Once you have contracted us to produce your Life Memories Video Biography we will visit you in the comfort of your own home with a lovely long list of memory provoking questions. We go through these questions in their specific categories (eg early childhood, dating, parenthood, life lessons and many, many more) and make a note of the ones that induce a strong link to your memories through various stages of your life.

If there are areas of your life that you specifically want to talk about, or on the other hand, not want to talk about, we completely respect your decisions as this is your biography to tell and no one else’s.
Within a few days of this first discussion we will send you the list of questions that you have selected well in advance of your interview session so that you can focus on what your responses will be.

During the interview process we may combine a number of closely related questions in to a single question as this provides for a more naturally flowing response from you. We may also omit some questions selected during the interview if we feel they have already been covered in responses to previous questions. [Top of Page]

The Interview Process

Where will you film me?

Normally we film in your home as this is where you are most comfortable. It is usual to pick your favourite room with you sitting in your favourite chair. We like to film in a room that is not overly cramped or cluttered as the background may prove distracting. It may also be necessary to move your chair slightly for best lighting. Although interviews can be filmed outside we try to discourage this due to changeable lighting conditions and unpredictable noise events from wind, traffic, dogs barking etc.

During our initial visit with you we will look at potential interview locations, discuss them with you and at the end agree a suitable location, so that it is ready when we come to film.

In our deluxe packages you also have the option of any background of your choice (either still or moving) keyed in behind you for all or certain parts of the interview. [Top of Page]

How many of your people are involved in the interview filming?

We normally provide a crew of 2 people to film an interview, comprising our Director Of Photography and a Production Assistant. The DOP looks after all the technical stuff like lighting, cameras and sound, while the PA attends to any make-up touchups and most importantly asks you the interview questions. Our staff are very friendly and realise that this process is very new to you, and will do their utmost to put you at ease during the whole process. [Top of Page]

How many cameras are involved in the interview filming?

In all but our most basic package we use 2 professional digital video cameras as this allows more flexibility during the editing process. [Top of Page]

Do you use extra lighting when filming an interview?

We use professional lighting for all our interviews. If there is one thing more than anything else that separates a professional looking interview from an one that is amateur, it is the lighting, and not the camera quality as many people believe.

Depending on requirements of the actual interview location we will employ between 1 to 3 lights of our own lights plus 1 or 2 reflector panels. We choose our lights and their locations carefully to minimise glare to our subjects. In most cases people forget the lights are there after being switched on for a few minutes. [Top of Page]

Do I have to wear a microphone during the interview?

Yes. We will attach a small lapel microphone to your clothing just below your neck to ensure professional audio quality. Most people are unaware that they are actually wearing them. [Top of Page]

I'm nervous about being in front of a camera, what should I do?

It is quite normal for anyone to get nervous before filming, even the seasoned professionals get the jitters.
To help you through this, as soon as our staff arrive, to record your interview, it is their priority to make you feel comfortable. To get you used to the cameras and lights we will sit you down in your interview chair and chat to you while we are setting up. This gets you used to the extra equipment in the room and lets you develop a rapport with our friendly staff. By the time we are ready to start rolling with the actual interview it will be like chatting with friends. In fact during the whole interview process you will be asked to look at the interviewer and not at the camera, which immediately makes people feel more comfortable. [Top of Page]

I’m worried I will lose my train of thought and make mistakes, or say ‘um’ and ‘ah’ a lot.

Editing is a very powerful process. You may be surprised to learn that the same mistakes happen in professional television interviews but you are never aware of this because of the editing process. You are the ‘star’ of this video, and as such, we are going to make sure that our editing shows you in the best possible light. This means skillfully removing any mistakes or awkward moments so that your viewing audience will not even realise it has happened. [Top of Page]

Can I take a break during the interview process?

Yes of course. Any time you are feeling tired, want to stretch your legs or stop for any other reason that's OK. We would naturally prefer that you do this at the end of answering a question. [Top of Page]

What happens if I begin rambling or go off on a tangent when answering a question?

Although there are some general time constraints for the entire interview process we will let you keep talking when answering any question as this is often how the best stories emerge. However, if we do feel on the odd occasion that you are getting way off the track our interviewer will raise his/her hand out, of camera view, as a signal to you to wind-up the answer as soon as possible. [Top of Page]

Photographs

How do I best select which photos to include in my video biography?

