Is it time to celebrate your life, or the lives of your loved ones, in a very special way? For that special event or anniversary, you can
now commission your own personal Video Biography made by documentary film-maker, Don Parham. Whether you're a senior or not so
senior, young or not so young, now is always a good time to record for posterity the story of your life ... or perhaps just the story of a part of your
life or career that was especially important to you. Any level of production is possible from a one-off interview to a full documentary film. Parham Media is based in Melbourne but we can travel anywhere in Australia to film your Video Biography.
Celebrating Life through Video Biographies
Don Parham
BACKGROUND
For over 20 years, Don Parham has been making independent docos commissioned by the ABC and SBS on an eclectic mix of subjects ranging from social-political issues to history and the arts. Now he can help you tell your story for posterity. Parham believes there is a natural marriage between his television documentary work and commissioned video work like Video Biographies. Fundamentally, it's about real people telling their stories. You may think your story is not worth telling but, no doubt, there are many who know you who would disagree.
THE INTERVIEW
The backbone of a Video Biography is the in-depthinterview. During his long and successful career in the Australian film & television industry, Parham has interviewed an incredibly diverse range of people on an incredibly diverse range of subjects. From politicians to business people, academics to artists, streetkids to socialites, priests to publicans, Parham has interviewed them all - from politicians like John Howard and Gough Whitlam to intellectuals like Geoffrey Blainey and Manning Clark to artists like Tom Keneally and Peter Sculthorpe to 'people like us' - men and women from all walks of life. A signature aspect of all Don Parham's films is his ability to do interviews that are intimate, informative, authentic.
The in-depth interview really is THE crucial element in a Video Biography. On one level, it's just a long conversation with a sympathetic listener that happens to be filmed. On another level, getting great interviews is a subtle art for the interviewer that seems to draw upon a wide range of skills - from the empathy of a counsellor to the smarts of an investigative journalist to the deft touch of a writer. You need to be able to coax people's stories out of them; you have to spot significant themes when they emerge and run with them; you need to gently guide the shaping of the narrative, getting the narrative arc right.
Remember, Video Biographies become family heirlooms for future generations. They capture the life story of someone very important to you ... you want it to be as good as it can be.
PRODUCTION OPTIONS
We all know that film-making is an expensive business but with Parham Media's new Video Biography service, there are a range of production options available that
should cater for every budget. Prices start at $5,000 in the ‘My Story’ range, at $25,000 in the ‘My Doco’ range, and at $100,000 in the ‘My TV Doco’ range.
Essentially, we offer 3 levels of production -
(i) the interview based‘My Story’ range
(ii) the documentary style‘My Doco’ range
(iii) the broadcast quality documentary style ‘My TV Doco’ range
Here's an overview of what's included in these 3 production options -
PRODUCTION OPTION #1 - the interview based‘My Story’ range
The ‘My Story’ range is where we start - essentially, it involves the filming of an in-depth interview, most often, with one main subject who tells his or her life story. There are half day or full day options for filming and, if you like, an additional person can be interviewed. The interviews are filmed at either our Melbourne studio or any other location of choice such as your home or office (in all capital cities in Australia). Research is very important in Video Biographies and we do that thoroughly via a phone or skype interview and/or face to face meetings plus additional internet sresearch if required. After the interview (or interviews) are filmed we edit them - removing the questions, tidying up errors and extraneous material, and adding explanatory captions and supers that enhance the flow of the narrative. We also add a selection of family and archival photos which you can supply us as prints, slides or digital files. So, with the ‘My Story’ range you basically receive the whole interview or interviews, which may be several hours long, edited and with with photos integrated into the narrative. Everything is then supplied on 'authored' DVD's with menus and chapters which help you navigate easily to different sections of the interview(s). A back up Master DVD for archiving is also supplied.
To summarise, the main inclusions in the ‘My Story’ range are:
Half or full day shoots at our Melbourne studio or your choice of location
In-depth interviews with one or two main interviewees (subject to the length of the shoot you choose)
Research via phone or skype interview and/or meetings
A 'clean-up' edit as described above
Integration of up to 50 archival photos into the interviews
Finished Video Biographies supplied on 'authored' DVD's with menus and chapters
Prices start at $5,000 for the Melbourne metro area
For more details about costs for the ‘My Story’ production option please Contact Us for a Price List.
Here is a 15 minute video of excerpts from a longer Video Biography with 90 year old, Eunice, and her daughter, Angela. The interviews were filmed in our Melbourne studio.
