The Craft of Family History Videos: Making Classics Out of Clutter (page 3)
Appreciation Comes Full Circle
Compilation films, whether arranged in chronological order or by single subject, rely on pre-production research, with a heavy emphasis on good editorial skills. More importantly, they require a strong desire to share your appreciation and respect for your subjects, and you need to establish a great deal of trust to get the story.
These productions are the most rewarding of them all. So find those images that are guaranteed to grow more endearing with age, music that won't overpower the message and great audio that transports viewers in time. Don't shy away from preserving the proud moments. Layer heaps of humor in there too. Your return will be the priceless appreciation of your viewers. When they pull out that video once again years from now, they'll remember and appreciate all the hard work you went through to make it.
Jeanne Rawlings is an Emmy Award-winning sound recordist and documentary producer. Her former clients include the National Geographic Society, ABC and Discover Pictures.
