limited to remedy at law for money damages, if any, and in no event shall Rumblefish have the right in any manner to enjoin or restrain the Production.

XIV.Assignment – Licensee shall have the right to assign this license or any rights granted to Licensee hereunder, provided no such assignment relieves Licensee of any liability hereunder. Licensee shall not give such assignment without written notice from the assignee to Rumblefish of assignee’s further performance of Licensee’s obligations under this License.

XV.Notice – All notices hereunder shall be given by registered or certified (return receipt requested) mail, by telegraph, or by any other means by which delivery may be verified. Notice shall be given to the above addresses or to such other addresses as the parties may designate from time to time by notice delivered in like manner.

XVI.Governing law – This agreement has been entered into in, and is to be interpreted in accordance with the laws of, the state of Oregon. This agreement represents the entire agreement between the parties and may not be altered or amended except by a further writing signed by both parties.

XVII.In addition to this License, as a Registered User of the Rumblefish Music Licensing Store, you are bound by the terms and conditions to which you AGREED when you accepted the online Terms and Conditions Agreement during registration.

Zoom

(www.zoomlicense.com) – WEVA partner

Has a large selection (over 8500) of indie artist and classical songs, as well as a bunch of Motown hits. WEVA discount is $3.50 per license if purchased as a bundle (100 licenses), i.e. $350.

Zoom is meant for “personal use only”. What is meant by that is defined by Zoom here:

“Personal use” refers to the end use of the video production once it leaves your hands. In other words if a corporation is using a DVD that you produced internally, then you are covered. Special events, such as wedding videos given to the bride & groom, and photo montages, for example, are covered. Television broadcast use of any kind is NOT covered (to obtain TV clearances contact ZOOM administrators directly.) Use of copyrighted music licensed through ZOOM is not permitted beyond the scope of the specific use allowed by the Standard Videographer License (i.e. mass retail sale of the particular production as a store item, for example, is not permitted, but single purpose, work-for-hire is permitted).

One Zoom license covers up to 25 copies of a DVD. 50 copies would require 2 licenses, and so on.

Internet Streaming fee is $500 per 30 seconds of song!

LoopSound

LoopSound has a good collection of royalty-free music, although the high quality material is mixed in with some dated material (too much electronic synth, etc). They offer pre-compiled CD’s of 10 songs each for $99, which includes a very generous, pretty much “do anything with it” type license with very few restrictions. Individual full tracks are $29.99 each, cuts and edits are $24.99, and loops are $11.99.

See the license here:

Royalty Free Music License

Loopsound.com License Agreement

This license is between Loopsound.com (trading as Multimediasound.co.uk) known hereafter as ‘The Licensor’ and you (the purchaser of the music file) know hereafter as ‘The Licensee’

• This license is Royalty-free which means the purchase price is all you pay and no other royalties will be paid by you (‘The Licensee’).
• This license is non-exclusive which means all copyright remains the property of the copyright owner (the composers and publishers)
• This license is non-transferable which means that ‘The Licensee’ cannot give away, share or transfer this license or any of the music to any individual, third party or other business.
• This is a synchronisation license which means that ‘The Licensee’ can only use the music if it is in synchronisation with text, voice over, animation, multimedia content and other visuals which accompany the music.
• This license allows ‘The Licensee’ to sell, offer for download, manufacture or duplicate up to 5000 units. If the production run exceeds 5000 units or the music is to be used in major theatrical releases such as a commercial film, stage show or general public performance where there is a paying audience then ‘The Licensee’ will need to purchase an additional license. (see “Additional licenses” below)
• Term is in perpetuity meaning that ‘The Licensee’ will have lifetime synchronisation rights for the production.
• Territory is worldwide meaning that ‘The Licensee’ can market and distribute those productions worldwide.

‘The Licensee’ can use the music for:

• Commercial motion picture productions, broadcast, cable and satellite, TV and radio commercials, trailers, and promotional DVDs.
• Multimedia presentations including PowerPoint, Flash design and internet related productions, podcasts, webcasts and journalism etc.
• Video games, online and mobile games, educational toys, games and books, software applications and on-hold-messaging systems.
• Personal use and private listening or played in your business premises for your customers pleasure including restaurants, shops, malls, public performances, trade shows and live events.

