Individual interviews
Separate conversations give each person time to explain their experience in their own words. We prepare relevant prompts and follow the stories that emerge, with pauses and breaks during filming.
Multi-generational family history films
Multi-Generation Family Documentaries in Lake County, IL
Bring parents, grandparents and other relatives into one personal documentary. We film guided interviews at home, then connect their accounts with family photographs, home movies and meaningful details.
Planning a family history documentary
Choose the family stories that need more than one perspective.
A family documentary has room to explore how different people experienced the same events. A parent might describe arriving in a new country, while an adult child remembers how the family settled into a new home. A grandparent can explain a tradition that younger relatives still practice.
During preparation, we identify the people, eras and questions that connect those accounts. The result can follow several generations without treating every person’s life as a separate film.
If the focus is primarily one parent or grandparent, a personal life story film may be a better fit. The number of participants and the depth of the story guide that choice.
Start with these three decisions.
- The focus: a family’s beginnings, a major transition, shared traditions or the experiences of several generations.
- The voices: people who can explain a different part of the history, including the person who knows the family archive.
- The audience: who will watch the film and which names, relationships or events they will need explained.
Interviews, photographs and home movies
Build each chapter around what your relatives remember.
The recorded conversation remains central. Other materials help viewers understand the people and places being discussed.
A selected family archive
Choose photographs and short clips connected to the interview themes. Names, approximate dates and a brief explanation help us place each item accurately. We provide an archive plan before editing begins.
Details of family life
Environmental and family-interaction footage can show a familiar room, a keepsake, a shared activity or an agreed meaningful location. We plan these scenes around the story and the available filming time.
Family Documentary package
A 45–60 minute documentary, with time for several voices.
The Family Documentary is $12,500, with typical completion in 14–18 weeks.
This package includes expanded family research and story development, followed by up to eight total filming hours across two days. Lake County travel is included.
We provide a private draft for family review. Three structured revision rounds are included, so appointing one person to collect the family’s notes helps keep feedback clear and consistent.
Read the complete package detailsIncluded in this film
- Up to five interview participants and three Lake County locations
- Environmental and family-interaction footage
- Integration of up to 150 photographs or short clips
- A 45–60 minute finished documentary
- Lightly edited individual interview cuts
- A private gallery, HD master and sharing copy
- A caption file for the finished documentary
Photo scanning, transcripts and other additions have separate pricing. Review the full proposal before reserving dates.
Local documentary filming
Coordinate your family’s filming in Lake County.
Tell us where each participant will be and whether the family has a date in mind. We can discuss home interviews and other agreed private settings, then plan a practical schedule within the package’s location and filming limits.
Life story films for parents
A focused biography when one parent or grandparent is the main subject.
Family business founder films
Personal accounts of the people, decisions and work behind a family business.
Before we begin
Questions about multi-generational family documentaries
How many relatives can take part in a family documentary?
The Family Documentary package includes up to five interview participants, with up to eight total filming hours across two days. We discuss whose perspective belongs in the film during preparation. Additional interviews are quoted separately and depend on the production schedule.
Do all family members need to be in the same room?
The documentary can bring together separate interviews and family-interaction footage. It does not require everyone to answer questions together. We plan the interview order, locations and any shared scenes before filming. The package includes up to three Lake County locations.
Can old photographs and home movies be included?
The Family Documentary includes integration of up to 150 photographs or short clips. We help identify materials that explain a person, place or event in the interviews. Printed-photo scanning is a separate addition; tape conversion, complex restoration and other specialist work need to be discussed before the proposal.
How long does a family documentary take to complete?
The typical completion estimate is 14–18 weeks. Scheduling, the readiness of family photographs and clips, and the time taken to return revision notes can affect delivery. Share any birthday, reunion or other intended viewing date before booking.
Will our family documentary be published online?
Drafts and delivery are private. Your family receives personal viewing and sharing rights as described in the agreement. We do not use the film or footage publicly without a separate written release.
Your Life, Filmed
Plan your family documentary.
Tell us which relatives you would like to include, where they live and which parts of your family history you want the film to explore.
Start a conversation