Story Portrait
One person. One focused story.
15–20 minute film
$3,800
Explore packageMettawa, Illinois
Family Documentary Films in Mettawa, IL
Your Life, Filmed creates family documentaries through face-to-face interviews at home in Mettawa, Illinois. We prepare the questions, record professional picture and sound, and edit personal memories with family photographs into a life-story film you can watch and share privately.
Plan your family film
Prepare the room, the photographs and the interview schedule.
When planning a Mettawa home interview, tell us which room the person finds comfortable, whether there are steps or access considerations, and which time of day usually works best. Mention household noise, pets and any deliveries or work scheduled that day. These details help us plan the setup and the conversation without asking the subject to manage production arrangements.
Gather a short selection of digital photographs with names and approximate dates. If a garden, workshop, stable or another part of the property is important to the story, discuss it before booking so the filming scope is clear. Additional locations and access must be agreed; a reference to a local place does not mean filming there is automatically included or permitted.
See preparation, filming and deliveryAt-home life-story filming
A family documentary recorded at your Mettawa home.
A home interview gives a parent, grandparent or couple a familiar place to talk about their life. You can begin with a few specific memories: the first home they shared, a decision that changed their work, or the people who helped raise the family. We use that preparation to guide the conversation and develop the film around the subjects that matter to you.
The story can include years spent in Mettawa and chapters that happened elsewhere. Photographs from an earlier hometown, family letters or a keepsake can help someone explain what changed when they moved here. Choose the materials for what they reveal about the person. There is no need to turn every year of their life into a complete archive before contacting us.
Explore life-story filmmakingLife-story film packages
Life-story film packages in Mettawa.
Lake County travel is included in each package. Compare the interview participants, film length and family materials before choosing a scope.
Signature Life Film
More voices. A richer family archive.
30–40 minute film
$7,500
Explore packageFamily Documentary
Several people, places, and chapters.
45–60 minute film
$12,500
Explore packageThe chapters that make a life
Questions to prepare for a Mettawa life-story interview.
Choosing a home
What brought your family to Mettawa, and what did they hope life here would be like? A photograph taken when they moved in can lead to memories of raising children, learning the neighborhood or making a home their own. Ask who was there and what they remember about that particular day.
An interest shared across generations
Mettawa has an equestrian community. If riding is part of your family history, an old photograph or remembered lesson may open a useful conversation about a parent, mentor or friend. The same approach works for gardening, making things or another shared interest. Ask who introduced them to it and which memories they would like to explain.
Decisions younger relatives may not know
Ask about a career change, a difficult move or the beginning of a family business. What choices did they consider, and who helped them decide? These questions let someone describe their experience in their own terms. You can identify subjects they would prefer to leave out during preparation.
Choose a starting point
Family documentary and life-story filming services.
Films for parents & grandparents
A comfortable way to invite someone you love to tell their own story.
Family documentaries
Connect several voices and generations in one family film.
Milestone life-story films
Plan a birthday, anniversary or retirement film around a meaningful date.
Founder legacy films
Preserve the person and decisions behind a family business.
Before we begin
Questions about filming in Mettawa.
Can the entire life-story interview take place at our Mettawa home?
Yes. At-home interviews are the starting point for this service. The Story Portrait includes one subject at one Lake County location. We discuss the room, practical access and timing during preparation. Share any seating or pacing needs when you enquire so they can be considered in the filming plan.
Is there an extra travel charge for Mettawa?
Lake County travel is included in each film package, including a Mettawa home location. The number of filming locations depends on the package: one for the Story Portrait, up to two for the Signature Life Film and up to three for the Family Documentary. Requests outside Lake County are discussed individually.
Can photographs of our property or horses appear in the film?
Yes, personal photographs can be considered alongside other family materials. The Story Portrait includes up to 25 digital photographs; the larger packages allow more photographs or short clips. Tell us what you have and who owns it. New filming at a stable or another property requires an agreed scope and the necessary access permission.
Will our home interview or finished documentary appear on your website?
Your draft and finished family film are delivered privately. Public portfolio or promotional use requires a separate written release. Let us know during planning if particular family subjects or identifying details should be left out, and we can discuss those preferences as part of preparing the interview.
Lake County and nearby communities
Documentary filming near Mettawa.
We can discuss relatives in more than one community and confirm the locations included in your chosen film.
Your Life, Filmed
Plan your family documentary in Mettawa.
Tell us who you would like to interview in Mettawa, which family materials you have and whether there is a date you are planning toward.
Start a conversation