Legacy Videos: What they Are and Why They Are Important
- By Steven Rubin
- Posted June 21, 2022
A legacy video is a short documentary family and friends can make to tell stories about their loved one and highlight the accomplishments that person made throughout their life. This can help people grieve and preserve a person’s legacy as they near the end of their life.
Everyone has information and anecdotes about their life. Many people see and experience unique things that should be shared by the people closest to them. Anyone’s life story is valuable and should be memorialized in some way.
How Legacy Videos Help with Grieving
People who journal write about their feelings, experiences, achievements, and hopes for the future. A legacy video provides a digital copy of everything someone wants people to remember them for when they’re nearing the end of their life.
Telling loved ones about fond memories and the amazing sights they've seen creates a lasting bond. Many people want to leave a legacy behind so that legacy can live on in their children, siblings, and other relatives. It's essential to pass on beliefs, values, and lessons.
Although it’s painful knowing you’re going to lose someone, having this video can help you as you grieve and move forward. You can take the advice your loved one gave and apply it to your life. It also serves as a reminder of your family member's fulfilling time on Earth and how much life they lived up until this point.
Common Elements of a Legacy Video
Typically, a legacy video features a person. That person gives personal accounts of their life on video. They can speak directly about everything they want people to remember. The video can also include photos to complement each story.
Additionally, family members and friends can tell their own stories regarding the featured individual’s life. Common topics in legacy videos include:
- Childhood
- Family vacations
- Funny stories
- Hobbies and activities
- Marriage
- Personal and professional accomplishments
- Important life lessons
- Experiences during historical events, such as war or a civil rights movement
Friends and family can also address the individual directly in the video. They can reflect on the time they had together and what they will miss most.
What You Need to Create a Legacy Video
Making a legacy video requires adequate planning. Discuss the project with your loved one’s friends and family. It's crucial to create a schedule, so everyone has time to contribute. You can choose to shoot the video yourself or hire a professional videographer. Ensure that you leave enough time for creating and editing the video.
Talk about what you want to address in the video before each person shares details of the featured person’s life. Discuss specific information you want to highlight and how to approach complementing each story with pictures.
If you want the video to look like a documentary, write down questions ahead of time to ask each person while shooting, so you make sure to include the most important topics. For example, you can ask each friend and relative to discuss one of their favorite memories about the person.
Once you complete the legacy video, schedule a day you can get everyone together to watch it. Be sure to make copies to hand out to each person when your loved one passes away.
Contact Us
Contact a Milford elder law attorney immediately if you're considering creating a legacy video for your loved one. We can help you with preparations and guide you through the entire process.