‘The Licensee’ can:

• Alter/edit to the particular requirements of your project by cutting, stretching, looping etc. but not for the purpose of creating derived works.
• Use as background music with voice over for a video, audio and multimedia presentation such as meditation CDs, audio books or training videos.
• Use as background music in videos for Youtube, Metacafe, Myspace etc. ‘The Licensee’ must state the track name and composer/publisher information when required. (This information is included in your purchased download)

‘The Licensee’ cannot:

• Sell, sub-license, resell or give away the music on its own or as part of a music only CD.
• Create derived works from our music and claim it as your own such as editing, adding sounds, singing or rapping over the music and then passing it off as your own work.
• Use the music for website templates that are sold or given away for free.

Additional licenses: Our prices are based on the amount of units copied, downloaded or manufactured. If a compilation CD is purchased, an additional license must be obtained for each track used that exceeds 5000 units.

SongFreedom

(www.songfreedom.com)

This website is a unique new concept meant specifically for wedding and personal event videographers. It has a collection of just over a dozen popular songs (no royalty-free content!), and the library is constantly growing as they gain clearance song-by-song. It has a subscription-based model with credits, so once you subscribe, you can use each song in their library a certain amount of time per year, per song.

This company just launched in June 2010 so it is still very new. We’re still pretty impressed with the song line-up, such as “Hey Soul Sister”, a current top 100 Hit. But we are less impressed with all the legal requirements in the fine print of being a customer. Such as the assertion that they own all the video content that their licensed audio is used with.

The prevailing culture in personal videography has been, for decades, that music which the client owns can be used in the client’s personal video production under “Fair Use” law. However, the music industry is slowly starting to crack down on this usage.

It is even cracking down on the “Do It Yourself” slideshows, videos and tributes that have amassed on popular sites such a YouTube. As proof of point, have you noticed that YouTube no longer allows commercial music to accompany its videos? If it catches your video, it will shut the audio off. Other sites such as Facebook will simply not post any video that it detects has commercial music soundtrack, and if you continue to try to upload them, it will threaten to delete your account.

So what are your options? Well, up until recently, the music industry was asking everyone to contact multiple agencies for multiple licenses and negotiate license fees on a 1:1 basis. These license fees often run in the hundreds or thousands of dollars, by the way.

And what licenses are you asked to obtain? There are two, possibly three.

1. The Master Use license is required for you to use the master recording of the song in a manner other than simply listening to it. It’s like your “Commercial” license.
2. The Synchronization license is required for you to put the song to some kind of visual material (like pictures or video). It’s like your “Soundtrack”license.
3. The Internet Streaming license is ALSO required, if you intend to share your video on the Internet, such as YouTube or Facebook. This license is allegedly required because the Internet audience is so much larger than your personal family and friend base, and because so many more ears are potentially hearing the song, you need the additional “volume” rights. Think of this as your “Broadcast” license.

Now, the honest truth: Do we think this is all a bit silly, at least for consumer-level video? Yes. However, are professionals off the hook just because they think its silly? No…unfortunately not.

We really wish that someone would come up with an iTunes-like platform for license bundles on any song imaginable, that you could simply go and purchase the licenses for $5 or $10, much like you’d purchase the actual song for $1. But, that hasn’t happened yet, and the music industry seems strangely reticent to make it happen. So until it does, we’ll work with what we’ve got!

As a member of WEVA (Wedding and Event Videography Association) with over 4800 members worldwide, TribYoute is up on the latest news between event videographers and the music recording industry. The latest word (as of March 2010) is that WEVA has been working with the music industry to make access to “synchronization” licenses more readily available to personal videographers. This is because the music industry is desiring a change and, obviously, more revenue. TribYoute is excited about this change because it will finally lay to rest the questions about music use in audio-visual presentations, and will open up new opportunities for the video industry.

We generally use royalty-free music tracks that we have personally selected from Indie artists, from soothing instrumentals to lyrical pop songs that sound like they should be playing on the Top 100 radio stations.

We also have access to a number of music licensing websites to purchase licenses on your behalf (most of them allow you to purchase directly, also). See this blog post for a few of our favorites:

Our Favorite Music Sites

If you absolutely have your heart set on a particular song, we will agree to use it after you sign a contract, part of which states that you own all the necessary rights to the song to make the video. Basically that says that if we don’t own or don’t have access to the licensing for the song, that you do.

