Sometimes, a few people find the task of writing down stories a bit too challenging to proceed. A blank sheet of paper can be quite daunting!

So to preserve memories of their older generations, I sit down with such people e.g. family grandparents, and simply interview them in front of a video camera. In essence, I am creating a TV-style chat program for DVD.

By asking questions, I am able to draw out descriptions of earlier life experiences. We can also view objects that are held closer to the camera, including items such as old photos.

People consistently comment on my ability to quickly develop an easy relationship with those being interviewed, so that they relax and readily tell their stories as if they are simply chatting.

The camera remains on the subjects – that is, I do not appear on camera, and any comments that I make are inserted only as they enhance the whole conversation. Many of the world’s great interviewers simply sit down with someone and enjoy a chat, gently leading conversations in the background.

By the very nature of this medium (transferred to DVD after editing) the DVD becomes a sort of ‘living book’, as it were. This approach is also quicker than producing a book.

I edit the video into a smooth-flowing TV program, if you like, complete with a few graphics and captions. We can produce as many or as few copies of the DVD as desired, complete with a coloured DVD cover, which could include a photo of the subject/s. The DVDs look sensational on today’s large-screen TVs.

Despite the more complex equipment needed to produce quality products, is usually a little cheaper to produce DVDs than multiple books.

It’s probably a matter of preference:

• Do you want to hold your book in your hands as a very real reminder of the old saying that “There’s a book in each of us”?
• Or would you rather give a real interview on TV for your family and friends to enjoy?

Notes of Appreciation

• “On behalf of the Australian War Memorial, I thank you for the 27-minute television/video interview that you conducted with Flight Lieutenant Arthur Sandell, regarding his wartime service with 43 Squadron RAAF. The Memorial has placed the footage in film and DVD format into its National Collection of wartime history. The film has been allocated the accession number F08901. It represents important recollections of our heritage”.
• “We’re so glad that we decided to use a TV-style approach in getting Dad and Mum to just chat with you about their lives in the depression and before and after the war. To see them on our large screen now is just so gratifying – actually, astonishing. Yes, we’d have liked to have done a book, too, but with the limited time they had left, the DVD was the way to go. Their easy chat session is one of our favourite programs on telly in our house – the kids love it! When they saw themselves on the big screen, Dad and Mum were amazed in their humble way, but also very grateful that we’d have enduring images of them tell it the way it was for them, way back before we were born. Dad actually had tears in his eyes – very unlike him, but that showed us how much it meant to them. Thanks for your kind patience. Magic!” – Doris.