Life Reflections: Create a Video Heirloom is available for order!

Workshop at UHPCO Conference

Please plan to join us at the Utah Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s conference November 19-20 at the Salt Lake Community College Miller Campus. Our workshop will cover the Hospice Volunteer Method for creating Life Reflections videos using equipment you already own. See you there!

The Reluctant Star

Beginning with a low-stress, one-on-one discussion, you can develop the casual rapport and necessary trust to ease the fears of a reluctant star. Chapter two provides tips for establishing trust and ideas for dealing with a hesitant Star.

No Computer Necessary

You can complete your project with or without a computer. What we call an “unedited” Life Reflections video transpires when you record an interview more or less nonstop from start to finish and publish recording “as is.” This finished product is a minimally edited video. This type of video takes more initial planning; however, with forethought, you can produce a streamlined video your family and future generations will enjoy.

Lighting Challenges

Don’t let bad lighting ruin a great video.

Dad is Mom’s best friend’s former husband?

Sometimes are Life Reflections recordings are a person’s last chance to make confessions and deep secrets are revealed. One woman spoke of her devastation when her first husband left her for another woman, and then, in heartbreaking detail never before shared with her daughters, she told the story of her eventual solace and great joy when she finally met the “other woman’s” cuckolded husband—who went on to become the love of her life and her second husband.

I’ll Meet You in Heaven

Cheryl wanted to create a Life Reflections video so her legacy would know that despite financial adversity, she had paid her tithing to the LDS church every year and was a good church member. These things are important to her being allowed in the Celestial Kingdom where they would all meet again someday.

Dave

His Life Review Focus

Dave has very strong opinions about the value of music in all aspects of life. He discussed the value of good music (“not that stuff kids listen to today”) on a child’s development and growth. He believes in the power of positive thinking and tells a story about “wishing” a wart away. (add clickable youtube clip of wart story)

Family’s Reaction

“Dad is dying from Mesothelioma and we know our time with him is limited. This video allowed him to memorialize his life secrets and ideas with us,” said his daughter Kim. “If I ever feel at a loss or off track, I can play this DVD and remember my Dad’s advice for what’s important in life.”

Audio Challenges

Dave is very mobile and frequently moved from sitting to standing. He would also jump to the piano for an impromptu song or joke which required quick camera changes and microphone adjustments. He kept us on our toes!

Joan

Joan and I sat alone in her small Midvale home of 39 years for this interview. Joan is suffering from dementia and pre-Alzheimer’s and is sensitive to new people so I did a one-camera, one-interviewer shoot. We used many memory-prompting photos and scrapbook items to help her relate her incredible journey from Australia.

Audio and Video Challenges

Joan’s living room is very small and it was impossible to move Joan’s favorite chair from in front of the window. The window had very sheer curtains that did not block the light. I placed a poster-size white foam core panel in the window, but aesthetically it wasn’t pleasing. Luckily, the sky became overcast and I used her existing lighting.

There was no opportunity to use my light kit to provide fill-light because the living room only had one 2-prong outlet. That outlet was used by a powerstrip which converted her two-hole groundless outlet to the more modern 3-prong outlets. I did not think it was wise to plug in lighting to the overburdened groundless outlet so opted to use her existing incandescent lamp. I used the battery on my camera, mixer and microphone.

Parting Thoughts