It will probably be very apparent to you as to what photos you should include, but here's some additional tips:

Choose pictures that you can tell a story about
Choose the pictures that show character and personality
Choose a mix of close-ups as well as photos that have groups and action in them
Choose photos to reveal the most important stages of life eg: important moments, significant events like first day at school, graduation, wedding etc
Avoid photos that are too similar
Avoid out of focus photos
Avoid selecting too many photos without people in them [Top of Page]

How many photos do I need to select?

This depends on the length of the video biography package you have chosen

10 – 20 photos for 20 minute package
25 – 40 photos for 50 minute package
35 – 70 photos for 80 minute package [Top of Page]

Should the photos I select be vertical or horizontal?

This does not really matter as often we will digitally crop the photos during editing to provide the most seamless fit into the overall program. Alternatively with some photos we may magnify them slightly and then pan across or down the photo to provide greater impact. [Top of Page]

My photos are very precious to me. Do you need to take them away with you?

The simple answer is no. Using a high quality digital camera and specialised lighting, we are able to make high resolution copies of your photos within your own home. All we need is a clean flat surface such as a kitchen table to lay your selected photos on (we provide a backing cloth) and the copies are made within a matter of minutes. We will take down a short note about every photograph as we record it. [Top of Page]

The photos that I want to use are firmly stuck in the album. What should I do?

This is not a problem as in most cases we can photograph them quite well within the album. Under no circumstances attempt to remove them from the album if they are stuck in as we would be as upset as you if they became damaged.
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Can you copy photos that are still in their frames?

Although we try to avoid this we can fit a special filter on the camera lens to remove reflections from the glass on a photo frame. As it is more time consuming copying photos this way we would only do this for a select few special photographs. [Top of Page]

Can I select photos from old newspaper clippings that I have or other memorabilia?

Absolutely. Any article or object in your home that can be photographed, right down to the size of a 5 cent coin, can be included as a still image in your video biography. [Top of Page]

Photo Restoration

Do you restore old photos?

Yes we do restore photos, but this is done as a separate service and it is charged on a photo by photo basis.
When we restore a photo the original is not altered in any way, however we do need to take the photo back to our office to scan it at high resolution. The digital image that results is then worked on by a skilled restorer using specialised software and techniques to remove scratches, tears, blemishes and fading. The restored digital image is then reproduced back on to photo paper to the same size as the original or enlarged according to your requirements. We can even realistically colourise your old black and white or sepia photographs from colour details you provide to us. [Top of Page]

Slides, Super 8 home movies and Videos

Can I select slides or segments of home movies for inclusion in my biography?

Yes you can. In fact we encourage you to unearth your old movies if they can tell or highlight a specific story as this can be compelling viewing. However you must keep in mind that we will probably not insert more than 10 – 20 seconds of a specific clip at any one time during your biography. Generally use the same criteria for selecting clips as you use for photo selection. As far as quantity goes one 10 second clip equates to one photo, so the more clips you have the less photos required or vice-versa.

It is important to realise that we must take slides, Super 8 films and videos back to our office to digitise them for inclusion in your biography. We will take any media you have selected away with us at the completion of the interview recording phase.

Although we will take the utmost care in handling your media, old film can become quite fragile and brittle and as such we cannot be held responsible for any accidental damage they may occur. We will certainly not continue with copying the media if we are at all concerned.

We will return all original media to you when we deliver your finished video biography. [Top of Page]

Music

Can I supply music for inclusion in my video biography?

Yes you can, in fact we encourage you to do so if there are some pieces of music that have special meaning to you. The music you supply, whether on a CD or record, will be taken to our office for digitising, and then returned to you when we deliver your finished video biography. Please note we are unable to digitise old “78” records. [Top of Page]

What if I don’t have any specific music that I wish to include?

This is also fine. Our own library contains a huge selection of music and we will choose appropriate material after discussing it with you. [Top of Page]

Do I need to be concerned with music copyright laws?

A Vision Fantastic adheres to all Australian copyright laws. We obtain a Domestic Use Video Licence (for CD, video and DVD) from AMCOS/ARIA for all music used in your biography. The fee for this licence is included in the fixed contract price for your video biography. Under the licence granted you can only show the video in a private domestic viewing environment. You will be asked to acknowledge this requirement when you sign your contract for your video biography. [Top of Page]

Ordering, Payment, Process and Guarantee

How long will it take you to complete my project?

Life Memories Video Biographies take 6 weeks to complete once filming has been completed. At times there can be engthy waits for filming sessions, so it is important that you place your order with us the moment you are ready to proceed with your biography project. [Top of Page]

How Can I Place My Order?

