The goal of Sonderful is to capture, via video, some of the big things (like stories of one’s childhood, family ancestry, education, love, career, military, children, grandchildren, friends, passions, hobbies) as well as the little or not-discussed-as-often things, the stuff we often wish we knew (people’s favorite this or that, what they remember of historical events they witnessed, times they remember laughing the hardest, people who made the biggest impact on them) and those things that are hard to describe but that we so want to always remember (maybe it’s the way someone’s eyes crinkle when they laugh, how they wave their arms around when they’re telling a story, the funny squeak they make when they sneeze…the stuff that makes them them).
Donna Schenker Holly, Founder of Sonderful Productions, interviews and video records (currently on Zoom) individuals and couples telling the stories of their lives to be preserved as a legacy for their kids, grandkids, other family members (as well as future family members!) and friends. Andrew Schenker is a filmmaker and photographer in addition to being Sonderful's video editor (and Donna's brother). Andrew and Donna work together on all of Sonderful's current video projects.
Check out a few of our favorite clips (link to be available here soon).
"The bench in the Sonderful logo is in honor of my father’s memory. We used to sit on random benches, watch all the people walking by and marvel at how we knew nothing about them, and wish that we did…Sonderful is my effort to shine some light on some of those lives, and bring those cherished conversations to fruition.” -Donna
If you have a photo of yourself, your family and/or friends on a bench, we'd LOVE to include it in our collection! You can send us one as an attachment through our Contact page. Thank you tons!
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes and yes! Recordings can consist of:
Some of our favorite parts of the life story interview recordings are the "Lightning Round" sections. These are questions we use to offer a different angle on the story being told, and they go something like this..."You just told us about your childhood, life with your parents and siblings, what things were like back then...now let's take a break and do a 'Lightning Round'...we'll ask you all sorts of questions, and you just answer quickly with whatever comes to mind...or tell us to move on to the next one if you can't think of anything to say. One quick note...if our question or your answer stimulates a memory, share it, and then we'll move on to the next thing. Simple enough, right?"
Here's an example of where it sometimes gets extra-interesting...
We recently asked a couple to name one of their all-time favorite TV shows. She enthusiastically answered "MASH", and he agreed, but all of a sudden he got a stunned look on his face. When we asked about the reaction, he said he had just realized that he hadn't told his grandkids that he was on a game show once back in the '40s! It was something he was so excited to have remembered, and it was just that little TV show question that got him there. See? The "Lightning Round" sometimes uncovers those little pearls.
Even without a memory like that, the Lightning Rounds are such an amazingly fun way to capture things about yourself or your loved ones that others likely don't know, or that you've never taken the time to think about for yourself.
In addition to our life story recording packages (which include "Lightning Round" sections), we are now offering a "Lightning Round Special" package on its own as another option. The "Lightning Round Special" package is a shorter interview which consists mainly of the fast-paced format described above. Stories are welcome as they surface (and we hope they do) but the length of the session time is limited.
See the question above this one for further details on Lightning Rounds.
Our pricing packages are similar to that of a wedding or event videographer, but instead of capturing one particular occasion, we are documenting a lifetime of them.
Packages include initial consult, prep time, tech testing and intro Zoom, the actual interview on Zoom, *editing (the most time-consuming part) and final prep of the full-length video to be made available in several formats for easy viewing access.
*Please note: While every interview session is unique, each recorded interview hour requires several hours of edit time. The all-inclusive pricing options will reflect the average amount of editing hours needed to produce the finished product based on the number of recording hours.
Yes, absolutely! Want a few examples of things we've done? (We thought you'd never ask! :>)
One couple celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary reached out to Sonderful to capture the story of their marriage, the ups, the downs, and everything in between. We didn't discuss their childhoods or their children or anything like that - just who they are as individuals and as a couple within their marriage. It was a wonderful gift they gave to themselves!
Another couple in their late 40s recorded with us every few weeks after the husband, a doctor, survived a horrible car accident. We helped to capture his physical recovery process as well as the emotional one the two of them endured together. During each recording session, we asked the husband to provide his experiences as a patient. We did this so that his doctor-self could eventually look back and hear his patient-self describing what it's like to be a patient, and help his doctor-self garner a greater level of understanding for future work with his own patients.
One man who hired us to record his cousins as a gift, also worked with Sonderful to document some of the highlights of his own incredibly story-filled career. Those videos are now being used as a roadmap to write his autobiography - which we can't wait to read! (though if you ask us, his family is going to treasure those videos anyway - he is an amazing storyteller and we were riveted throughout).
Yes, for sure! We'd love to help capture the "life story" of a Family Office and how it all began. Sonderful could record different family members sharing different aspects of the family's history as well as the family's present day role. We have a lot of ideas for this (and Donna has some experience with Family Offices from a prior career she loved)…so let's talk! Please visit our Contact page to set up a call.
We welcome all ages! While many of our clients are aged 60 and above, we now have some younger clients who have realized it's never too soon to start capturing their stories. We've even been approached by a family with young kids who plan to record each family member with us every couple of years so they can document their lives along the way!
Yes, absolutely! If you have a desktop computer, laptop, iPad or iPhone/Android, we will work with you during our Intro & Zoom Tech Test session (a different day than the actual recording day) to ensure you are ready to go! Recordings take place on Zoom, but you do not need to have a Zoom account to do a Sonderful recording.
