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Memorial Videos - Surviving Death Has
Never Been Easier
By Jane Lehmann
Nothing else comes as close to bottling reality as the
moving image. Maybe that's because a film unspools in a
continuous progression - just as life does. And video
has sound as well as images - putting it ahead of
photographs, bare sound recordings and even biographical
writing in terms of capturing personality. So when it
comes to keeping our loved ones alive - even cheating
death in a way - the best option is a memorial video.
Memorial videos are usually played at the funeral during
the memorial service. Typically, it is a 7 to 10 minute
funeral slideshow somewhat hastily assembled by a son or
daughter who knows a bit of PowerPoint - or it may be
the funeral home which puts it together. For older
folks, the slide show is usually a steady progression
through their baby photos - to school pictures - through
wedding shot - to snaps of the kids - to pics with the
grandkids. And there's nothing wrong with that.
But the passing of a loved one gives us the chance to
create something memorable. Something that truly
reflects the personality and the legacy of the deceased.
Something that will be kept and handed around and
treasured. And with the wonders of modern technology, it
has never been more true that "surviving death has never
been easier".
Don't wait for death
The best memorial video celebrates a life and features
the person - in person. How many of us say, after a
passing, "Oh, I wish I had spent more time with them,"
or "I regret I didn't record some of their stories." As
humans, while we know that death will visit, we are very
good at pretending each day that it won't be today. And
we are always right. Until that one day when we are not.
So, don't wait for death. Get started on that memorial
video before you need it. Dig out that video recorder,
set it up on a stand, and film the oldest members in
your family. Capture them talking, laughing, crying. Ask
them about the happy times, the challenges, what their
hopes are for their family. You don't need to do
anything with it now. Its value will become apparent,
and you will make use of it, when the subject passes.
Find out who all those people are
When a person does die, so much information goes with
them. So much knowledge is lost. Have you ever had the
experience at looking at an old photo album and
wondering who all those people are? You know some, but
there are many others who seem important - but who are
they?
Before it's too late, spend time with your subject and
go through the old photographs. Get a pad of those
yellow sticky notes and write down who's who. Ask about
the people, their relationship to the family, what the
occasion was, and where it took place. Maybe you are
able to scan and upload the images to a photo-sharing
site and have members of the family - who may live some
distance away - add details.
A life in words and print
Few things are as revealing as old letters. Letters
written between siblings or lovers - or to a parent or
child - often show a side of a person that you may never
have guessed at. They can be very personal. They can
explain some of a life's big turning points.
Intelligence really shines through in a letter - even
more than the spoken word.
Encourage family members to hold on to their letters.
And within the limits of propriety, include them in your
memorial video. Ask your subject to read them. Film
their handwriting. Have them talk about the times. Look
at the addresses - who was living at those places at the
time?
Assembling the video memorial
The key to a really meaningful video memorial is the
diversity of material you include. This is where you go
beyond the ordinary funeral slideshow. So, you should
include interview footage if you have it; you should
include home movies - maybe from a vacation or a special
occasion. You must include photographs of course - it
wouldn't be a memorial video without photographs. But
take care to bring back some luster to them - these days
it is easy to retouch a photograph with digital editing
software. And be sure to include captions on the
photographs in "lower third" text.
Did the subject have a favorite author or poet? Ask
someone to read a bit on camera and include that in your
memorial video. Are there significant documents -
diplomas, discharge papers, immigration documents, a
first pay stub? Bring those in.
Often, after a passing, friends and relatives visit. Sit
them down and ask them about the deceased - record them
on video. Have them speak to their eulogy - if they have
written one. What about the ancestors - do you know
anything about them? Where did they come from? Where did
they settle? If you know those things you can include
them as narration to the memorial video.
Give them wings
Once you have assembled your video memorial, you will
want to send it out to the world. Again, today's
technology gives us endless possibilities. First off,
you will want to burn your memorial video to DVD. And
make a nice box cover using your best images and with
important details of the life. If you are organized, you
will be able to give out copies at the service. If you
have interview material to incorporate, it will follow
later.
Inevitably, some people will have been unable to attend
the service. Maybe there were grandchildren who are at
school in another state. So why not upload the memorial
video to YouTube or another online video hosting
service? You can compress it for an iPod or even a
phone.
With memorial videos - surviving death has never been
easier. You don't need to be satisfied with a plain
funeral slideshow. You can honor your loved one as they
deserve. The tools are close at hand for those wishing
to do this most important family duty. And for those who
need a little help, there are people who can assist with
a professional memorial video. And if you want help
improving photographs and scanned images to include,
there are free tips available: Memorial video: fixing
photographs. |
