Oral Personal History: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 12:47, 3 November 2010

Personal History – Using a Camcorder[edit | edit source]

Some things have to be seen to be believed

Why use a camcorder in the interview[edit | edit source]

If you think it would be exciting to record grandpa telling his life history, consider how much more exciting it would be to see him telling it.
Camcorders are fairly inexpensive nowadays. You should have one, anyway, for recording your own families activities. Getting a video recording of grandpa would make the investment in a camcorder worth the investment in any case.
In addition, I would encourage you to look into getting a digital camcorder even if you have a camcorder now.
With a digital camcorder, you can dump the recording into your computer and do some editing of the material. For example, you can put in pictures of grandpa’s sister, Aunt Pearl if he talked about her.
The ability to edit digital material are built into all of today’s operating systems on PC and the Max. They're are fairly easy to use, but there is a small learning curve, but well worth it. You can insert other voices, pictures, old family movies, put a music background and included narration as well. You too can be a movie producer.
If you don’t know anything about such things, there are many books and information on the internet to help you get started using and editing video recordings.
Here are a few suggestions when using a camcorder in personal interviews:

Placement of the Camera[edit | edit source]

Place camera as far away from the subject as possible. Having a camera in your face can be as intimidating as a microphone in your face.
Use the zoom lens, if needed, to keep only the upper part of the torso in the picture. Keep the top of the head at the top of the screen. Next time you are watching the news, notice where the image of the person being interviewed is in the picture.
Try to keep the subject still, otherwise you will have to keep a close eye on the viewfinder to make sure that grandpa has not move out of the center of the picture.
If lights are required, set up three lights if possible in the following configuration. With all lights six feet away from the subject, set the first one at 45 degrees to the individual's left side and 45 degree to the person’s right. The third light is directly behind their back. It looks like a triangle when looking down from above with the person in the middle.
Then if possible defuse the lights with a sheet over them. Be careful to not get the cloth to close to the lights or better yet look into some kind of light defusing material.
Have the lights mounted about six inches above the head so you can see a little shadow of the chin. Place the camcorder between the two lights in front of the subject.
Do not mix sunlight with your artificial light. The subject will look like they have some sort of terminal illness.
Again use a microphone that clips on to the lapel to record the voice. You might have to use a long cord to hook up the microphone to the camcorder.
If there is going to be a lot of time recording one person, you might want move the camcorder from time to time. Give people a chance to see grandpa from different angles. You may have to move the lights as well.

Camcorder, old movies and stills[edit | edit source]

If you have ever watched a special on PBS about a historical figure or event, you know how adsorbing they can be. Well, consider making your own PBS like special but making yourself or an ancestor as the subject.
It does take some extra equipment, but the investment can be minimal and it is a lot of fun to create your own family historical documentary.
First thing to consider is transferring your old movie films on to DVD’s. Many photo-finishing companies provide this service.
If you have any still photographs, consider putting them also on DVD’s as well. You can either have it done by your local photo finisher or do it yourself with a scanner and your computer.
If you have slides, there is a gadget that will attach to your scanner that will allow you to do them as well.
When including them in your video, be sure to keep each picture of the screen long enough of people to comprehend what the picture is. At least five seconds.
Another method to keep one’s attention on a photograph is to pan across the picture or start with a close-up and then pan outward to finally included the entire picture. This technique was used extensively in the award winning series on the “Civil War” by Ken Burns. In fact the technique is referred to as the “Ken Burns Effect.” Many of the video editing programs have this feature as a part of their software. In this manner you can keep attention on a picture longer as the viewer’s attention is focused until the whole picture comes on the screen.

Personal Video History[edit | edit source]

Consider composing a complete personal or family history on DVD. If you have seen the PBS special "The Civil War," or "Baseball," you know how adsorbing a video history can be even when there are no moving pictures, but stills. You can do the same with your personal histories, believe it or not.

Computer can help you do it yourself[edit | edit source]

It does take some knowledge of video editing software and a computer with lots of storage capacities. If you don’t have the necessary equipment, but feel like acquiring it, you should be able to compose an adsorbing family history documentary.

Study how others have done it[edit | edit source]

If you want to learn what techniques were used in composing the “Civil War,” put on a episode and take notes. That’s the best way to learn how they were put together.

