Life Stories Packages are created to suit your individual needs.  Packages can be tailored to suit length of production, multi-camera filming, addition of extra lighting, optional interviewer on camera, specific location needs and special end-product packaging.  From essential to feature-added, we’ll deliver an end-product your family can enjoy for generations to come.

The BASIC PACKAGE includes all the essentials needed to create a Life-Stories video gift.  Included is a strategy and planning session, a set location visit – along with a meeting-time for story-teller and videographer.  This location visit is a good time to familiarize the interviewee with a few simple procedures and get them acquainted and comfortable in the interview concept.

The location visit is a time where we can look at surroundings, background, lighting and other esthetics that make a good-looking video.  In the basic package, we aim for a finished video of about an hour in length, so on the interview day, we set aside at least 3 to 4 hours for setup of location equipment, conducting the interview and take-down afterwards.

The editing time-frame often involves many hours of post-production work for a one-hour interview.  The basic package allows for a 1-camera production, with options for extra cameras if needed.   The finished product, in MP4 or Quicktime format, will be delivered in two digital formats for our client: DVD and memory stick.  Other optional archiving and backup storage methods are also available.   Cost for BASIC PACKAGE production is $400.

PRODUCTION OPTIONS

Life Stories Options can add extra spark and pzazz to your production.  For those who have a little more “Hollywood” in their blood, we can spice up the production with some optional extra’s to make your event a little more “professional” in the sense of a Television-style interview.  Please note * these optional add-on costs are in addition to the fee of $400 for the basic package.

The TWO CAMERA SETUP OPTION: this option employs a 2nd camera to record video from a different angle, or a special shot like a close-up of a person’s face.  The 2-Camera production can make the video come alive with special angles and perspectives that enhance the viewer’s experience and often add to the emotional impact of the finished video.  This accounts for extra setup time in the interview session and extra time in editing (post-production) as well.  2ND CAMERA OPTION: $200

The INTERVIEWER OPTION: this option employs a 2nd staff member to provide a spoken interview that is part of the recorded story. The interviewer can either be on-camera (their video image appears on-screen off and on between the Story-Teller’s responses, or only their audio (sound) is included.  This accounts for extra paid staff, extra planning time in setting up the dialogue, extra time in video-camera work, and extra-time in editing.   INTERVIEWER OPTION: $400

EXTRA LIGHTING OPTION: for locations that do not have enough natural lighting.   Good lighting on the video subject is of utmost importance to creating a good finished product.  Lighting needs – if shooting indoors – may require lighting kits to be brought in and set up as well.  This cost includes the cost of the lighting unit, as well as the extra planning, setup and take-down time required.   EXTRA LIGHTING OPTION: $200 per day.

FINISHED PACKAGE OPTIONS

Finished Package Options cover a number of end-user needs.  Many Story-Tellers and families will want to make the Life-Stories gift available to a number of people, which may include friends, relatives and extra copies for special events or future gifts.  For this reason, we offer some extra bundles of finished video products, so your recipients will be pleasantly surprised!

The BASIC PACKAGE, outlined above, offers a finished digital video on two storage mediums: DVD and MEMORY STICK.  This product is a SINGLE DIGITAL MOVIE, up to an hour long, with beginning and end-titles and optional background music at beginning and end. Because this is a digital movie, it will only play on computers with DVD players built-in.

GIFT DVD DUPLICATES with printed DVD and printed sleeve are available in bundles of 10 or more DVD copies.  Please inquire for current pricing on bulk orders of DVD copies.

An additional option to consider, is a MENU-DRIVEN AUTHORED DVD, playable on stand-alone DVD units as well as computers, where the hour-long feature is indexed by a maximum of 6 chapters, in order to help viewers navigate to their favorite chapters.  For longer interviews or to give viewers that extra perk, the authored package is available for an extra $200.  This includes the cost of 5 DVD copies of the Authored, menu-driven production.

ONLINE ARCHIVE OPTIONS

VIMEO or YOUTUBE OFFERINGS.  Today’s generations often share their narratives on media outlets such as Vimeo or YouTube.  Some of these options are open to all public viewing, and alternatively, you can password-protect videos you want to share with an exclusive audience.  Once you have received your end-product video, you have the choice of creating your own YouTube or Vimeo accounts and uploading the videos, or else we can create and manage the account for you.

WEBSITE PACKAGES.  Many families opt to have their own website designed and maintained as a family archive with video or scrapbook offerings to highlight the life-stories of family members.   For this purpose, we can create the website for you and take care of the domain registration, hosting and site design all in one easy package.  Their is a yearly maintenance fee for upkeep of the site and upgrading to meet changing internet standards.

SAFETY or BACKUP ARCHIVES.  You may also purchase a backup storage option with one of many online or cloud-storage providers. Examples are Dropbox, Google Drive, Amazon Cloud Drive, etc.  If you have computer “smarts” you can create these accounts and upload your Life-Story video on your own.  We can also create and manage this option for you for a reasonable startup and yearly maintenance fee.

Please visit our CONTACT PAGE and ask us
for any additional information you need regarding pricing,
packaging or any other options you have in mind!