Having said this, sites like YouTube will likely mute the audio on your video, should you upload it there. Google purchased YouTube a little while ago and since then has been utilizing its audio search technology to match audio content in videos on YouTube and automatically turn it off. Yes, its annoying, and yes you can fight it, but it takes time and isn’t likely to get you anywhere.

We recommend sites such as Vimeo instead. Simply do a Google or Yahoo search for “Free video hosting” and you’ll be faced with a plethora of non-YouTube choices that will respect your audio rights for personal use. Look for a site that will allow you to automatically link to social media sites like Facebook or Myspace, and/or will provide “embed” code for you to copy and paste into your personal web page.

And remember, TribYoute does NOT grant you the right to use your video in a commercial manner. Commercial projects are a totally different animal and usually require budgets of several thousand dollars. So remember…keep your music choices legal by keeping them personal!

So you have invested in a Video Memoir for preserving your life history, relating your stories, or sharing an Ethical Will. For whatever purpose, you’re about to go “on camera”. If you’re like most folks, especially the folks who didn’t grow up around technology, you’re likely a little bit nervous. That’s OK!

Its our job at TribYoute to help you feel comfortable. The most important thing to remember about the day of your interview is to try and relax and be yourself as much as possible. Our interviewer will just be talking to you. They will ask you some open-ended questions that you’ve decided on in advance, and its OK if you want to re-do the answer, you need to take a break, or whatever else. We know that the first few minutes after we’ve turned the camera on are a little tense, so we usually just ask light questions, or chat with you a little, and then throw the footage out. Just forget the video camera is there (we will have it off to the side, not directly in your face).

You’re just having a conversation with a trusted friend.

Although the key factor to a successful interview is to be yourself, there are some steps you can take that will help you feel more comfortable, because prepared people always feel more comfortable than unprepared!

Here are our Top 10 Tips for Interview Preparation:

1 Think about the goal you are trying to achieve.

What do you want your audience to know about you? Are you going for historical facts? For a basic life story? Do you want to delve in-depth into any topics? Do you want the overall theme to be about facts, or about what your experiences have meant to you? How “personal” you get is up to you. How much you stay with positive events or delve into lifetime struggles and how you have coped, is also up to you. Remember that although you will enjoy watching your own video, your audience is really your younger and future family members. What’s the primary message you want to give them? Start with a theme, and then fill in details around your theme.

2. Consider your (physical) background.

Regarding background, there are two tips. The first tip is to choose a background that is appropriate for an historical interview. Interviews in a den, study, library, or next to bookcases look very nice. If you have shelving of artifacts you’ve collected while traveling, or full of hobby-related items such as antiques, beach shells, or something else meaningful to you, try to incorporate this into the “scene” in which you do your interview. The top thing to avoid in an interview background is a blank white wall, or something distracting like a refrigerator. The second tip is to try to separate yourself from the background as much as possible. This means, if you have a chair that is not up against a wall, that is comfortable, use it. Doing this allows us to achieve a video look called “depth of field”. In simple terms it means we are able to blur the background while keeping your face in focus, and gives the video a very polished and professional look.

3. Consider your lighting.

The TribYoute Film team will set up professional lighting when they arrive on site, but the main thing to watch out for in choosing your location is open windows. We cannot film in a location that has an open window as a background. If you have windows in the room, try to position your interview chair so that the light from the window will be shining on your face, at an angle. We can draw blinds or curtains and simply use our own lighting. We may also want to use a lamp or lighting that you already have, but it’s important to match light colors (blue light versus yellow light). We will assess this when we arrive on site.

4. Audio is just as important as video.

Good clean audio is essential to the success of your video interview. We need the room and environment you’re in to be as quiet as possible. If you have a fan or air conditioner running, we’ll likely need to turn it off during the interview. Please ensure pets are in a room where barking or scratching can’t be heard…unless of course you want them to be a part of the interview. Also, it seems obvious, but many people don’t think to check…plan a date where there isn’t some community event going on such as an air show or parade that will disrupt your interview.

5. Do away with distractions.

We’ve already mentioned pets, but its important to leave plenty of time on either side of the interview appointment before you are expecting guests. Put a note on your door indicating to come back later, take your phone off the hook, and put your cell phone and computers on “Mute”. Anything that could cause you to look away or be distracted during an answer may compromise what you really intended to say.