List of what can be put on a personal history video[edit | edit source]

Here is a partial list of what I noticed as I watched the series:

Music of the period. If you grew up in the fifties, you may want to have some Little Richard or the Beach Boys playing in the background.
Tell about other events going on in world at the same time as the event you are describing. Such as what was happening in the world when you were born.
Show photos of these events as they are being talked about.
Quotes by people describing events that effected your life.
Pictures of other people at the same time doing similar things that you did. If you grew up on a farm then maybe pictures of people farming if there are none of you farming.
Old photographs of towns and country side where events in your life took place.
Pictures of area discussed in the history taken in the present day and photographed at the same time of year the event happened.

Title pages.[edit | edit source]

Use voices of men or women to read quotes from men or women of the time or to speak for dead relatives.
Say the name of the person you are quoting after you have read their words so we know who was speaking.
Put in background sounds of such things as wagons, cars, machinery, guns, etc if they appear in your video.
Quote historians describing why people were doing what they were doing.
Read letters from relatives or friends while showing their picture on the screen if you did not have a video recording of them actually saying it.
Use maps to show where events took place or routes use to move from one place to another.

All this will involve doing some of the following[edit | edit source]

This is the most important step as all other items come from it.
Scheduling taping interviews with various relatives. Show a picture when they were young as they begin speaking and then switch to the recording to show them as they appear at the present.
Scanning in photos.
Include narration. You may have to find someone with a good speaking voice.
Getting others to be the voices of dead people who are being quoted.
Rounding up photos of the areas and time period you are talking about that you may not have.
You may want to go to these areas and take pictures on how they appear now.
Finding out what music was popular at the time being described to include as background.
In addition to music, recording sound effects such as machinery, guns, cars, trains, etc. When these sounds are heard in the background it has the effect of making the still picture seem like it is a moving picture.
As mentioned above you may want to use the “Ken Burns Effect” when working with photographs to included in your video.
You’ll have to do some historical research in the area and of the time you’re talking about to be included in the narration. This helps your viewers understand, for example, a reason why your grandfather may had to leave the family to find work in another part of the country.
There is much more, of course. Again watch an episode of the Civil War and note down what was included.
Now may be you can see that Family History is a very intellectually stimulating activity. I guarantee that you will met new people and make new friends. In addition, you’ll probably meet some relatives you never knew existed. This all will be fun.