‘My Story’ EXTRAS
A number of 'Extras' are available in the ‘My Story’ range for people who might want additional options such as home movie footage edited into the interviews or, say, more photos than the number included in the standard packages (25 or 50). You may also want to book an extra day's filming because you want more interviews done with additional people such as siblings, children, parents or grandparents. We can also cut a 30 or 60 minute 'highlights' version from the longer interviews which is ideally suited to showing friends and family.
To summarise, the main 'Extras' available in the ‘My Story’ range are:
Additional day of filming with extra interviewees
Productions outside the Melb metro area - we can currently film your Video Biography in Vic country areas, Hobart and Launceston, or all other capital cities in Australia
Additional family and archival photos
Home movie footage can be added from any source including Super/Standard 8mm film or videotape
30 or 60 minute 'highlights' version
Additional copies of DVD's available in any quantity
Finished Video Biographies can also be Mastered and supplied on Blu-ray discs (High Definition)
For more details about costs for ‘My Story’Extras please Contact Us for a Price List.
Here is a 15 minute excerpt from a Video Biography interview with Dr Stan Scott who was a Senior Lecturer in the French Dept at the University of Melbourne from 1956-1982. The interview was filmed in a relaxed style in Dr Scott's home. This excerpt illustrates some additional editing features such as the use of captions and archival photos cut into the interview.
PRODUCTION OPTION #2 - the documentary style‘My Doco’ range
The ‘My Doco’ range is for people who would like, not just the wonderful interviews with loved ones offered in the ‘My Story’ range above, but would also like a production that looks and feels more like a real documentary film. Take a look at the excerpt from the biographical doco below made by Don Parham for the ABC ('Life Is Too Serious') to get a feel for what we mean. Making a documentary style Video Biography involves much more complex production techniques at all 3 stages of the production - research, filming and editing. For example, the ‘My Doco’ range allows for longer shoots at more locations and for more people to be interviewed such as experts, critics, colleagues or friends of the main subject(s). All of this can be achieved at a cost that may not be as high as you think. Production budgets for the ‘My Doco’ range are more in the realm of what you would expect to pay for a corporate video than a TV doco. Our doco style Video Biography productions (Melb metro shoot) begin at $25,000.
To summarise, the main inclusions in the ‘My Doco’ range are:
Production of a 30, 60 or 90 minute 'documentary style' program
All the original interviews supplied on DVD
Any length shoot at any number of locations
Unlimited number of interviews filmed
High level edit in full documentary style with narration, graphics, music, sound mix
Unlimited use of archival material such as photos & movie footage
More in-depth research and consultations as required
Produced in high definition with personal copies supplied on DVD (standard definition) and/or Blu-ray (HD)
For more info about the options/costs of a ‘My Doco’ production please Contact Us for a Price List or to discuss the specifics of your project and arrange for a Quote.
Here is a 6 minute excerpt from 'Life Is Too Serious' (ABC-TV, 2001), a biographical arts documentary by Don Parham about the Australian composer, George Dreyfus. The excerpt illustrates many of the 'inclusions' listed above in the ‘My Doco’ production option, such as: multiple interviews with experts as well as the main subject, filming at multiple locations, use of archival photographs, music, narration, in-depth research, advanced level editing in full documentary style, etc.
PRODUCTION OPTION #3 - the broadcast quality documentary style ‘My TV Doco’ range
If you (or we) think a wider audience might be interested in your story, this is the option for you. Parham Media is occasionally approached by individuals, sometimes high profile, sometimes not, with stories to tell that might have the potential to become TV docos. We are always looking out for projects that might interest the broadcasters and are prepared to enter into good faith discussions with them and with you about your story. Your willingness to partially or fully fund such a film will be part of the mix and can obviously help make things happen. Producing a documentary film to full broadcast quality will be considerably more expensive than the ‘My Doco’ range above. Production budgets start at around $100,000. Keep in mind that there is the potential to get more players and funding bodies involved in these productions so do feel free to speak with us if you think you have a story to tell a wider audience.
Please Contact Us to discuss your idea and the specifics of your project and to arrange for a Quote.
** GIFT CERTIFICATES **
If you've run out of ideas or just run out of time to organise a very special gift for a very special person
for that very special occasion, how about a Parham Media Video Biography Gift Certificate!
Gift Certificates can be purchased for as low as 10% of the production cost (eg from $500 in the 'My Story' production range).**
CONTACT US NOW for all Enquiries or a Video Biographies Price List
