Recently I was contracted to produce a tribute to Mary Jane Leader, wife of former Pennsylvania Governor George Leader. While in her mid-80s, and with moments of fading memory, Mrs. Leader was sound of mind and spirit. With patient prompting, I was able to capture on video her life story,and with old family photos and relevant film footage and interview comments from the children, the video sample below was the result.
Ironically and unexpectedly, Mrs. Leader died a month after the project was completed, but not before she and her family and many friends had gathered for a premiere showing of the video. The family expressed great gratitude for having her "Life Story" captured and preserved for future generations, and the video was also shown during a memorial celebration of her life.
I suspect her and Governor Leader's motivation for having it done was a hope to foster appreciation for the family heritage, but in truth, I think the children were blessed to have an opportunity to express the kind of sentiments that all too often go un-said.
All that was required from them was a few hours of on-camera interview time, the collection of photos, any home movie or video footage and a few phone conversations to verify historical dates and events. The rest of the time, (approximately 1 month) was spent here writing a script, adding music to the narration, choosing just the right interview segments and historical footage, and editing it all together and creating the DVD. The total cost came to approximately $1,000.00.
I believe every person's Life Story is a treasure worth sharing and preserving, and it would be sad if the legacy was lost and forgotten in time. Maybe an ideal Christmas present from one-and-all to one-and-all or the next wedding anniversary celebration?
You are invited to view Mary Jane Leader's "My Life Story"