A Legacy Film is an artfully crafted, cinematic interview film that is personally customized to capture the essence of your life story on camera. We carefully consider each phase of the process to ensure that we produce a beautiful family heirloom, designed with integrity, and intended to help preserve your legacy for generations to come. You will receive your final Legacy Film in three different formats: 1) a password-protected link to view / share / download your film online, 2) 2x USB-C thumb drives containing digital MP4 files (which are easy to duplicate), and 3) an archival-quality M-disc specially designed to preserve your legacy for 1000+ years.

Everyone is eligible for a Legacy Film. We do not discriminate based on age or any other factor. While the structure of our typical interview is geared towards those who are aged 60+, we are able to customize our approach for anyone who would like to have their story preserved. We have packages available for both individuals and couples.

We approach your life story with a journalistic process that has been carefully developed over many years of documentary filmmaking. Once a reservation is made, we will schedule a phone call to discuss the periods of your life that you would like to have memorialized in your Legacy Film. We start off by gaining a broad understanding of what was occurring during different decades of your life. We then gradually focus in to identify the most important questions and the most important topics that you would like to discuss on filming day. The general goal is to talk about the aspects of your life that you would like to leave behind to future generations. Together, we will customize this process to best reflect your unique life story.

We start with a brief phone consultation to explain the process and answer any initial questions you may have. We can accept reservations over the phone or send you a link to complete your reservation online. For online reservations, we can place a temporary hold on the agreed upon filming date for a period of 24 hours. After that time, we must make the date available to other customers. We require a 50% non-refundable deposit to reserve a filming date. The remaining 50% installment is due 14 days prior to the reserved filming date. Once a reservation is placed, we will schedule a 45-minute phone conversation to customize our interview questions to best reflect your unique life story.

On your reserved filming date, a small documentary crew will come to your home to set up a professional 4K cinema camera, studio lighting and audio recording equipment. We offer various options of modern, vintage and anamorphic cinema lenses to suit your personal taste. We normally film the interview in the largest room in your home, unless there is a compelling reason to film elsewhere. To achieve the most cinematic results, we typically use the first 2 hours to set up the equipment and the next 2-3 hours to film the interview. We take you through a carefully crafted set of questions that are personally designed to reflect the essence of your unique life story. Within our allotted filming time, our primary goal is to discuss all of the aspects of your life that you would like to have memorialized. Including time to wrap up the equipment, the entire shoot normally lasts about 6 hours.

We typically recommend filming inside your home to help maintain your personal comfort and a sense of authenticity for the project. For both logistical and aesthetic purposes, we normally film in the largest room in your home unless there is a compelling reason to film elsewhere. Different options can be discussed during your consultation.

If you prefer to film somewhere other than your home, please let us know. Some residential communities may have a private room that is well-suited for filming. We are also able to rent another location nearby for additional fees.

After filming is complete, we'll take the footage back to our studio to edit it for clarity and conciseness. We remove the interviewer's questions, false takes and unnecessary footage. Most of your recorded content will remain in the film unless you specifically request that we remove it. We then put the footage through a professional finishing process to ensure optimal visual and audio quality.

Within 30 days of filming, you will receive a package in the mail containing your final Legacy Film in three different formats: 1) a password-protected link to view / share / download your film online, 2) 2x USB-C thumb drives containing MP4 files (easy to duplicate), and 3) an archival-quality M-disc that is specially designed to preserve your legacy for 1000+ years.

The final length of the average Legacy Film is about 1-2 hours. The typical interview will last about 2-3 hours, including breaks. We edit the interview in post production for clarity and conciseness - i.e. we cut out interview questions, false takes, etc. However, most of your interview content will remain in the film unless you request something to be removed. Ideally, we try to keep the final films around 1-2 hours to maintain watchability, however this can vary depending on your personal goals and preference.

Within 30 days of your filming date, you will receive a package in the mail containing your Legacy Film in three different formats. You will receive a password-protected link to view / share / download your film online. You will receive 2x USB-C thumb drives containing MP4 video files of your film. MP4 is the mostly widely used format in the world, playable on many different devices, and is easy to duplicate. You will also receive your Legacy Film on an archival-quality M-Disc that is specially designed to last for 1000+ years.

The client retains full ownership of the final, edited film. You retain the right to share, store, archive, or distribute the film for personal and family use. Legacy Lens may request permission to use short excerpts for promotional purposes (e.g., website portfolio), but no content will be publicly shared without explicit written consent from the client.

All personal stories, interviews, and private family materials shared with Legacy Lens are treated as confidential. We will not publish, distribute, or disclose any content without your written approval. We implement multiple safeguards to protect your footage, including digital storage protections and secure file delivery.

We primarily operate in New York City and Westchester County. Travel fees may apply to other areas.