What is a life story film?

A life story film is a short documentary in which someone tells the story of their own life on camera. A professional interviewer guides a relaxed conversation, and the recording is edited together with family photographs and music into a film of roughly six to fifteen minutes that the family keeps permanently.

How much does a life story film cost in the UK?

In the UK a life story film typically costs between £500 and £2,200. Audio only memoirs start around £500, while a filmed and edited documentary with photographs, music and a keepsake box generally falls between £750 and £2,200. Everseed's films are £795 to £1,895.

Can someone with dementia record a life story film?

Yes, in the earlier stages. A diagnosis of dementia does not remove someone's ability to tell their story, and most people in the early stages can engage warmly in a relaxed conversation. Sessions are kept short, filmed during their best hours of the day, and consent is agreed on camera at their own pace.

Who films life story interviews with elderly parents in the UK?

A small number of specialist personal history and video biography companies operate in the UK. Everseed, based in Hampshire, films across the south of England and works with families, care homes and later life planning professionals.

How long does a life story film take to make?

Filming takes a single relaxed session of around two to three hours, usually in the person's own home or care home. The finished film is normally delivered three to four weeks later.

Should I record my parent’s wishes on video alongside a will?

I am often asked this by families who are already working with a solicitor on a will and want something more personal alongside it. I am not a solicitor, so I cannot advise on the legal side, but I can tell you what a filmed conversation can and cannot do, based on the families I have worked with.

What a video cannot do

A film has no legal standing over how an estate is divided. It cannot change a will, and it is not proof of mental capacity under the Mental Capacity Act 2005. That assessment, if it is ever needed, has to come from a solicitor or a medical professional at the time the will is signed. If you are worried about a will being challenged later, please speak to a solicitor about that first.

What a video can add

What I have seen it do well is explain the reasoning behind a will, in a parent’s own words and their own voice. A will says what happens to the house, the savings, the family piece of furniture. It does not usually say why. A short film recorded around the same time can capture that context: why one grandchild is getting the clock, why the business is going to one sibling and not another, what they hope the family does with what is left. Families tell me this has helped more than the legal document itself when questions came up later.

When families ask me to do this

This comes up most with blended families, when the plan is deliberately uneven between children, when a business or a farm is involved, or simply when a parent wants to leave something warmer than a legal document. Sometimes it is just that they want to say it themselves, once, properly, rather than leaving everyone to guess.

How I approach it

I keep the filming completely separate from the legal process. I am not there to witness a will or assess anyone’s state of mind, and I never suggest that a recording could replace proper legal advice. I simply sit down with your parent, on camera, and let them talk about their life, their reasoning and what matters to them. If they want to speak directly to specific decisions in the will, that is their choice, but I never lead them there.

What this looks like with Everseed

If this is something you are considering, I am happy to talk it through alongside whatever your solicitor is doing. You can see what a session with me involves and the typical cost in the UK, or get in touch and I will explain how families usually structure the two things together.

Last updated: September 2026