6. Don’t read from notes!

Its OK to get your thoughts down on paper beforehand, but this isn’t a written memoir. We want to hear your voice flow naturally. For that reason, we generally agree with you on a set of questions to ask beforehand, but then we don’t give you that list of questions to follow through the interview. We don’t want you looking down or anticipating questions! As long as you’ve approved the questions, you won’t be surprised when we ask each one. Yet if you haven’t written answers down, then your spoken answers won’t sound canned. This is a good thing!

7. Look your best.

We don’t mean to sound vain, but everyone wants to look their best when they are being videotaped. This one image will be the single image that future generations will have to form an idea of who you are, so consider your clothing, hair, and if appropriate, makeup for the video interview. If you’d like, the TribYoute Film team can help you with a make-up consultation on the day of the interview. You’re on your own for clothing and hair, but do try to dress nice. Unless of course, dressing nice isn’t really “you”. Then do whatever you want, but please at least make sure your clothes are clean!

8. Have your photos and other memorabilia prepared.

If your package includes family photos or other memorabilia to be interwoven with your video interview, then please look through them and make your selections prior to the interview day. This allows you to not have to put your precious keepsakes in the mail, as you can do a direct handoff to your video team. It also saves time and helps the project go more smoothly. And, if you wish, the team can videotape you creatively (such as looking over your shoulder), while you look at a certain photo. This is known as “B Roll”, like what the TV News does all the time, and its great to get a different perspective in video.

9. Be prepared to sign some paperwork.

You may not have considered it, but putting your image on film commercially is a legal big deal! We have drafted some simple legal paperwork that simply says you agree to be filmed, you agree for your property to be filmed, you agree that the film footage is property of TribYoute (you buy copies of the final video on DVD), and that you aren’t being paid as an actor. Those are the main points to cover, and we’ll get the paperwork out of the way as quickly as possible so we can get to the fun stuff – the Life Stories!

10. Three (or more) is a crowd.

Even if you are planning a family interview, it is best not to have an audience in the room. Have family members hang out (quietly) in another room while each person completes their interview. This is for two reasons: First, you may feel more shy sharing your stories in front of an “audience”, or you may feel the need to “ham it up” for their laughter (which the video will pick up and is not a good thing). And second, you will tend to look at them every so often, which also doesn’t look good. It’s best to keep looking at the interviewer, or natural eye movements such as up and to the right when conjuring memory, or glancing down at your hands. Also, dual interviews are not a good idea. When one person is speaking, the other person is either distractingly nodding their head, trying to interrupt to finish your thoughts, or worse – looking bored. Keep your interviews to one at a time and let us do the interweaving together during post-production!

By following these tips you can be sure to have a fun and rewarding experience on your Interview day, and the focus will be where it should: On your Life Stories!

A Case for passing down your wealth of wisdom.

Most folks haven’t really thought about it, but would agree if asked: Wisdom is a terrible thing to waste.

You are probably aware that there are diamonds of wisdom formed from each situation you have experienced throughout life.

Have you ever thought about DOING something with these precious gems? Willing them to your descendants, just as you would real diamonds, or money, or property? Its a great decision and a process that will change your life. Not only will you get immense joy out of reliving the “good ole days” (you can omit the bad ole days), but your family, friends or community will enjoy getting to know you. The further away each generation gets, the more fascinated they will be of your stories, and grateful that you took the time to share a bit of yourself with the future.

It’s a fact that the knowledge we need in life comes from one of three places: academic education, family education, or “school of hard knocks” education. It’s likely that you learned from the latter, because you had few other options. But there is another way for your young loved ones – children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. You have an opportunity now to pass down the precious lessons you have learned…so they have an opportunity to live a better life. To draw on those stories when they are facing their own tough decisions.

Even the stories you may think are mundane, disheartening or downright painful, will be an inspiration to future generations. Why? Because we all are fascinated by a world that existed before we did…a world our current young people never knew. When gas cost 5 cents a gallon, and time spent with friends involved anything but computers! Besides this, your descendants came from you. Haven’t you ever been curious about your ancestors? What were they like and what decisions did they make that led to your family’s economic situation, culture, and set of beliefs?

Maybe you’ve been relying on your own adult children to pass down your stories. Are you assuming your children know your stories to begin with…the experiences you lived through long before they ever came along? How do you know, for sure?

