Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to common questions about the YourLegacy Film experience.

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Your Legacy Film
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Getting Started

What is a Legacy film?

A Legacy film is a professionally produced video interview that preserves a person’s life stories in their own words. Sometimes called a legacy video, video biography or personal history film, it captures not only the stories themselves, but the person telling them—their voice, expressions, humor and personality—for family and future generations.

There are so many family stories we assume we’ll always remember—and so many questions we may never think to ask.

A Legacy film gives you the opportunity to preserve those stories while they can still be told firsthand. Years from now, children, grandchildren and future generations will be able not only to know the stories, but to see and hear the person who lived them.

A Legacy film can be created for anyone who wants to preserve the stories and experiences of a life.

Some people choose to make one for themselves. Others arrange a legacy film for a parent, grandparent, spouse, partner or someone else important in their lives.

There is no particular age or milestone required.

Some people create a Legacy film around a significant birthday, anniversary or other family occasion. Others simply decide that now is a good time to preserve their stories.

The important thing is that the stories can still be told by the person who lived them.

Our complete Legacy Film package is $9,000.

It includes the filmed interview, private dedicated viewing page, chapters organized by topic, a fully searchable transcript, bookmarking and private sharing features, a downloadable copy of the complete film, and a copy provided on an external drive.

Optional add-ons include an Archival Photo Montage, starting at $500, and a 10–15 minute Highlight Film for $3,000.

Visit our What You’ll Receive page for complete details.

Yes, depending on the location.

Because we film interviews in the client’s home, travel outside our usual service area may be possible. Contact us with your location and we can discuss the details and any travel-related costs.

The Interview

We conduct the interview in your home, where you can be comfortable and surrounded by familiar things. Our crew arrives approximately 90 minutes before the interview to set up cameras, lighting and sound. We work with you to choose the best location and, when we’re finished, return the room to the way we found it.
The interview itself lasts approximately three hours, with breaks built in along the way. We allow plenty of time so the conversation never feels rushed. Before the interview begins, our crew needs approximately 90 minutes to set up cameras, lighting and sound.
We begin with a detailed intake questionnaire that helps us learn about your life, family and experiences. Next, we meet with you for a pre-production conversation to discuss the stories and topics that matter most. From there, we create a personalized list of interview questions and share it with you in advance so you can review it and suggest any changes.
No. We share the questions with you so you know what we plan to discuss, but there is nothing to memorize or rehearse. In fact, we find that the best interviews happen when people simply respond naturally and let the conversation unfold.
Every interview is different because every life is different. Depending on your story, we may talk about family history, childhood, important relationships, education and career, life outside of work, significant experiences and challenges, and your reflections on the people and events that have been important in your life. The questions are customized around you.
That is completely up to you. During the planning process, we’ll talk about any subjects you would prefer to avoid. Those boundaries will be reflected in the questions we prepare, and you are always free to decline to answer anything during the interview.
Most people are not accustomed to sitting in front of professional cameras, and that is perfectly normal. Our job is to make the experience feel more like a conversation than a formal interview. Once people become engaged in talking about their lives and the people they care about, they often stop thinking about the cameras altogether.

Your Legacy Film

The complete Legacy film preserves your full interview, which is typically about three hours of conversation. Rather than requiring you to watch the entire film from beginning to end, the interview is divided into chapters so you can easily move between different topics. We also offer an optional 10–15 minute Highlight Film featuring selected moments from the complete interview.
Yes. As an optional add-on, we can create a professionally edited archival photo montage using family photographs and other images that you scan and provide to us. The montage adds another visual layer to the stories and memories preserved in your film.
The post-production process typically takes about four weeks after the interview. During that time, we carefully review and edit the film, organize the conversation into chapters, and polish the picture and sound.
Your complete interview will be available on a private, dedicated web page created for you and your family. The film is divided into chapters and accompanied by a fully searchable transcript. You can search for particular people, places, events or topics, bookmark favorite moments, and privately share individual clips or entire chapters with family and friends. You will also be able to download the complete film.
Yes. Your dedicated web page is private and is intended for you and the people with whom you choose to share it. We will never assume that your personal stories are ours to share publicly. Any use of your film or excerpts from it outside your private page would require your permission.
Yes. Your film is yours to keep. You will be able to download the complete video, and we also provide a copy on an external drive for long-term safekeeping.
Your private web page is designed to give you convenient online access to your legacy film for as long as we continue to operate the service. Because no website can be guaranteed to exist forever, we also make sure you have your own permanent copies of the film. You’ll be able to download the complete video, and we’ll provide an additional copy on an external drive for safekeeping. That way, your legacy film belongs to you and does not depend on continued access to our website.
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