Project Details

Ellen And Richard were preparing to move out of their house in which they had lived for more than 45 years! Their kids are all grown up and they felt like it was time to downsize to a more manageable house at their age. So they bought another house and sold their existing one. But before moving, they wanted a way to tell their stories.

They had a lot of family history in that house. After all, they, too, did much growing up there as a young, married couple. And then they had kids. And now they have grand kids. I told them that my in-laws had a similar experience, in that they were sad to have to downsize. My idea for them was to do a Legacy Film and focus on the house.

Their job was simple: they were to think of family stories and events that took place in the house, and to keep them short – about 2-3 minutes each. It’s good to have a range of stories from funny, to endearing, to ones about lessons the kids learned growing up, etc.

The day of the shoot I decided to use a special filter that softens the image and makes the light bloom out slightly. In a cinematographer’s language, I wanted to have warm, inviting colors with natural skin tones. I tried to give the impression of being at a loving home with a loving, nurturing, welcoming couple. So, I included shots like the one to the left, with Ellen looking up at the bookshelf. Here, she was remembering. It was a poignant moment that I documented and included in the film. I send my thanks to Elisif Brandon, the assistant director for this shoot. I’d also like to thank Ellen and Richard for their wonderful family stories!

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