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 £1,000 and £2,200. Everseed's films are £995 to £2,195.

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.

What Is a Life Story Film? A Plain Guide

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, which is then edited together with family photographs and music into a film of roughly six to fifteen minutes that the family keeps permanently.

It is sometimes called a video biography, a legacy film, a personal history film or a memory film. They all describe broadly the same thing.

How is a life story film made?

A life story film is made in three stages. First a relaxed filmed conversation of two to three hours, usually in the person's own home. Then the crafting, where that conversation is edited with their photographs and licensed music. Finally delivery, digitally and, with some providers, in a physical keepsake box.

How long does it take?

Filming takes a single session. The finished film is normally delivered three to four weeks later.

Who is it for?

Most life story films are commissioned by adult children in their forties, fifties and sixties for a parent or grandparent. They are also increasingly used by care homes, by families after a dementia diagnosis, and alongside later life planning such as wills and lasting powers of attorney.

What is the difference between a life story film and a memoir book?

A memoir book preserves what someone remembers. A life story film preserves how they say it. Books capture detail and chronology well. Film captures voice, laughter, gesture and personality, which is what families overwhelmingly say they miss most once someone has gone.

What is the difference between this and just recording on a phone?

Honestly, a phone recording is far better than nothing, and we would always encourage it. The differences are craft and permanence: a professional interviewer draws out stories a family member would not think to ask for, the footage is edited so it is actually watchable, the sound is clear, and the file is delivered in a form that will still be findable in twenty years.

Last updated: September 2026