1c. Tips from Readers: Using Technology to Tell Family Stories By Barbara Heinrich Two years ago while visiting my then 87-year-old mother and looking at old photos, one of my nieces kept asking, "Who's this? What was this about? Who were they?" My brother and I were astonished! Why didn't everyone know? Then and there I had a project that formed for the future. I borrowed as many photos as my mom would let me have, asked stories and names on some I didn't know. Armed with a ton of photos I flew home and my adventure of preserving history for the younger generations began. I used a program called Pinnacle (a digital video editing/authoring software application) that icons as Studio 8. Many of the new young movie makers who sell to TV or hopefully to the big screen use this program. You can produce DVDs, VHS tapes, send as e-mails, etc. On my Windows XP and my Epson 1260 scanner I began the laborious process. This idea is not for the faint of heart, new computer people, or those not interested in details and more details and technical issues. Also you must be willing to invest HOURS of time and look through many slides and photos and get the scoop on them from various relatives--especially the older ones. I had fun doing this project, but tore my hair out on numerous occasions. My first project was to trace my dad's maternal side of the family in pictures and stories. I have all dates and names recorded and some stories on Family Tree Maker (genealogy program), but who will ever go through that beside a genealogist? I spent hours learning the program and scanning old photos to "The Richard Trester Story" file. In this program you can create titles, add voice, and put music in the background. It takes longer to do than when you are using movie film or camcorder usage, but this was all *old* information--and mostly in black and white. When I finished I thought I had a pretty good DVD for family members-- about 20 minutes' worth. And, without my son-in-laws patient help it never would have been completed. (Now, one and a half years later, I will not show this DVD to anyone else--the quality is lacking.) Next was a DVD on my dad's paternal side that was exciting for me because I had just made a connection to my grandfather's family (he and my great-aunt had been orphaned when they were youngsters). Much of the old info no one else knew. And, I carried it up to present date with my family, my brother's, and my sister's. Everyone was in it. I also had a section on "Our Weddings," "Our Pets," "Some Graduations," and my parents' 50th wedding celebration (that everyone had attended). Was this one better? You bet! I had learned a lot of tricks to the program and had solved the problem of background noise and exploding letters (like p's and b's). This one was about 40 minutes. It met with great acclaim from the family. It took at least a 100 hours to do. My mother's story, which incorporated maternal and paternal info into one DVD, included adding maps, and clip art, some humorous during longer stories into the program. This one was about 48 minutes. My mother recorded some of the voice-over, too. By now everyone was aghast at how the quality had improved and the info they were viewing. How much more interesting than just watching someone's slide show or old photo albums. We all spent part of our summers at our grandparents' cottage on a lake in Wisconsin. But why did they buy it? What was behind it all? How did the cottage transform into a year-round house, etc. This project was 50 minutes long. My mother, uncle, and mother's neighbor whose family had built at the same time were all the final authorities on stories and issues. (She got a VHS copy for herself as she and her parents were woven throughout the project.) My uncle, who is 93, our family patriarch, and also a genealogist couldn't get over all the work I had done and the info I had easily incorporated into the photos. Cousins and my brother said, "Thanks for all your work." and, "I'm glad YOU did it and not me!" Some gal friends were visiting while I was viewing a final copy of this DVD and made me play the whole thing for them. They were astonished and amazed how good it was -- and not boring. Could they do one of their family? By now my husband had said, "When are you going to do *my* family?" This is our current project and this one will employ movie clips that will be interspersed throughout the film. This one gets into Ellis Island files, Austria during World War I and immigration. I am producing the project and he is directing the order and will provide most of the voice-over. His latest comment was, "I'm glad you are doing this. I never would have done it!" He is not into details. So, if you have the time or inclination -- try it. It's a good way to record your family roots. There are other programs that will make CDs and DVDs, but some of them will not cut a DVD or will not allow voice- over and background music. Explore.