The Process
Each project we undertake begins with you, the customer, contacting Legacy Video Service via our contact page where you will provide a brief overview of what type of video project you have in mind. We will then follow up with you via telephone to gather relevant details of your project (e.g., location, shoot schedule, subject matter, and expectations for final delivery of the final video). Prospective clients will be given a detailed price estimate within 24 hours of this initial consultation.
When you're ready to proceed, we will conduct and record the on-camera interview in a private, comfortable space (preferably at a location familiar to the subject). Or, if it's more convenient, we could tape the interview at our small studio located near Court Square in downtown Charlottesville, Virginia.
Our interview approach is designed to get to the crux of a subject’s “story” by having them revisit the most notable events of their lives and explain how these events shaped their personal beliefs and value systems.
Ideally, any additional on-camera interviews of family, friends, or other key figures in a subject’s story will be conducted on the same day and at the same location as the primary subject interview.
Once the LVS crew have gotten the shots we need, we will review and edit the interview footage into a cohesive narrative.
Photographs, music, etc.
Clients may want us to include old or existing family photos and/or home movie footage in their legacy videos and we are happy to accommodate these requests. We can scan your existing photos or documents to complement the interview footage, or to be saved on a CD-ROM for your own archival needs. Lastly, if needed, we can even take professional-quality photos of story-related people, places or objects.
Pre-Production
• Client meetings (“in-take” interview to gather "basic" information)
• Creative concept (Based on the info provided on the in-take form, LVS staff will identify themes, possible narrative arcs)
• Preliminary storyboarding (done by LVS staff)
• Location scouting and permits (if needed)
Production - Check out our capabilities link to get an idea of the type of gear we will be bringing to a shoot.
• Videography (camera, lighting, and audio set up and breakdown at each location, plus additional shoots if necessary)
• Interviews
• Photography (images of subject-relevant landmarks, objects, people, etc.)
• Audio recording
• Photo scanning
• Prep additional client-supplied materials (photos, documents, home movies, music, etc.)
Post-Production
• Logging of footage, transcription of interviews
• Production music and stock footage
• Final on-line editing (using Adobe Premier Pro)
• Duplication/distribution (DVD, SD card, YouTube upload, or another digital medium of the client’s choosing – we’re flexible.)
How long does the process take?
That depends on a few factors, such as the number people we will be interviewing, and the number of sites where we shoot. We like to build in at least an hour to set up and break down the equipment at each location. The primary interview should take about an hour.
• Equipment set-up – 30 min. (per location)
• Paperwork (review of contract, release signatures, etc.) – 10 min.
• Interview with primary subject – 1 hr.
• Secondary interviews – 30 min./each
• B-roll footage capture – 30 – 60 min.
• Equipment break-down – 30 min.
• Post-Production – The day following the shoot, we will review the captured footage, identify potential themes and story threads, edit the footage, add royalty-free music and/or supplementary media provided by client (e.g., photographs, etc.). This process should take approximately 2–3 working days.
Additionally, if we identify any “holes” in the story that could be filled, or ways the video could be improved, we will schedule additional shoots as necessary.
Lastly, we save the final video to a SD card and/or upload it to a private YouTube account unique to each LVS client.
