For Whom Is A Video Biography Is Made?

I recently delivered the DVDs of a family documentary story to a very happy and grateful recipient in time for Christmas. I had screened the final version of a story about his parents for him a couple of weeks ago. Then I burned the disks and their labels, designed and printed the DVD case inserts (after sending him a proof for him to approve).

When I handed him the DVDs, he gave me a holiday card, in which he had written:

"We can't begin to thank you enough for what you have given our family. It is a beautiful story of our parents that will now be told for generations to come. Your work is remarkable!"

The "your work is remarkable" is certainly flattering, especially coming from someone who works in television, as he does. For him to say that is truly a compliment. But the part that really sticks out is "will now be told for generations to come."

Although the story is about his parents and he was eager to show them the film, that's not for whom the story was made. It was made for him and his brother and sister and their children. It was made for the day — in the distant future, I hope — that his parents aren't around to tell their story themselves.

When that day comes, they will still have this.



Note that we show video clips only with the permission of their subjects. We honor your privacy and we don't show your project to anyone unless you tell us it's OK.