Legacy Montage
If Someone Takes the Trouble to Live Their Life...
Don't They Deserve More Than a Slideshow?
If your loved one is nearing life's end, I'm truly sorry--I know your pain firsthand.
And if you've been involved in their daily care, you're likely frazzled.
Whether you're preparing for an upcoming memorial service or celebration of life...
TIME IS NOT YOUR FRIEND
Maybe you desire to leave a lasting legacy for future generations...
If you're anything like me...
You wish people could know and remember your loved as you knew them.
Perhaps there's a side of them people don't understand.
Their story might be the most enduring gift you could give after they're gone.
I'd love to show you how you can accomplish this very worthy final act of love...
... by sharing how I told my Dad's Story.
Then I'll tell you how I can help you tell YOUR loved one's story.
A Filmmaker's Perspective...
"When Dad passed after his brave battle with a rare cancer, I wanted to honor the Dad I knew and loved.
My first impulse was to write the world's best eulogy, but the glaring problem with that was...
How could I keep my composure reading my heart-felt words to a room of teary-eyed friends and relatives?
I could ask someone to read my eulogy... but that didn't seem satisfying.
And there was no way a slideshow could say what I wanted to say.
You're a filmmaker...
Make a film...
A Legacy Montage.
What if I recorded the eulogy in my own voice?
Wait... what if I combined the photos and the voice track together and added music?
And added motion to the photos!
Like a real film.
I could then share it with anyone.
That's how my idea to do a legacy video for my father was born.
It Was a Healing Process Full of Surprises...
As a filmmaker I knew a video like this shouldn't be more than about 8 minutes.
But Dad's turned out to be just under 11 minutes, despite my efforts to keep it shorter.
But good storytelling can capture attention.
But time was not on my side. Had it been even a minute longer, I could not have finished in time.
It took 71.5 hours over 5 days.
Days
Hours
Minutes
Seconds
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I went through Mom and Dad's photo albums.
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I hit up friends and relatives up for their best images.
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I grabbed some old Super 8 film footage from our family "Western." (Dad was a budding silent movie actor!)
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I used my smartphone to capture the photos. They weren't high quality photos, but they were all we had.
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I wrote the narration, recorded it with my Blue Yeti, imported the wave file into Adobe Premiere and settled in for two long days of editing.
As I worked, I had more questions... especially about Dad's childhood... why did he love trains so much?
Why did he like building wood toys for children... and paint them in such bright colors?
My sister who'd flown in sat with me all through the last night, making suggestions, keeping me going to pull it together before the memorial service a few hours away.
Due to the low quality images, the visuals weren't particularly impressive. (Turn off the sound, you'll see what I mean.)
Nevertheless, the narrated story form was working its magic, which just goes to show the almost supernatural power of "story."
As the morning light came, we previewed it one last time. Then, no longer able to contain our tears, we stood and silently hugged one another.
We'd done the best we could under the circumstances.
I'll never forget that moment, because it truly brought closure.
Hours later... at the memorial service here's the video that rendered everyone nearly speechless:
Dad's "Legacy Montage"
Why the term "Montage"? It's an old film term, roughly meaning "a film or video sequence of moving or still pictures--superimposing and/or juxtaposing them so that they form a blended whole."
As you watch this video I made for my Dad, imagine how your loved one's story could be told in a similarly unique and compelling way. Try to notice how I attempt to answer questions people might have wondered about Dad's behavior.
Notice the pacing, and the use of various music pieces. Try turning off the video and see how it is without the sound.
Notice I start, not with boring chronology, but with something interesting... that everyone who knew Dad would recognize as uniquely "him."
Notice, the interweaving of mood, lighter, darker, inspiring, humor, intrigue... even spiritual. I did not shy away from very personal ideas Dad wanted us to know.
Does a Legacy Video Interest You?
A LEGACY MONTAGE IS THE RIGHT CHOICE IF:
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YOU ANTICIPATE THREE OR MORE WEEKS BEFORE YOUR EVENT
- Preproduction--budgeplanning.
- Production--when you create new content.
- Post production--where you edit and produce the final product.
I found the hard way that a week just isn't long enough. Especially when I don't have personal knowledge of your loved one.
There's three stages to a production:
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YOU WANT TO TELL YOUR LOVED ONE'S STORY
You want more than random slides and music. You want narration. Your voice and maybe others telling a story. You want photos, maybe video. And appropriate titles too.
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YOU'D LIKE PROFESSIONAL HELP NOW
You have a more important role... and that's to gather the content and prioritize it.
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YOU HAVE TIME TO GATHER MATERIALS
You'll need photos from both phones, friends, and photo albums.
You may want to use limited video. You'll also likely want to record some original audio, in your voice or someone you choose.
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YOU WANT TO LEAVE A LEGACY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS
Imagine having a video of a grandparent... a great grandparent. Imagine seeing a condensed story of their life. It's easy to distribute to family members. Just call me and we'll get you started. (8O3) 36O-O955. Mention the legacy video.
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YOU NEED PROFESSIONAL HELP NOW
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Showcase Your Loved One In Their Best Light With A Done-WITH-You Legacy Video
Your Questions Answered
What If I don’t have any time?
Perhaps you have someone you trust that you can delegate the project oversight to. Otherwise, it would not be a good idea to take such a project on.
When we talk, I'll be honest and tell if I think it's not a "fit" to do the project.
Let's at least have a phone or ZOOM conversion to see what we might be able to work out.
What if I don’t like the results?
I honestly don't think that will happen.
Also, remember we will collaborate extensively throughout and you will approve the script for the narration before recording and editing.
You will also approve of selected music and by definition, the photos or video used.
Can we do the project remotely, over the internet?
Absolutely.
I've worked the last two years from my home office.
Everything in video production these days can be done remotely.
We'll use any of the normal communication methods to work together, including Zoom conference calls, email, texts, Slack, Notion, Google Drive, Dropbox, or anything else that makes sense to create a workflow.
Can I get copies?
Yes, of course.
Once the project is released to you and I've been paid, I'll release the creative rights to the project. I do reserve the right in our agreement to use a minimum of one minute for my own professional portfolio.
If you have a reason, you don't want other eyes to see the video, we can negotiate that if you bring it up in advance.
I don't normally release the project files, but if you have a need for that because you want to do more with the project, we can negotiate it.
Do you have any guarantees?
Yes, I guarantee I will bring my over 30 years of filmmaking experience to tell your loved one's story.
Due to the significant time involved,
I cannot offer a refund for my time.
I do offer a written agreement so you have everything in writing.
I also provided my own father's video on above so you can gauge the product and make an informed decision.
How to know if this isn’t a scam
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© Legacy Montage 2021