The beauty of the invention [of film] resides in the novelty and ingenuity of the apparatus. When these apparatuses are made available to the public, everybody will be able to photograph those who are dear to them, no longer as static forms, but with their movements, their actions, their familiar gestures, capturing the speech on their very lips. Then, death will no longer be absolute.

La Post, December 30, 1895.

Legacy Media is a digital media project designed to help clients document their life stories.  In their own words, with their own voices. Capturing a family’s legacy, experiences, values and wisdom can be an incredible gift to share with future generations.  This process is always one of discovery, and it is our goal and mission to capture these discoveries and present them in a way that makes their importance clear and instructive to both current generations, and those to come.

Why our stories are important…

Every life is a compendium of stories.  They are our histories, our biographies, and our legacies.  It’s through stories that we conceptualize our worlds, that we assign meaning to the people and events of our lives, that we form our principles, and that we pass on our beliefs, hopes and dreams to those who matter most to us.

The process of finding one’s story begins with building relationships– relationships between our pasts and our present, between our motivations and our actions; between our outward expressions and our inner lives, between our choices and our humanity.

We build these relationships, on a small scale, nearly every day of our lives.  To communicate the importance of our professional decisions, we tell our colleagues and coworkers open-ended stories of why these decisions matter, what will happen if we succeed, and what could happen if we fail.  In a similar fashion, we tell stories of our days at the dinner table, or huddled on our patios, in our living rooms, on buses and trains. We do this to simultaneously entertain one another, and to express our shared values and humanity.  In our effort to find order and meaning in the lives we lead, we turn to stories.  In our effort to find our place within our families and communities, we share our stories with one another.

Every story, large or small, is informed by our experiences and with the wisdom of our past successes and failures.  These stories can provide an excellent source of strength, support and understanding for future family generations who will inevitably face similar triumphs and adversities as they move through their life’s journey.

Legacy Media at PPA will artistically weave your story to illuminate the values you live by.   We systemically guide our clients through an easy to follow process that can help you reflect on those life moments and choices that deeply impacted you.  Our production process typically includes:

1)  An Introductory Meeting with those interested in being featured to better understand what you’d like to see in the finished product.

It’s important to us that we create a filming environment that is comfortable and responsive to each client’s needs, so an initial get-together will be scheduled to discuss the individual philosophies of each project, and to create a structure/approach that is aligned with the client’s goals and sensibilities.

Don’t know what you want to do?  That’s okay, too. We will guide uncertain clients through several potential approaches, and present several interview options, to find a suitable match.

Once our project structure is determined, we will provide a list of interview questions to prompt your thinking and allow you some time to reflect on the relevant stories of your life before we begin shooting.

2)  Filming.

The filming process is highly adaptable to each client’s schedule and can last anywhere from a few hours to a few days, based on the ambitions of the project and the number of participants.

•  Location.

We are happy to meet you at a location of your choosing, and encourage clients to choose shooting locations that are significant to them.  Meaningful locations like family or childhood homes, vacation spots, historical sites, and the like not only create positive and reflective environments, they allow clients to chronicle the faces and the places that have had a formative influence on their lives and legacies.

• Atmosphere

Filming is casual and confidential, and consists of guided conversations led by Dr. Anderson.  These conversations can be one-on-one, or between members of the family, business or group. Most sessions last approximately 2 hours.

•  Number of sessions.

While projects can be completed in a single session, second sessions can be helpful in diversifying the look of your video, and in giving participants added time to reflect on their responses.  It also allows our creative team to review the first day’s footage and evaluate what we might need to add to better develop the final product.

•  Additional Materials and Media

Clients are also welcome to bring additional materials such as photographs or home movies that we can digitize and include in the final documentary.  Other mementos like trophies, awards, or other memorabilia are also encouraged. As with nostalgic locations, these materials can be exceptional storytelling devices, and serve as sign posts and triggers for the best of our stories.  

3)  Closing Meeting and Wrap Party.

•  Once each film is completed, a screening will be held for clients and guests, followed by a private session with Dr. Anderson, where clients will be encouraged to reflect on their experiences during filming, and their impressions of their story, their fellow participants, and themselves.
  •  Clients will be presented with:

-HD digital copies of their edited documentary.

-All unused/deleted footage, synchronized and edited (on digital files).

To inquire more about PPA Legacy Media Projects and to get a price estimate for your family, please contact our production team at:

LegacyMedia@JSAadvising.com

Or call us at 651-308-8415

Michael Hable, MFA – Michael Hable is a Ph.D. candidate in Film at the University of Miami (FL).  Before matriculating at UM, he received a Master’s degree in Film from Boston University, where he specialized in narrative studies, mythmaking, and the performance of verbal language in narrative film.  His papers on the relationship between storytelling and perception have been accepted by the Popular Culture Association conferences in Albuquerque, NM and Detroit, MI, as well as the NTUT conference in Taipai, China.  He has taught courses on Film and Screenwriting at the University of Miami and Boston University. In addition to his academic work, he has also worked as a script analyst for a Boston-based production company.

Justin Anderson, Psy.D., LP – Justin Anderson practices every day in the human aspect of transition.  He is trained in systems and performance psychology and understands the impact that one generation can have on another.  Justin received his Psy.D., from the University of St. Thomas and his Master’s degree from Boston University. He currently works with families and businesses who are dealing with change, conflict and transition.