How does Biographfilm work?

Biographfilm is a recorded video interview in which you are able to tell your story, speak your mind, and preserve a personal record of yourself for the future.

The interview is conducted one-on-one with a Biographfilm professional who is trained to guide you in a relaxed and informational conversation.

Your Biographfilm can consist of a single session or multiple sessions, depending on your wishes. It’s meant to be scalable.

Your first session is the “Essential” Biographfilm, which is designed specifically to present your personal history and who you are today. It is not intended to be the end-all, be-all interview of your entire story. It’s simply the first several chapters. This session is the foundation of any future sessions you will record to add to your Biographfilm.

Where do you conduct the interview?

We typically come to your home or a favorite location of yours and record you in a room of your choosing. We normally look for a setting with little or no distractions and little ambient noise. Although our equipment setup only requires a smaller footprint, medium to large size rooms are preferred. Speaking of which, the equipment packages we use has been carefully selected for its quality, size and portability, and minimal impact to the setting.

Who will interview me?

One of the most valuable aspects of Biographfilm is how we design interviews for your ease and comfort as well as fostering the substantive discussion. Our interviewers are experienced industry professionals who are additionally trained to conduct your Biographfilm interview. All Biographfilm interviewers are required to have a minimum of five years experience in on-camera television journalism or a related field prior to their employment with Biographfilm.

All Biographfilm interviews are designed for your comfort and to make it easier for you to recount your stories and express your thoughts. The interview dynamics are critical. Therefore, your interviewer should have no prior relationship with you. We want to prevent and influence or bias to enter into anything you say in your Biographfilm. Much like in therapy, having an objective third party is vitally important to keeping your Biographfilm purely about you.

How long does the session take?

The interview itself lasts around 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Prior to the interview itself, it normally takes about an hour to set up the cameras, microphones, and any lighting. And, we need about a half-hour afterwards to pack up and get out of your hair.

What if I need more time?

Every session usually lasts approximately two hours. And, for good reason. Most people experience noticeable fatigue around the two hour mark. Believe me, it may not seem like a long time, but it’s a different story when in an interview in front of the cameras and lights!

If you find you need more time, it’s usually because you are going beyond the scope of the Essential Biographfilm first session - which means you have a lot to talk about! If that’s the case, you should add additional sessions now or in the future to devote more time to specific topics you wish to address more in-depth.

Can I have someone with me during my interview?

Absolutely. You may need someone to assist you physically or to help you recount some of your memories or stories. We welcome whoever you may choose to accompany you.

Why can’t I record my own Biographfilm?

You absolutely can!

Just like you can bake your own wedding cake, give yourself a haircut or a root canal, or guide yourself up Mt. Everest.

But, if you care about the quality of the end result and want to save yourself a lot of time, aggravation, and money, you’re better off seeking the help of experienced experts. (Boy, that’s a life lesson to share, huh?)

Yes, your smartphone is good enough to shoot a video, but it won’t replicate a three-camera, professionally shot and recorded interview. Speaking of which, finding and hiring a professional interviewer to do the job properly is no small task. And, the Biographfilm methodology is based on countless hours of interview experience and knowledge to make the process easier, more meaningful, and fun for you while making your films the best they can be.

What about privacy?

Your Biographfilm and the contents within are strictly confidential and will not be shared with anyone without your consent. You are 100% in control of however, whenever, or whoever you wish to share your Biographfilm with. We will only share your Biographfilm with anyone at your request.

Who will see my Biographfilm?

That’s really up to you. Most people share their Biographfilm with friends and family right away. If you would like us to make it available on Youtube (either privately or publicly), we can make it very easy for you to share.

If you would like to share your Biographfilm to specific people or to a particular audience in the future, we can do so as well.

When will people get to see my Biographfilm?

Again, that’s really up to you. Your finished video is usually available to you 7-10 days after your filming. After that, you can share it with whomever you would like whenever you would like. Or, if you would like to manage the distribution of your Biographfilm in the future, we can provide those optional services as well.

What will I receive once the film is done?

Once completed, you will receive all the raw, unedited footage, as well as a finished 4K video of the entire interview (only breaks and other interruptions are edited out). You will be given an external SSD hard drive containing all the files.

Your completed video can be uploaded to Youtube or any other streaming service of your choosing with your approved privacy settings.

We also offer additional backup and administrative services for your Biographfilm should you desire.

Can/should I do another one?

Absolutely! You should!

Subsequent sessions build upon your first “Essential” Biographfilm to provide others even more insight and clarity about you, who you are, and what you think.

There are a myriad of reasons you may choose to do additional sessions now and in the future. For example, to specifically document your family tree and recount family stories, to discuss a particularly meaningful episode in your life, or simply to update your previous films and show you as you progress along your journey.

Everyday, you are constantly adding to your story. Your Biographfilm is meant to grow with it… and you.

How do I preserve my Biographfilm for the future?

Future-proofing any form of keepsake is a tricky endeavor. Luckily, digital video is much easier to preserve than most other forms.

The most important thing to remember is to make copies. Because your Biographfilm is in digital video form, it is easily copied without any degradation in quality.

Having multiple copies in different places is ideal. Redundancy increases the chances that your Biographfilm will be recoverable should anything happen to the original.

We will retain a copy of all your Biographfilm files on our own servers (unless you elect us not to). In addition, you will have a copy on a hard drive we give you. (You should make other copies on hard drives (or future media) or on a cloud server, as well.)

In addition, there are additional options for future-proofing your Biographfilm with which we can not only assist but manage for you.

So what’s next?

Now that you are familiar with the basics of Biographfilm, it’s time to start thinking about your first session, the Essential Biographfilm. We understand that most people are not accustomed to being interviewed on camera. That’s why your first session is designed to be as easy for you as possible! To make you as comfortable as possible, we’ll walk you through the standard Essential Biographfilm so you’ll know exactly what to expect.

In the meantime, let’s answer any questions you may have and schedule your Essential Biographfilm.