Why make a life story video?

For me, there are SO many reasons to record a Life Story video that I could write a book on this topic, and maybe one day I will, but for now, I'll spare you the research and the evidence. I just want to share a few stories from my storytellers and their families.

Creating a beautiful video biography can be simple and easy

‘My dad has come over to visit, but he goes back to Australia in a fortnight. He has lived an interesting life but as he lives abroad we don’t see him often and his grandchildren know very little about him... I really want to capture his life story in a video autobiography so that my children will hear his stories while he is youngish! ‘

When Emily found out about life story videos and asked me to help, to record her dad’s life story video it seemed like a perfect solution. Emily’s dad is a busy chap, so while his grandchildren were at school we recorded and filmed his stories. They began with a description of his life on a remote farm, on a hillside in the 1940s and it was wonderful. A few weeks later, I sent Emily and her dad a link to the films, we made two small edits and that was it, his life story video and their family history is now theirs to watch, enjoy and cherish now and into the future.

2. Cherish your family history and family stories

I am often asked to film a life story by adult children who want their parents to share and record their memories while they are young and full of life. Take Rebecca for example. Her parents, Helen and Maurice are both extremely active, fit, and well, but they are both over 90.

Rebecca asked me to film Helen and Maurice’s life story video, and so that is what we did.

We started with a bit of family history. They both recalled memories of visiting their own grandparents; being taught to clean and prepare chickens, and the smell of homemade cheese was particularly vivid for both of them. They even recalled and shared the stories they have been told of their great-grandparents' lives and a fabulous anecdote about the family’s prize cow!

They spoke of their wartime childhoods; the bombs, air raid shelters, evacuations, and lack of education. They spoke frankly about their successes and their challenges, their interests and their passions, their lives today, and their hopes for the future.

Theirs is a very close family, hugely proud of one another, of their achievements, and their family history.

A few months later, Rebecca contacted me to say thank you. Getting her parents to make a life story video, she said, was one of the best things that she had done that year. She described how the family all got together for a rather emotional viewing, how much she has learned, and also how comforting it is to know that her own children and grandchildren will always have access to their family story.

3. A memorable gift for an elderly parent

Others tell me that they are wanting to do this for their parents.

Let me tell you about James. James is a great raconteur and loves telling stories. He has lived a good life and has a great memory. He has wanted to write a book about his life story and his interesting family for many years, but for one reason or another, it hasn’t happened. When I say one reason or another, I really mean because it is a massive and pretty daunting job!

James was also reaching a significant birthday, his family knew that sharing his stories was something that James would really enjoy doing. They also felt that James' unique humour was at its best when spoken, rather than written. So, the family clubbed together and asked me to capture not just the stories and the memories but also James' great humour.

I think this is what we have managed to do. We haven’t quite finished yet, I have a few pictures to add here and a final check to do, but I am pretty confident they'll be happy with his life story video when they all sit down to watch it!

4. My story in my words

Some storytellers have a particular ‘thing’ that they want to share, a thing that they want their family to know, and they haven’t been able to say but that they want their family to hear in their own words.

Take Erica for example. Erica had repeatedly told one of her sons that she wanted to record some of her stories and memories. Erica had faced a number of challenges in her life and felt that she had never been able to talk about their impact. She knew that it may be helpful for her children to hear her story and was anxious to create a life story video where she could share her stories. Speaking to her children directly about these challenges was never going to happen, that would be too hard for them all. Erica hoped by creating a film that her family could watch in their own time may not only help her children to understand her better but maybe even open up conversations while she was still able to communicate.

I filmed Erica remotely telling her story; she spoke about the good times, growing up in a pub, galavanting around the countryside and holidays to Europe, but she also spoke of the challenging episodes. Erica lived alone, far from her family, her health was poor and she couldn’t get out much. I know that Erica looked forward to our weekly filming sections as much as I did, filming her stories was really a lot of fun.

Sadly, I never really found out how helpful the film was to the family. Erica died after a short illness a few weeks after our last session. I hope that one day the family will find the films useful, but even if they are never viewed, I know that the process of reminiscence was hugely comforting and validating for Erica.

5. Memory decline

Finally, let me tell you about the rather wonderful Robert and his gorgeous family. Roberts's family had noticed that his memory wasn’t what it was. Robert’s mother had lived with an aggressive form of dementia, so Robert’s memory loss was of course very worrying.

Robert's family is intensely proud of him, of Robert the husband, the dad, the brother, the sailor, and the doctor. With some encouragement, they persuaded Robert to share a few stories on camera, and we made a very beautiful life story video. Robert shared memories of growing up in the borders in the 1950s, of the challenges and successes in his career, of becoming a father, and his admiration for his wife and the intense pride he has for his children, and grandchildren.

Robert’s family knows they will face challenges in the future and wanted to capture him at his very best. I like to think that in the future if things get tough, they will be able to listen back to Robert sharing his stories, his humour, his values, and his love for his family, and hope our film will help, just a little.

If anything here resonates with you, and you are interested in a life story video, then do get in touch alice@thestorykeepers.co.uk maybe I can help.

“Alice was amazing in preserving my father-in-law’s life story. She was so professional and demonstrated excellent attention to detail during the editing process. Thank you for preserving this story.”