Personalized Mini-Documentaries to Preserve Your Family Milestones
YOUR memories. YOUR words.
What Can You ARCHIVE?
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Landmark Birthdays
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Engagement Story
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Buying you First Home
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Newborn Baby (parent interview)
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First Day at School
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Graduations
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Anniversaries
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Retirements
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Life Retrospectives
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Or anything else you can think of!
Do you remember what your child thought of their first day of school? Or that story your grandpa told that got a laugh every time? What if you could watch them tell you in their own words?
ARCHIVE creates treasured time-capsules using professionally shot interview footage and documentary storytelling techniques, for your family and friends to enjoy for years to come.
How Does it Work?
We will come to you and film you wherever you feel most comfortable - your home, your office, the great outdoors - and ask you questions about whatever subject you want to focus on.
In the editing process we can integrate well-loved family pictures, old home movies or footage of you doing the things you love. While we want the focus on you and your interview, our aim is to deliver an entertaining, visually compelling 10 minute segment that you will be excited to share. These documentary-style techniques bring your ARCHIVE memory to life, creating a lovely family heirloom.
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A 50% deposit is due to secure your on-camera interview. The next 25% payment is due when we show you a rough cut for your approval. After one round of revisions, the final 25% is due upon delivery. Your ARCHIVE video will be made available to you both on USB and through a shareable private link.
Milestone Package
Mini-documentary, no less than 5 minutes long. One person interviewed plus B-roll footage. You provide us with personal photos and/or videos for us to cut away to. This package is ideal for younger children, birthdays, graduations, and more.
$945.00
Legacy Package
Mini-documentary, no less than 10 minutes long. One person interviewed, plus B-roll footage. Personal photos/videos can be included for us to cut away to. This package is for retirees and grandparents who want to provide their family with reflections on a life well lived.
$1995.00
Additional Items
Each additional interview $100
Each additional location $100
Or tell us what you need and we'll work to accommodate you!
FAQ
What am I paying for/couldn't I just make these videos myself?
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If you have the technical know how to shoot and edit these videos yourself, you absolutely should! Collecting these moments for posterity is a wonderful resource for any family. The service ARCHIVE provides is for those without the time or inclination to assemble the necessary components, or the experience to craft a compelling product. Each video takes easily 20 hours (or more) to edit. Our fees reflect this, as well as the use of our equipment which includes a lighting kit, microphones, and Sony camera. If you take a moment to compare our prices to those offering similar services (including hiring a photographer to take family portraits), you will find that we are very competitive.
My child/grandma/husband is shy around strangers. How would you get them to answer questions?
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It's true that a lot of people find it intimidating to be on camera at first, but we have experience demystifying the process and putting people at ease. First and foremost, we're there to have a conversation and the camera and lights are simply there to make our subjects look great. We have a list of questions that are designed to be open-ended and tailored to the topic at hand. During our initial consultation, we're open to any suggestions you might have about what to bring up, or specific techniques you think will help your loved one feel at ease.
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Can I watch you tape the interviews?
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You're certainly welcome to be within earshot or close by if you want to check in, but we recommend that family members allow some space for the interviewee to focus on us. Stories that may be overly familiar to your ears take on a new life when relayed to someone new. Also, some people may feel more inhibited with more people around the camera, so it helps prevent them from getting distracted.
Will I have a say in the final cut?
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Yes. When we think the video is ready, we will send you a watermarked link so you can watch it in the comfort of your own home. If you're happy with what you see, you give us the final approval and we will send it your way. If there are some tweaks you would like us to make, now is the time to tell us and we will address them in a one-time edit. Most of our videos follow a particular structure, so if you've seen the samples on this site you shouldn't be in for any surprises.
Will we hear you asking questions in the video?
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No. In order to create the impression that your loved one is talking to you, the questions Nicole and I ask are edited out. Titles, photos, and repeating the question in the answer all help to make this work.