Before placing your order we will visit you to discuss your needs and what package best suits you. At this time we will provide you with a fixed price quotation for the completed video biography package which will remain valid for one month. Either phone our office or send us an email to arrange for this first obligation free meeting. [Top of Page]

How many times do you visit me during the whole process of making my video biography?

We visit you initially to provide you with information on the video biography packages and options, where we will provide you with a fixed price quotation.
Once you have decided to go ahead with the project we will visit you a second time. During this meeting we will:

determine interview questions by running through interview question list with you
determine the best location for your interview
discuss other materials such as photos, etc. for inclusion in the video
arrange a date and time for the interview filming
collect your deposit to secure a filming date

Our 3rd visit is the big one. This is when we film your interview, take copies of the photos you have selected for inclusion, take photographs of other memorabilia and gather any other media such as video tapes for inclusion in the program. You should allow between 3 – 6 hours for this visit depending on the length of the video biography that you have chosen. At this visit we also collect the filming portion payment.
Our 4th and final visit is when we deliver your finished video biography to you. We will sit down with you and view it with you and assuming that you love it, will collect the balance of the payment.
Between visits 3 & 4 we will usually be in contact with you a few times as questions arise during the editing process. This is usually done over the phone but you are also free to view the work in progress via prior appointment.
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What formats can you provide my video biography in?

Our preferred medium is DVD for its durability, quality and menu functionality. VHS copies can be provided for the same cost but we strongly discourage this in light of the low cost of DVD players that can be obtained today. You also have the choice of either 4:3 (standard) or 16:9 (widescreen) aspect ratio.
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What forms of payment do you accept?

We are happy to accept:

Cash
Direct Deposit
Personal Cheques (projects will be despatched on clearance of the cheque)
Money Orders [Top of Page]

When is payment expected?

We require 15% deposit when you place your order with us and 35% on the day of filming. At the completion of your project we require the remaining 50% payment when handing over your completed DVD. [Top of Page]

Do you have a guarantee?

Yes. If you are not fully satisfied with your video biography that we provide we will refund you 100% of the purchase price. However should you request a full refund you will not be allowed to retain any copies of the work.

To be honest nobody has ever claimed a refund as we work closely with the client throughout the project and there are no problems that come up that cannot rectified to the satisfaction of both the client and ourselves. [Top of Page]

Do you have a privacy policy?

Yes. Any information provided to partners or employees of A Vision Fantastic (for Life Memories Video Biographies), whether written or verbal, by its clients will remain private and confidential and only be used for the purpose of creating the contracted video biography. Excerpts from said video can only be made available to others (for promotional purposes, etc) after express written permission has been obtained from the client. Naturally we cannot accept responsibility for any information divulged to others in the video biography copies provided to the client under the purchase contract.
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Interview Questions

The Interview Process

Photographs

How many photos do I need to select? This depends on the length of the video biography package you have chosen

10 – 20 photos for 20 minute package

25 – 40 photos for 50 minute package

35 – 70 photos for 80 minute package [Top of Page]

Can I select photos from old newspaper clippings that I have or other memorabilia? Absolutely. Any article or object in your home that can be photographed, right down to the size of a 5 cent coin, can be included as a still image in your video biography. [Top of Page]

Photo Restoration

Slides, Super 8 home movies and Videos

Music

What if I don’t have any specific music that I wish to include? This is also fine. Our own library contains a huge selection of music and we will choose appropriate material after discussing it with you. [Top of Page]

Ordering, Payment, Process and Guarantee

How many times do you visit me during the whole process of making my video biography?

We visit you initially to provide you with information on the video biography packages and options, where we will provide you with a fixed price quotation.

Once you have decided to go ahead with the project we will visit you a second time. During this meeting we will:

determine interview questions by running through interview question list with you

determine the best location for your interview

discuss other materials such as photos, etc. for inclusion in the video

arrange a date and time for the interview filming

Our 4th and final visit is when we deliver your finished video biography to you. We will sit down with you and view it with you and assuming that you love it, will collect the balance of the payment.

Between visits 3 & 4 we will usually be in contact with you a few times as questions arise during the editing process. This is usually done over the phone but you are also free to view the work in progress via prior appointment. [Top of Page]

What forms of payment do you accept? We are happy to accept:

Cash

Direct Deposit

Personal Cheques (projects will be despatched on clearance of the cheque)

Money Orders [Top of Page]