Five Tips To Help You Keep Your Family History Alive
Every family has a rich history that often remains undiscovered until family members attempt to trace their roots. Opening the doors of the past often helps you uncover generations of stories, family traditions, old photos, documents, and other memorabilia. Learning more about your family history will also give you a greater sense of who you are and where you come from.
If you’re looking to harbor your dream of preserving your family history but aren’t sure of where to start, you’ve come to the right place. By following a few tips, you will be able to pass down a legacy of memories to future generations and prevent precious mementos from disappearing.
To ensure you achieve the same, Family Voices Media has put together a list of five tips to help you keep your family history alive.
Tip #1: Save the evidence
Keep all the family photos, home movies, identity cards, passports, news clips, documents, etc. You could make a scrapbook out of the family photos collected or create digital copies of family documents/letters saved over the years. Make sure all the data collected is carefully preserved or saved indefinitely for future generations to cherish.
Tip #2: Record older relatives
If you want a lifelong piece of family history, find time on family holidays to record your grandmother, grandfather, or an older family relative. They may share stories about the old days before you were born, talk about what the country was like, or where they were on important dates (D-Day, JFK assassination, 9/11). Even if it’s on your phone, the record will be invaluable!
Tip #3: Ask follow-up questions
Like a detective, you need to ask your relatives follow-up questions to get more details and insight into a story. However, if a relative seems hesitant or uncomfortable to answer, respect their privacy, and move on to another topic.
Tip #4: Create a video biography
The best way to protect family stories and preserve your family legacy is by creating a video biography of a family member. Decide whether you want a video biography that covers your relative’s entire life or just one part. You can either document the video yourself or hire an experienced video biography company to provide you with exceptional results.
Tip #5: Consider your siblings
On your journey to preserving your family history, it is important to consider every family member, especially your siblings. Figure out whether you want your siblings to take an active part in the process or just contribute their memories. However, keep in mind that not all your siblings or family members may be interested in preserving family history.
If you’re looking for a unique family heirloom that honors your family and can be treasured by future generations, reach out to the experts at Family Voices Media to ensure a compelling video biography of your family member.
As a video biography production company in New York City, we specialize in creating informative, engaging, and dramatic video biographies of family members or loved ones.
We offer three packages to clients – Historical Record, Family Biography, and Family Documentary. Our “Family Biography” package includes a full shoot day with your family member but covers only a specific topic in a person’s life: their childhood, immigration story, work-life, adventure, etc. The edited version includes the interview and photos and can be from 30 minutes to 90 minutes depending on which package you choose.
All Family Voices Media videos are produced by TV professionals and our programs are broadcast production quality. To learn more about the packages we have to offer, please click here. If you have any questions about our services or want to schedule a free consultation with us, contact us by clicking here.