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-Oral histories are are a method of gathering life stories and memories through recorded interviews. They provide an additional means of preserving personal histories besides written histories.<br><br>Oral histories may add details that might be missed in a written history as well as an alternative means of capturing memories for those who do not have the time or inclination to write their own histories. The questions asked by the interview may spark memories that might otherwise have not been included in a written history.<br><br>Oral histories may be done with just audio or with video. With a video recording, you not only capture the voice of the person being interviewed, but you can see also see how look and record their facial expressions and other non-verbal communication. They may also show and tell with photos or family heirlooms.<br><br>Here are some do’s and don’ts on the recording of personal histories either for yourself or others. These ideas also apply if you are using a video recorder.
+==Personal History – Using a Camcorder==
+<i>Some things have to be seen to be believed</i>
-=== Before the Interview  ===
+===Why use a camcorder in the interview===
+If you think it would be exciting to record grandpa telling his life history, consider how much more exciting it would be to <i>see</i> him telling it. <br>
-When making arrangements for the interview, let the person know what time period or what subjects you will cover but not in detail. This preparations allows the mind to start searching its memory banks to get memories a little closer to the surface. <br><br>Be careful not to give them the exact questions you’ll be asking. Giving them the questions ahead of time has a tendency to reduce spontaneity and create set answers. <br><br>You’ll want to capture other memories that are almost always triggered by spontaneous responses. Besides, it is fun to watch the person’s eyes as the memories start to come back.
+Camcorders are fairly inexpensive nowadays.  You should have one, anyway, for recording your own families activities.  Getting a video recording of grandpa would make the investment in a camcorder worth the investment in any case.  <br>
+In addition, I would encourage you to look into getting a digital camcorder even if you have a camcorder now.<br>
-=== Know Your Equipment  ===
+With a digital camcorder, you can dump the recording into your computer and do some editing of the material.  For example, you can put in pictures of grandpa’s sister, Aunt Pearl if he talked about her.  <br>
+The ability to edit digital material are built into all of today’s operating systems on PC and the Max.  They're are fairly easy to use, but there is a small learning curve, but well worth it. You can insert other voices, pictures, old family movies, put a music background and included narration as well.  You too can be a movie producer.<br>
-*Know your equipment well and make sure it is working that day. There is nothing more unnerving to your interviewee, than seeing you fumble with your machine trying to figure out why it is not working.<br><br>
+If you don’t know anything about such things, there are many books and information on the internet to help you get started using and editing video recordings.<br>
-*Make sure the battery on your recording devise is fully charged and be prepared with backup power sources, such as the charging chord and plug, extra batteries, or portable charger.<br><br>
+Here are a few suggestions when using a camcorder in personal interviews:
-*Test beforehand and do a sound check with the interviewer to make sure the equipment is recording properly, and picking up the sound well. You will know extreme frustration, if you have had a wonderful interview and then find the machine was not recording correctly or the volume was so low that you can’t hear anything.
+===Placement of the Camera===
+*Place camera as far away from the subject as possible.  Having a camera in your face can be as intimidating as a microphone in your face.<br>
-=== Where To Record  ===
+*Use the zoom lens, if needed, to keep only the upper part of the torso in the picture.  Keep the top of the head at the top of the screen.   Next time you are watching the news, notice where the image of the person being interviewed is in the picture.  <br>
+*Try to keep the subject still, otherwise you will have to keep a close eye on the viewfinder to make sure that grandpa has not move out of the center of the picture.  <br>
-*Try to record in the person’s own home. They will feel much more at ease than in a recording studio.<br><br>
+*If lights are required, set up three lights if possible in the following configuration.  With all lights six feet away from the subject, set the first one at 45 degrees to the individual's left side and 45 degree to the person’s right.  The third light is directly behind their back.  It looks like a triangle when looking down from above with the person in the middle.  <br>
-*Select a quiet room to record in. Keep away from the front of the house where the street is. Stay away from rooms where the TVs or a radio is playing. Keep away from the kitchen where appliances can come on at any time. Keep windows closed to keep out noises from the neighbors. <br><br>
+*Then if possible defuse the lights with a sheet over them.  Be careful to not get the cloth to close to the lights or better yet look into some kind of light defusing material.  <br>
-*Arrange a couple of comfortable chairs facing each other to sit on.
+*Have the lights mounted about six inches above the head so you can see a little shadow of the chin.  Place the camcorder between the two lights in front of the subject.  <br>
+*Do not mix sunlight with your artificial light.  The subject will look like they have some sort of terminal illness.<br>
-=== Start The Interview Right Away ===
+*Again use a microphone that clips on to the lapel to record the voice.  You might have to use a long cord to hook up the microphone to the camcorder.<br>
+*If there is going to be a lot of time recording one person, you might want move the camcorder from time to time.  Give people a chance to see grandpa from different angles.  You may have to move the lights as well.
-Set up your recording machine as soon as you arrive. Don’t engage in small talk before you turn on the machine. There may be some things in the small talk that should be recorded.<br>To start, put the person at ease by asking some opened ended questions like: <br>
+===Camcorder, old movies and stills===
+If you have ever watched a special on PBS about a historical figure or event, you know how adsorbing they can be.  Well, consider making your own PBS like special but making yourself or an ancestor as the subject.
-*”How are you feeling today?”