Perhaps you are hesitant to speak your mind directly to the young people in your family, or perhaps you live apart geographically. You may be right that they aren’t ready yet to hear your message, especially if they are still children. But one day, they will be.

The right time to get those stories preserved permanently is NOW. You may not have another chance like the present, and just like not writing your Formal Will, not preserving your intangible wealth – that of your Wisdom – is just too risky of a chance to take.

You can preserve your stories, lessons, and wisdom in a video now…and that video will be ready when each generation grows up and needs what you have to offer – wisdom on how to deal with life’s toughest challenges as an adult.

Why video? Because video is the language of the next generation. Video is the closest thing to being there “in the flesh”. Your message is far more likely to be received and (more importantly), retained using video than any other format, including books and audiotape. If you really want your great-grandchildren and beyond to know you, then allow them to watch you as you talk. Hear what your voice sounds like. See what gestures you make, what humor you bring, what clothes you are wearing. You can show them some old family pictures in your video as you talk about them. Most importantly…let them see you smile!

This may be sounding like a great idea to you now, and you may have every intention of undertaking this project yourself…someday. But experience tells us differently, doesn’t it? The fact is, life gets busy for everyone. Other pressing needs, events, travel plans, unexpected emergencies…they all come up, and before long, “someday” has become “never”.

With a professional partner who you like and trust, you will be guided and coached, never pressured or pushed. But most importantly, there will be a date set on your calendar for you to have this “project of a lifetime” completed and in your hands! It will be the best feeling in the world, knowing that your wisdom and history is available to descendants, even the ones you’ll never meet, and knowing that your life has counted for something to those you care about the most.

Are you perhaps a little hesitant to invest? That is completely understandable. After all, personal video history is a pretty new concept to most, and you may not have seen many results that make you feel confident your video will turn out the way you would have liked.

That’s why we offer the No-Risk Project Guarantee. It works like this: Let us work with you for free – we will consult with you, interview you, and put together your final video. We will only get paid when you’ve seen the video and love it! If you don’t, we’ll make every change you want until it’s just right…or you won’t owe us a thing, no hard feelings. Guaranteed!

You really have nothing to lose by preserving your memories today. TribYoute’s Founder and Creative Director, Karyn, loves to meet with all new and potential clients. She will walk you through your options, and assemble a custom project and team based entirely on your preferences and budget. We will complete the entire project at no cost to you, and you’ll see and approve your final video, before you ever pay a cent! Call us at your convenience to find out more about our availability, and to book your first appointment. We will come to you!

You’re a busy person, and you are planning for an event or you likely would not be reading this blog post. With all the other details, you may think video is not worth the hassle, or it may end up overlooked. My goal in this post is to this the question: What can video do for your event? The answer is simple and powerful: Preserve it forever.

An emotional or fun video montage can add magic to your event. Afterward, video of the event freezes your memories in time, so they can never be lost.

When was the last time you were at a Wedding, Funeral, or other significant Life event. Did you experience something powerful and profound at that event? Maybe the answer is yes, or maybe not. But at any rate, you likely want your OWN event to be as meaningful as possible.

Memorials

I could write a book about my passion and zeal for preserving the stories of our loved ones but I’ll try to sum it up. We all have experienced loss, whether a grand-parent, parent, sister, brother, friend, child, or even a beloved pet. When we experience this it suddenly hits us in a very real (and powerfully emotional) way that death is forever. It is permanent. While we are on this earth, anyway, we will never get to see, hear, touch, or feel that person ever again. Never enjoy their laughter, never take comfort in their hug. Yet this is a fact of human life and has been since the beginning of time.

In my work, as I preserve the memories and legacy of one individual or family at a time, I often find myself wondering how many millions or billions of people have amazing stories to tell, that have simply never gotten told. Gallant thoughts, noble deeds, courageous acts. Things that changed the lives of others or even the course of history…and we don’t even know about it. I love to uncover “unknown” people who have done amazing things. For example, most people have heard of Mother Theresa, but how many people have heard of Irena Sendler? She was a woman who was virtually unknown for decades, until recently. She personally saved over 2500 children from the Nazi concentration camps during the Holocaust. She kept the children’s names in jars and after the war attempted to reunite every single one with their families. Most had no family left, but many did. How many lives did she touch…did she save? If you don’t already know her story, Google her. I guarantee you will be inspired and uplifted.

