A Practical Guide to Recording Family Stories

They say the hardest part of doing something worth doing is beginning. I don't think that's fully true.

I've started going to the gym about fifteen times. Only twice has it actually stuck. So what made the difference?

The first time, I was about to get married and wanted to look good naked.

The second time was because of a real lifestyle change. I had bigger intentions. I wanted to be a sustainably healthy person. So I kept it simple. I only let myself spend 20 minutes at the gym. I followed someone else's plan so I didn't have to think. I removed as much friction as possible.

That's what made it stick.

So before we get into the technical side of recording your stories, we should start with how to make it sustainable.

First: Start Small

You can only go one prompt at a time anyway.

Three or four times a week. No more than four minutes each. The stakes can barely get lower.

After a month, you could have close to an hour of content. That's an easy way to start recording your family stories.

Second: Be You

You've already been doing that your whole life.

When the people you love watch these recordings, they'll recognize you immediately. They'll hear the familiar stories and wait for the punchlines with bated breath, the same way they always have. And the stories they've never heard before will mean just as much.

The first time or two, it might feel weird. You might feel like you're rambling. That's fine. Totally normal.

It's also exactly what your family wants. Raw. Unfiltered. Goofy. Honest. The version of you they already know and want to remember.

Third: Capture Your Whole Face

Pull the phone back a bit. Make sure your shoulders, chest, and head are in the frame, not just your face.

The people who are going to watch this don't want to see only the underside of your chin, or have you so close to the camera that it feels like the Blair Witch Project.

Fourth: Where You Are Matters

What good is a video recording of your stories if we can't see you?

A dark or dimly lit room makes it hard to see your expressions. And that's part of what matters. The small smiles when you talk about something exciting. The way your eyes move when you're trying to remember the details. You don't need anything fancy. Just enough light so your face can be seen clearly.

And all the lighting in the world doesn't help if we can't hear you.

Recording outside on a windy day might feel nice, but it usually ruins the audio. You could be telling the story of your most embarrassing moment. We would have laughed. We would have cried. We would have felt secondhand embarrassment with you. But we can't, because all we hear is wind hitting the microphone.

If the story matters, it should be heard.

Also, take a second to wipe your camera lens. The best lighting in the world won't make you look clearer through a smudged lens.

Fifth: Be Expressive

Tell the stories like you would if you were sitting across from someone at the kitchen table.

Your family wants the wide eyes, the changing tone, the hands moving around. Not a flat factual recap. A story. If something mattered to you then, let it feel like it matters now.

Sixth: Don't Shake the Camera

Keep the camera steady. Set the phone down, prop it up, lean it against a stack of books. Whatever works.

We want to see you and follow along with the story. We just don't want to feel motion sick while doing it.

That's It

Recording your family stories doesn't have to be complicated. It doesn't have to be perfect. It just has to start, and it has to be something you can keep doing.

A few minutes at a time. A few times a week. That's enough to begin preserving something that would otherwise be lost.