Video and Multimedia Memoirs and Family Biographies

It may be easiest to conceptualize much of what I've said about the written memoir in picturing the video memoir. We begin by discussing length, style and content. Since video histories usually cover the entirety of one's life or the life of one's family, again we break down into chapters or segments for purposes of structure.

Careful planning is essential because video editing is enormously labor intensive. Outlining in advance and being selective is essential. This is something I and/or family members may help with. Variety of content is also crucial in creating a compelling final product.

There are several things specific to video which add greatly to quality and interest:

   1. Stories should be brief—only a couple of minutes each.

   2. Long periods of talking must be broken by adding photos or video clips.

   3. Brief interactive portions with friends and family add enormous appeal.
   These are the parts that the family will watch over and over again.

   4. Historical photos and documents add interest.

   5. Adding nostalgic songs or music creates emotional impact and adds historical perspective.

   6. Who your viewers will be and their attention span must be considered.

   7. Overall video length should be kept to 2 to 2 1/2 hours.