+<br>It does take some extra equipment, but the investment can be minimal and it is a lot of fun to create your own family historical documentary.
-*”Have you been looking forward to this?”
+<br>First thing to consider is transferring your old movie films on to DVD’s.  Many photo-finishing companies provide this service.
-*“Are you nervous?” (Acknowledging this and being reassured by the interviewer can help relieve the anxiety.)
+<br>If you have any still photographs, consider putting them also on DVD’s as well.  You can either have it done by your local photo finisher or do it yourself with a scanner and your computer.
-*”Do you have any questions before we start?”<br>
+<br>  If you have slides, there is a gadget that will attach to your scanner that will allow you to do them as well.
+<br>When including them in your video, be sure to keep each picture of the screen long enough of people to comprehend what the picture is.  At least five seconds.
-Hopefully they will be loosened up by the time you get to the real interview. Be sure to have the recorder on even with these questions. You might learn something here too.
+<br>Another method to keep one’s attention on a photograph is to pan across the picture or start with a close-up and then pan outward to finally included the entire picture.  This technique was used extensively in the award winning series on the “Civil War” by Ken Burns.  In fact the technique is referred to as the “Ken Burns Effect.”  Many of the video editing programs have this feature as a part of their software.  In this manner you can keep attention on a picture longer as the viewer’s attention is focused until the whole picture comes on the screen.
+==Personal Video History==
-=== Have a list of questions to ask  ===
+Consider composing a complete personal or family history on DVD.  If you have seen the PBS special "The Civil War," or "Baseball," you know how adsorbing a video history can be even when there are no moving pictures, but stills.  You can do the same with your personal histories, believe it or not.
+===Computer can help you do it yourself===
-Here is a list of [[Creating A Personal History|1800 possible questions]]&nbsp;you can choose from to use in interviews.
+It does take some knowledge of video editing software and a computer with lots of storage capacities.  If you don’t have the necessary equipment, but feel like acquiring it, you should be able to compose an adsorbing family history documentary.
+===Study how others have done it===
-=== Be A Good Listener  ===
+If you want to learn what techniques were used in composing the “Civil War,” put on a episode and take notes.  That’s the best way to learn how they were put together.
-Don’t talk or interrupt while the person is speaking.
+===List of what can be put on a personal history video===
+Here is a partial list of what I noticed as I watched the series:
-Don’t finish their sentences or otherwise put words in their mouths
+*Music of the period.  If you grew up in the fifties, you may want to have some Little Richard or the Beach Boys playing in the background.<br>
+*Tell about other events going on in world at the same time as the event you are describing.  Such as what was happening in the world when you were born.<br>
-Let them speak until they have completed their thought before you go on to the next question.
+*Show photos of these events as they are being talked about.<br>
+*Quotes by people describing events that effected your life.<br>
-Allow their personality to come through on the recording, it is just as valuable as anything they may say.
+*Pictures of other people at the same time doing similar things that you did.  If you grew up on a farm then maybe pictures of people farming if there are none of you farming.<br>
+*Old photographs of towns and country side where events in your life took place.<br>
-It is good to take notes on items that you feel need more detail.
+*Pictures of area discussed in the history taken in the present day and photographed at the same time of year the event happened.
+===Title pages.===
-=== Think About The Next Question  ===
+*Use voices of men or women to read quotes from men or women of the time or to speak for dead relatives.<br>
-In the interview, be flexible enough to think of additional questions as suggested by the answers the person is giving you. He or she may just touch on an event that you think should be gone into greater detail.
+*Say the name of the person you are quoting after you have read their words so we know who was speaking.<br>
+*Put in background sounds of such things as wagons, cars, machinery, guns, etc if they appear in your video.<br>
-A good interviewer is a good listener and will be making sure that the answers are clear and complete. Be on the look out for answers that should be elaborated on.
+*Quote historians describing why people were doing what they were doing.<br>
+*Read letters from relatives or friends while showing their picture on the screen if you did not have a video recording of them actually saying it.<br>
-=== Wandering From the Topic  ===
+*Use maps to show where events took place or routes use to move from one place to another.
-If the interviewee starts to deviate from the topic, don’t worry too much about it. These wanderings sometimes yield more interesting material than the answer to the question at hand.
+===All this will involve doing some of the following===
+*This is the most important step as all other items come from it.<br>
-But, be sure to get back to the original question.
+*Scheduling taping interviews with various relatives.  Show a picture when they were young as they begin speaking and then switch to the recording to show them as they appear at the present.<br>
+*Scanning in photos.<br>
-=== Minimize How Much You Speak as the Interviewer ===
+*Include narration.  You may have to find someone with a good speaking voice.<br>
-If the person wants your reaction to what he or she is saying, especially if it is controversial, tell them you are here to interview them not exchange views.
+*Getting others to be the voices of dead people who are being quoted.<br>
+*Rounding up photos of the areas and time period you are talking about that you may not have.<br>
-It's their personal views that the listener is interested in not yours, the interviewer.
+*You may want to go to these areas and take pictures on how they appear now.<br>
+*Finding out what music was popular at the time being described to include as background.  <br>
-=== Plan on Multiple Sessions ===
+*In addition to music, recording sound effects such as machinery, guns, cars, trains, etc.  When these sounds are heard in the background it has the effect of making the still picture seem like it is a moving picture.<br>
-Don’t try to complete all interview questions in one sitting.
+*As mentioned above you may want to use the “Ken Burns Effect” when working with photographs to included in your video. <br>
