Tips and Techniques to get you started with your Legacy Video

Getting started
Once you have joined up, you will need to fill in your registration page giving your details and those of your next of kin. You must be particularly careful to ensure that these are entered correctly.  You can enter up to five names, email addresses and phone numbers.

Once this information has been entered you will receive an email with a hardcopy of your record. This should be printed and saved with your important personal papers like your will, life insurance and pension documents. This ensures that your family has the most chance of discovering that you have left a message without having to rely on our back up system.

You are now ready to record your message(s).

Preparation
Before you start, decide how you will record your message. You could use the simple video camera on your mobile phone, a webcam or a high quality digital video camera.

For most purposes a web cam will provide excellent quality and is perfectly acceptable.  If you don't have a web cam yet you can obtain one very cheaply here.  

Script
Decide what you want to say. This may sound simple but is harder than you may think. From experience we have found the following guidelines helpful:
Choose three to five main points for example:

- You know this must be hard
- You had a good life, made better by their part in it
- Your three rules for a happy fulfilled and meaningful life
- Any technical instructions like remembering to cancel your golf club subscription
- Final goodbye

Keep your message to ten minutes or so. Remember that although your video is emotionally charged, unless you are going to have it professionally produced, it is not likely to be as creative as a video seen, for example on TV and will not hold the attention as well as a professional video.

By all means use a package like Pinnacle studio to liven up your message. Remember though; your audience is more interested in what you say than the way it is presented.

Filming
Before you start think about your appearance. Wear clothes that says something about how you want to be remembered. If you have jewellery with a sentimental meaning wear it in the video and perhaps even mention it in the technical section.

It is much better to record your message indoors as it is easier to control sound and light conditions. If you do decide to record outside remember that passing traffic and aircraft sound a lot louder on video that they do to your ear, so make sure that your soundtrack is clear before you upload.

Take care with your backdrop. The rule is: "the simpler the better" if you do have a picture or bookshelves behind you try to make them reflect your message somehow.
Avoid windows as they can cause light fluctuations and the last thing you want when you reach the emotional highlight of your video is someone walking by outside whistling or chatting on the phone.

Talk directly into the lens. You almost certainly won't have an autocue, so try to imagine that the face of the person you are talking to is superimposed on the web cam. Even the slightest focus away from the camera can make you look shifty and untrustworthy.

Rehearse. The secret of a good delivery is for you to feel relaxed and confident, so rehearse over and over again so that you can deliver in a single take without faltering. No will be expecting you to be word perfect but a fluent delivery helps.  You may find it useful to write out your message before you start recording and read over it aloud several times so that it is fixed in your mind.  You may also find it useful to have the key messages written out on a card or post-it-note placed just below the lens of the camera to remind you of your running order.

Keep it positive. Even if you do have a hard message, try to temper it with a soft edge if you can

Although you may be sad, try to smile. It will warm your viewers and help to ease their grief.

Try to avoid edits unless you are really good with editing software.

Keep up to date. This video will become part of your family's history so update it frequently