Your family may not have saved 2500 children’s lives but every individual has done something truly remarkable. The stories of our ancestors even as close as parents and grand-parents is part of our legacy as families and human beings. It more than deserves to be preserved, it is almost our obligation if we have the technology and ability to do so! In my opinion it should be one of the highest priority tasks we take on as part of a community spirit to preserve our collective legacy. Writings (auto-biographies, biographies, and memoirs) are a great way to preserve life stories especially with today’s technology allowing for digital writing. But video tributes are also an emotionally moving and particularly comforting way of preserving our loved one’s life history and honoring that life, regardless whether your loved one lived for 100 years or just a few minutes. Photos and video clips set to music are powerful and they go beyond writing to really preserve a mood and a feeling, as well as facts.

Video also has the additional benefit of being easy for children to understand, and keeping their attention as well. Not many children will want to sit through a 100 page auto-biography, but they will be fascinated by the moving images on a TV or computer screen of someone they know is in their family! What a wonderful gift of roots and identity to give to your children…to take pride in their heritage like no text message or Myspace account can give them.

Weddings

If you are getting married, you want your Wedding day to be unique, perhaps even quirky, and definitely an expression of you, from start to finish. You would never settle for a traditional cake if you’ve got your heart set on tiers of cupcakes. You go through the selection process of literally hundreds of details, from colors and theme, to venue, caterer, photographer and videographer, music and entertainment choices, flowers, gifts, wedding party, officiant…the list goes on and on. But the heart of your day is about you and your groom. The two of you are making a commitment to spend the rest of your lives with each other, and that’s a BIG DEAL! It’s a huge deal! Its about the two of you and what you have been through to get to where you are today.

The way I see it, video has two major roles to play in your wedding day: One, it allows you to bring your past history, your cherished memories, into  your Wedding Day. To share with family and friends and to help celebrate how far you’ve come. This takes the form of the “Life Story” photo/video montage or “slideshow”. If you get started in advance, this activity is pretty low on the stress meter especially if you hire someone to put it together for you. And the payoff come Wedding Day is huge. Done correctly and set to the right music, you and your guests will be moved deeply. Many couples play their Life Story video at their Ceremony, as the opener. It really sets the tone for the whole wedding and it gets your guests to pay attention. In just a few minutes they relive you and your fiance’s childhoods, and get a sense of your identity and who you are as a couple. It then seems appropriate to move forward into the commitment and vow ceremony. A Life Story video pays tribute to your past, so you can celebrate moving forward into the future together.

The second role video plays in your wedding is in capturing the wedding itself. Listen, I am a recent bride myself. I completely understand the stress, time, money and effort that goes into planning a Wedding. For many, by the time the wedding day arrives you are just so happy to have it over you barely remember a thing! But afterward, especially once you’ve had a chance to relax on your honeymoon and look forward to opening all those fun wedding presents when you return, you really want to relive the day over and over again. Now, you’ve got a few choices for that. You hopefully hired a professional photographer and/or videographer. If you didn’t, then you got a few trusted friends or family members to shoot your wedding. Either way you probably have some visual images of your Wedding Day. So what do you do with them? Put the photos in an album? Play the video?

Photos are great and edited properly they can be very compelling to look at. But, they are static images and you’ll eventually have a harder time associating the emotion you felt at that snapshot in time.

On the other hand, video contains the most realistic capture of the moment and includes moving images and audio. You not only see yourself at one snapshot but through time. You can hear yourself laugh, see your Dad crying, hear the wind rustling in the trees…whatever was specific to your Wedding.

But video has got to be done well, too, or you end up with 6 hours of straight footage and who wants to sit through that? We have found that editing scenes down heavily until we’re in the 20-30 minute range (or even less), and using a combination of audio from the event with a musical soundtrack, provides the most entertaining and riveting result.

So that’s a little about my thoughts regarding video. In the end, video is all about capturing that moment to relive forever. Our minds may be sharp but we can only hold and process so much at once. Details fade with time and they may not be details we want to forget. Watching our video is the absolute best way to preserve those precious memories. I don’t know how many times I’ve witnessed someone watching a video of their event, even just a few weeks after it happened, and hearing them say, “Oh yeah, that’s right….!” How exciting it is with today’s technology to be able to preserve these moments, stories, and legacies for ourselves and our future generations.

Wishing you the best in planning your personal event,

Karyn