New Video Memorial Resource Launched

We have been in the video memorial business for over ten years. Our aim is to design and create the most personal, affecting and watchable video memorial tributes in the whole country.

But our commitment to memorable funeral tributes does not stop with our professional services. For those people who are lucky enough not to be pressed for time or who have a high degree of technical proficiency we are also a source of ideas and inspiration. We have been publishing “do it yourself” blogs stuffed with advice and suggestions for as long as we have been making video memorials for people. Our article on things to include in a video memorial has been read tens of thousands of times! 10 things (apart from photos) to include in a video memorial

We love our family – and of course we have suffered losses over the years. And on the passing of our loved ones we have wanted to honor and remember them in a special way. So we know that that is true for other people. And because of our professional expertise, we are in a position to help you properly honor your loved one and are happy to help in any way we can. And now we can reveal a new resource that families with a loss are sure to find helpful.

A Source of Funeral Memorial Quotes

Sometimes the feelings we have about a person, or words that reflect their life or their life’s philosophy, have been said by other people.  One of our personal favorites comes from Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel) which helps us see the glass half full:

“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”

Another quotation we like speaks to the rather unplanned way life often often unfurls.  It was penned by Douglas Adams:

“I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.”

Usually there is comfort in our faith, as Pope Francis reminds us:

“In the face of unjust and painful situations, faith brings us the light which scatters the darkness.”

For a boatload more quotation samples useful in funeral memorials just click on the heading which links to our new website. No tricks or data collection – just a bunch of quotations.

 

DIY Advice for Memorial Video Tributes

We also have advice for folks working on their own funeral slideshow. If you have the time and just a few computer skills you can easily make you own funeral slideshow for free.

While there is an endless array of “slideshow makers” out there, many not-free, chances are you already have on your computer (Apple or PC) everything that you will need. Think Windows Live Movie Maker available on newer PCs or iMovie available on most Apple computers.

And if you can’t find the editing program that came with your computer then there are more than a few reputable photo sharing web sites that will let you upload, arrange then convert to a slideshow for free.

But whatever slideshow maker you choose, make sure your photos don;t let you down. You will probably need to digitize some images – that means you need to get them into your computer using a flatbed scanner (or by carefully taking digital photographs of them.) You should, if possible, clean the images up with a simple (free) photo editing program like Microsoft Photo Editor (older PCs), Microsoft Photo Gallery (newer PCs), or Apple iPhoto.
And when scanning, use a reasonably high scan resolution (around 300 dpi – more for very small images).

Tribute Video Samples

If you just want to see a bunch of tribute video samples then you can click over to our sample page.  Some might be a tad sophisticated for first-timers but there are still ideas that you are likely to find useful.

So, good luck with your memorial. We won’t lie to you: they are a lot of work – even for professionals like us.  There is no fast way to create personal, delicate, affecting memorial slideshows and tributes.  But it’s time well spent for those who have earned our love.

Filed under: death, DIY Tips & Advice, Memorial Video, Uncategorized

Photo Repair and Restoration for Family Historians

As family historians, our job is to research and collect documents, information, stories, artifacts and photos about our clans. If you are lucky, you will come across some old family photographs. And if you are very lucky, you will discover grandma’s very own photo album full of all sorts of images and even (be still my beating heart) captions and descriptions.

But discovering old photos is not always the end of the journey. Creating digital copies is the next thing you really need to do. That will give you the ability to share the pictures around the cousins, and it will give you a vital backup should anything happen to the originals. And after that, the question will arise: should you also do a little photo repair and restoration? Is that needed; is it even “right”? Here’s what you need to know.

Filed under: Uncategorized, photo repair, photo restoration

Family Life in the 1950s: Life Story Video

This month’s life story video is the story of a typical 1950s family.

The 1950s were a little different to the 2010s
These days, from the perspective of 2011 and the tail of a very difficult recession, the 1950s present as a kind of golden period for America. The economy was expanding, nearly everybody had a job, and new and better machines kept appearing to help with household chores.

And from this distance at any rate – the country seemed optimistic and unified behind a set of agreed goals that today just seem a million miles away.

Of course, it wasn’t all Coke and beach umbrellas. We had the Reds to worry about, potential nuclear Armageddon, and vast race and gender inequality.

The Earls were a classic 1950s family
The Earls were a classic 1950s family. New bikes for birthdays, peanut butter and jelly school lunches, buzz cuts for son Ben, and vacations at the beach. And much of this happy time was captured by Ben in Super 8 Kodachrome. Their whole story was recently told in their family history documentary (extract follows):

Filed under: family history video, Personal Documentaries, Uncategorized, family history video, golf, personal documentary, WWII