Family Legacy Films
The story of a lifetime. For the generations to come.
We often think of legacy in grand terms like fortunes, estates, or names engraved on plaques. We picture what someone leaves behind.
But for most of us, a true legacy is not made of things. It is made of the parts of us that live on in others. It is a recipe card in your grandmother’s handwriting. The way your dad paused just before the punchline. A lullaby your mother sang. The ordinary, quiet moments that shaped someone else’s life.
A legacy is not what you leave for people. It is what you leave in them.
These films are built to preserve exactly that. Not a list of accomplishments, but the emotional imprint of a life. The voice. The heart. The feeling someone leaves behind.
How It Works
Some stories are too important to be left to memory alone. This is the conversation you have been meaning to have, created with the dignity and care your history deserves.
1. The Story Consultation: We begin with a relaxed phone or video call about what matters most. We figure out what chapters we should explore. This is not about scripting. It is simply about understanding the heart of the person we are filming before I ever turn on a camera.
2. The Interview: A warm, guided conversation. Most people tell me they did not realize they had so much to share. We just follow where the story leads.
3. Shaping the Film: Your voice and your photos are woven into the narrative. I treat your family archival images with the care and respect they deserve, drawing on twenty five years of documentary editing to build the story.
4. Your Legacy, Delivered: A high resolution digital film your family will return to for generations.
Choose Your Package
The Mini Memoir
A focused 5 to 7 minute film capturing one vital piece of your story.
In-Person (Vancouver): $2,295 CAD | Remote: $1,795 CAD
Because we are working within a shorter timeframe, we do not try to rush through an entire lifetime. Instead, we collaborate to choose one specific focus for the conversation. Popular choices include:
- The Defining Chapter: The specific era or turning point that changed everything.
- The Anchor Message: The advice, values, and philosophy you want the next generation to hear.
- The Origin Story: The journey of moving to a new city, or the early days of starting the family.
- The Partnership: A film dedicated entirely to the story of a marriage.
What is included:
- ✓ Dedicated story consultation call to pick your topic
- ✓ 30 to 45 minute focused interview
- ✓ 5 to 7 minute cinematic film
- ✓ Your family photos woven carefully into the story
- ✓ Careful editing, music, and sound design
On the craft
Editing a short legacy film is an exercise in focus. Because we only have a few minutes, every word matters. I spend hours sitting with the footage, finding the exact moments where the emotion rings true. It takes restraint to clear away the excess and leave only the pure, distilled essence of that single chapter, so it feels complete and unhurried.
Room for the Story to Grow
A Mini Memoir is a beautiful place to start. If capturing this first chapter sparks a desire to tell the rest of the story down the road, I will credit $1,500 of this session toward a Full Legacy Film.
The Full Legacy Film
The definitive life story. From childhood to now.
Starting at $5,995 CAD
Fully remote capture is also available for distributed families.
What is included:
- ✓ Comprehensive story consultation call
- ✓ Deep dive 2 hour interview session
- ✓ 20 to 30 minute multi chapter documentary film
- ✓ Up to 40 photos woven into the narrative
- ✓ Meticulous editing to preserve the pacing and emotion
On the craft
A full life cannot be rushed into a template. The real work here happens in the quiet hours of editing, letting the story unfold at its own natural pace. I am not trying to hit a commercial runtime. I am patiently weaving decades of memories, finding the authentic rhythm of how they speak, and giving their stories the breathing room they actually deserve.
The Couple’s Archive
Two lives, one shared journey. The complete family archive.
Starting at $7,995 CAD
Fully remote capture is also available.
What is included:
- ✓ Two separate interview sessions (approx. 2 hours each)
- ✓ 40 to 60 minute feature documentary
- ✓ Up to 80 photos or items, plus 1 home movie digitized
- ✓ Intimate, intertwined narrative editing
On the craft
Weaving two separate lives into one shared story is a delicate process. I have to balance two distinct perspectives, finding the beautiful overlaps and the gentle contradictions. It involves carefully sorting through a massive archive of photos and home movies, editing them together so the final film feels like a seamless, intimate conversation between two people who built a life together.
How You Will Receive the Film
Your Family Legacy Film is delivered as a high quality digital master MP4, ready to preserve and share. To elevate the presentation, you can add:
- The Heirloom Gift Set ($150): A custom engraved USB drive presented in a handcrafted keepsake box. A beautiful, physical archive to hand down to the next generation.
- Private Screening Room ($150): A bespoke, password protected webpage where your family film lives safely online, making it effortless to share with relatives across the globe.
For Those Buying as a Gift
The hardest person to shop for is the parent who has everything and wants nothing. A Family Legacy Portrait is a different kind of gift. It simply tells them their story matters, and that you want the next generation to know them the way you do.
Perfect for: Milestone birthdays (70th to 85th), major anniversaries, or retirement celebrations.
Common Questions
“What if they are camera shy?” Everyone feels this way at first. Within ten minutes, the camera disappears. Your great grandchildren will not care if you climbed Everest. They will care that you are theirs.
“What if health is declining quickly?” We work in fifteen minute increments if needed. I have filmed in hospice, hospitals, and care homes. If they can still speak, we can preserve their story. Call me today. Do not wait.
Ready to Begin?
I limit my schedule to three or four projects a month to ensure every family gets my full attention.
If you are ready to make sure these stories are not lost, let us start with a simple conversation.
A Near Miss and a Family’s Unbreakable Bond
A near-tragic event became a family’s inside joke — capturing the resilience and humour that binds them.