Video Memoir Vs. Family Documentary

What’s the difference, and which one is right for you?

I imagine you’re here, because you want to preserve your family’s history, timeline, and legacy. So you’re googling what you should do, and you come across people who do Video Memoirs and other companies that do Family Documentaries. But what’s the difference? Is there a difference, and which one is right for you?

What’s the difference?

The biggest difference is the style. Documentaries focus on the style and story-telling. They have a lot more B-roll, and often have more than one person in the interview. This means a lot more editing, a lot more work, and a lot more money. And often, a shorter video (20-40 minutes). This can be good, if you’re trying to tell the family story as a whole, or perhaps wanting to focus on a specific time period of the family. 

Video Memoirs on the other hand focus on the individual. If you are trying to hold the legacy of a person (grandma or grandpa perhaps), then you will want a video memoir. These are often much longer, sometimes ranging in the 4 to 5 hour span. They capture the essence of a person, not just the facts of what happened. Often video memoirs will have some b-roll and pictures, but usually not as much as documentaries, because the memoirs will focus more on the individual being interviewed.

If you can’t tell, we’re much bigger fans of the video memoir style. They’re more personal and carry more weight as the years roll on. Yes, documentaries tell wonderful stories and have beautiful pictures, but 10 years after my grandma has passed, I won’t want beautiful pictures of her favorite China cabinet. I will want hours of footage of her talking, so I can hear her voice once more and see her smile.

At Roots and Story, we do both, but we’re definitely partial to the Video Memoirs, and after having one done for you or a family member, we believe you’ll feel the same way we do.

Nicolas Lirio - Lead Interviewer