For those who really don't feel comfortable arranging a Zoom session for themselves, we suggest scheduling a recording when family and friends are around (vacations, holidays, family gatherings, etc.) or having a neighbor stop by to assist with the set up. We will make it as quick and easy as possible!
This is definitely a tougher topic for some folks to think about but yes, some of our clients reach out to us at a time they consider almost too late to capture their parents' stories. They are filled with regret at not recording when their parents were healthy or had their memories intact, but they still want to get something and just don't know what or how. We are always so glad when they get in touch.
In this type of situation, we often suggest our "Lightning Round Special" interview format package. It's a much shorter session than the life story recordings, and the questions asked don't rely on a lot of memory of the past. We guide them through questions, like their favorite this or that, and those often stimulate a memory. Even when they don't, it's such a fun and interesting way to capture the personality of a person. People definitely seem to like talking about those types of things...and they enjoy just being asked.
Please note: Our "Lightning Round Special" package (explained in more detail in questions above) isn't just for elderly folks - it can be a fun way to capture things about a person you love (or even things about yourself) that you didn't even realize you didn't know or had never thought about!
Recording life stories has truly been such a joyful privilege for us. We have cried (like really cried) along with our clients during the difficult parts, almost fell off our chairs laughing with them during the humorous ones (we've got video proof!), and navigated our way together through everything in between. We've been amazed to witness how people, once they get into it, let their guards down (even in the virtual Zoom setting) and really talk. We definitely want to know if there's anything we can do to make the experience more comfortable for you, and we hope you'll let us know.
Yes, absolutely! Some people like to record everything in one day while others opt to split their recording time over a few different days. We want this to be fun and easy for you. Just let us know your needs and we will schedule things in a way that is most comfortable for everyone.
You'd be surprised how many people tell us they don't have enough stories to fill up an hour, and then ask to book additional time because they discover more they want to share once they start talking!
We like to think of the longer videos as a library of information about a person or couple. You can check out a book about them, read a "chapter" whenever you'd like to, and the people recorded have the peace of mind knowing we've captured all they wanted to share.
Here's what we do on our end: Throughout the recording, we communicate how much time is left to record, and have our recordees determine if they'd like to continue, or if they've reached a point they are satisfied with. Once it's been agreed that the recording is complete, Sonderful begins the editing process (usually about 30 days). After the video is edited, we upload it to an unlisted YouTube link which is sent to the family, and which is only accessible by those who are given the link. In the description section of the YouTube video, we post the start times for each topic so that those watching can click right on those time stamps to quickly get to the particular part they'd like to see.
Whether it's a thirty-minute, one-hour, three-hour, or six-hour video, we definitely suggest you pop some popcorn and settle in to watch!
First of all...Yippee! We're thrilled to have you as a client! Thank you!
Two things to do:
Sure! We'll ask about your childhood, parents, siblings, anything you know about your ancestry, education, military experience, dating/love/marriage, career, children, their spouses, grandchildren and all kinds of other things that are unique to you and to your life. Of course, not all of the above will apply to you, or there may be some you don't want to talk about. The content of your video is entirely up to you.
Check out the answers to "What (and who) is Sonderful Productions?" and "What is a Lightning Round?" above for further insight into topics covered. We also suggest watching some clips on our Videos page (link to be available here soon). While the clips do not show the most serious, in-depth and private portions of the interviews, we've done our best to give you a little glimpse into the types of topics explored, and the fun we have along the way.
Prior to our Intro & Tech Test start time, please find a spot you can sit comfortably in, and that you think will be the optimal spot for our actual Zoom recording session. When we meet on Zoom, we’ll ensure video, audio, background and lighting are the best they can be. IMPORTANT: Please be sure to pick an area with a strong Wi-Fi signal!
At our scheduled time, just click on the Zoom link (which we'll email you ahead of time), and, once our session begins, we'll take you through everything you need to know!
We'll discuss everything from the device you plan to use on your recording day, to which room you plan to record in, to how the position of your device, lighting in the room and the background we'll see behind you all look on screen. We'll also talk about what you might want to wear for the recording day as well as suggested items to have at arms' reach.
Most importantly, we'll get the chance to meet you, learn a little bit about what you hope to accomplish in your video recording, and answer any questions you may have as we go along. We'll give you a good sense of the recording day format, and then you'll be all set!
Once you've completed your recording, the team at Sonderful will begin the editing process and you should receive your video in approximately 30 days. The video will begin with a quick hello from Donna, followed by all of the stories that you shared. The questions Donna asked will appear in the form of "title cards" typed on screen (you will not see Donna asking the questions) so that the focus of your video is you and your stories.
The final full-length video can be delivered in several different ways:
We are always interested in learning about different ways we can contribute to the community. Please reach out to us through our Contact page - we'd love to discuss!
Why yes, yes we do! Have a conference or party that need planning? We can plan it! Have a wedding that needs officiating? We can officiate it! Have an event (corporate or personal) that you'd like to capture video of, and perhaps also have the guests interviewed during? You've come to the right place! Have another idea that Sonderful might be a good fit for? Let's set up some time to talk and figure it out! Please visit our Contact page to send us a note.
Yes, please! We would love the opportunity to speak with you! Please visit our Contact page to send us a note.
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