Created for The Young People's Chorus of New York City, as a tribute to the composer and philanthropist Gordon Getty.
Our crew is here to help you do it in your own voice, in your own way. And we can travel anywhere in the world to capture your unique story.
It begins with an in-depth meeting, where we pre-interview you to understand your story, your career, your values, your family, and your purpose for this project. We get to know you (and your business or family), and the vision you have for this film. From this, we will draw up a messaging and interview plan to align with your audience and your goals, to guide us both through the actual filmed interviews.
We’ll scout locations, work with you on scripts and question responses, perfect the audio and lighting, and lead you through a casual, powerful conversational interview. We’ll also shoot b-roll (see note below for definition of this), depending on the type of package you have selected, and collect any still images for the film that are not already shared, so that we can digitize them for the film.
In this final stage, our experienced team pulls all the threads together – script, audio, video, graphics – ensuring that your story is well communicated, engaging, and aligns with the purpose we agreed upon at the outset. The final film is delivered to the streaming platform of your choice, as well as on a SSD drive.
* All prices are base prices for each project level. Additional fees may be required for things such as travel beyond 50 miles.
All options will be reviewed at the outset and agreed upon in writing before any work begins.
How long does a film project take?
That depends on a wide range of factors, but you should expect it to take anywhere from one to six months, depending on the depth and breadth of activity involved, and other items on your schedule and ours. The only way we can assess the timeline, or estimate the total costs of production, is to have a short informational phone call, which is free.
How long will the final film be?
That really depends on your objectives and vision for the film. We indicate approximate lengths in our package descriptions above, and final deliverables can vary widely depending on how tightly we edit, and on your specific needs, which we will discuss during the pre-interview.
How involved do I need to be?
As little or as much as you like. Of course, your interview is central to the project, and for most people the key points of interaction and involvement are (1) the pre-interview, where we set expectations, and (2) the editing review rounds, where you see how we pulled it all together. But we are happy to engage at any and all stages of the process, for instance on what and where we will film, how we will do titling, and what sort of background music is used.
How many edits am I allowed to make?
It depends on the package chosen. In our experience, because we work hard to communicate well from Day 1, most clients for our videos have very few edits after seeing the first draft (never a “rough” draft, but always something close to final). Generally speaking it is our goal to finish the project with no more than three rounds of editing.
What the heck is b-roll?
Sorry if we threw around some jargon there. It's the common term int he film and video footage for the footage that one might cut away to during an interview, to illustrate the story the interviewee is talking about. It can include still images we digitized, or footage of one's home or business or family that is relevant to the film.
Do you travel to me?
Yes, that is generally our practice. Most often we will virtually (via Zoom or FaceTime) review the locations where you are thinking of having this filmed, and discuss our technical needs, as well as the any b-roll shots that may be relevant.
What do I need to do to prepare?
Not much, and we will go over everything in the pre-interview and preparation documents we share before the big day. Until then, you can start thinking about the kind of film you would like to see, what a successful film would look like, and how it would make people feel.
Will you make me look good on screen?
Do you even have to ask? :) If you would like, we can have a hair and makeup artist on set to zhuzh your hair and do makeup touchups throughout the day.
What if we don't see alignment over the content or style of the film?
You are in the driver’s seat. Our purpose is to bring the breadth of our filmmaking and storytelling experience to bear, while being guided by your intent and goals. We will always share our thoughts on the best way to tell your story, the best lighting, the best location, music, etc. You will always have the final say.
What rights do I have to distribute and use the film?
Included with every film is a right to use it freely for any personal or professional purpose. If you want to have the film shown on for-profit broadcast media, there could be some fees to cover additional intellectual property rights.
We look forward to working with you on your Legacy Film!