+*You’ll have to do some historical research in the area and of the time you’re talking about to be included in the narration.  This helps your viewers understand, for example, a reason why your grandfather may had to leave the family to find work in another part of the country. <br>
-It is best to keep your interviews to no more than a couple of hours unless the person feels otherwise. People get tired after a while of talking.
+*There is much more, of course.  Again watch an episode of the Civil War and note down what was included.<br>
+*Now may be you can see that Family History is a very intellectually stimulating activity.  I guarantee that you will met new people and make new friends. In addition, you’ll probably meet some relatives you never knew existed.  This all will be fun.
-=== External Microphone ===
-Most recorders are equipped with a built-in or a hand held microphone, however, these are often not the best choice to use for recording audio.
-Built-in microphones often produce a poor quality sound and will pick a lot of sounds in the room.
-A hand held microphone can be intimidating to a lot of people. They will have a hard time thinking and remembering when they have to talk into one. In addition, you’ll find that you’ll have to keep reminding them to hold it up to their mouth as the hand has a tendency to drop as the interview progresses.
-A small microphone that clips to the lapel under the chin is better. By using a lapel microphone, the person soon forgets they have it on and will relax.
-Make sure your recording device as either an external microphone jack to plug the microphone into or that it can connect wirelessly. If the lapel microphone has a cord, make sure it is long enough to reach or use an extension.
-=== Get Help If Recording Yourself ===
-To record your personal history it is best to have somone else interview you.
-There are several advantages to this. Interview questions may prompt you to share things you had not thought of. The interviewer can also ask follow-questions if a memory you share is not clear or lacks detail. If it is someone who knows you or the time period, they may think of things that you should include.
-=== Transcribe The Interview  ===
-It is a good idea to transcribe the interview. The main reason is to give the interviewee a chance to see what he or she said in the interview and if they have second thoughts about anything they said. They may want you to take out things they feel are better left unsaid now that they have a chance to think about it.
-In addition, the transcription gives them a chance to see where they might want to enlarge on an event described. The subconscious mind might come up with some more details. These details could be captured through an additional recording or by taking notes and adding them as a supplement to the interview transcript.
-Reading at transcript can be easier to review than a recording. Areas that need more details or explanation can be marked for additional research. This is hard to do on a recording.
-Again, you can circle those areas that may need to be clarified.
-=== Voice Recognition Software ===
-If creating a transcript seems like a difficult task, the computer can do it for you. There is computer software that will convert the voice recording to the printed page. These transcribing computer programs are called voice recognition software. You can transfer the recording to the computer and the voice recognition software can produce a typed copy of the interview.
-If you should have a lap-top computer with you during the interview, you can see the words appear on the screen as the interviewee is speaking. If you had a printer with you, you could print a copy of the interview right then and there. These programs are wonder but they are not perfect. There will always be some words that the computer just could not make out and so you may have to go over the recording to figure out what was said.
-In addition, you will probably have to do some editing. There are may be sentence fragments to complete, unfinished sentences to either remove or figure out what they were trying to say, and stammerings to get rid of. You can listen to the recording in those spots to see what was said and edit the transcription accordingly.
-=== Editing Out The Interviewer ===
-Oral history interview recordings and transcriptions may include the interview questions, or these may be edited out, if there is enough context provided by the person being interviewed. The way the interviewer phrases the questions can prompt the interviewee to give enough more complete answers that either restate the question or give enough context to understand what the question was. You can also suggest to them at the beginning to try to restate all the questions during the interview.
-For example, instead of asking "When you were born?" Which might prompt just a response of the date, you could ask, "Tell about the day you were born," which could prompt a more complete response, such as, “I was born on April 24, 1941.”  It could also get them to share other details then they might otherwise give.
-When the interviewee answers by restating the question or states context with their response, then the questions are understood.
-If the responses are not clear without knowing the question, it is best to leave the questions in.
-=== Check Facts ===
-If something said in the interview that did not sound right or maybe was not true, you can check it out with other people who may have been a witness to the events described. You may even have to check out official records such as wills, birth, etc. Corrections or alternative viewpoints can be included in notes accompanying a transcription. These should be put in brackets or footnotes, or otherwise noted to make clear that they were not transcribed from the interview.
-=== Preserve Recordings ===
-Once the recording is complete, it is best to make backup copies to other media, such as an external hard drive or cloud storage service. With permission, you maybe able to share the recording and/or the transcript online. Keep copies in other locations, like a relative's home, or in a safety deposit box. This is in case of fire,  vandalism, etc. or a computer drive failure. Keep your copies of recordings in a secure place where they are least likely to be damaged.
-Label everything: who, when and where.
-=== Your Personal History Can Be Preserved Forever ===
-Recorded personal history can now be preserved forever. Copies can be passed down through the generations or, with permission, preserved and shared online. Generations from now, people can learn about the life of a person, and also get to know them by hearing their voice or even seeing video of them, recorded in an oral history interview.
-[[Category:Personal_History|Personal_History]] [[Category:New to Genealogy]]