Audio Memoir

How It Works

Timing

We arrange a time or a series of times for conversations with the guest remotely over Zoom or similar. In its simplest form this involves the guest sitting in a quiet, comfortable room chatting on the phone. What could be easier?

Preparations

Normally we have preliminary communications with you and seek some provide some background information. This includes what you are looking for from the experience, key subjects, things to avoid etc. It helps to have a single point of contact from your side – a project manager. They will be responsible for arranging the times, providing photographs, cajoling family members to record their voice messages…

Control

The guest has full control over the subject matter discussed and what areas are off limits. The guests also controls the ‘release date’ – when the links are sent out. For some it is as soon as possible. For others it may be at a set time in the future. 

Participation

Friends and family are encouraged to submit recorded questions by phone following these simple steps. This can help with ensuring we cover the key subjects. It also is an opportunity to include important voices (often partners, children, grandchildren) on the recording.

Face-to-Face Recording

Depending on the option chosen we record audio and/or video as we chat. Even if the final product is audio only during the chat the guest and interviewer are talking face-to face.

YouTube

I edit the files to make them as professional sounding as possible, add the gathered photos, other relevant images, any relevant music and then upload to YouTube providing you non-public links to enjoy the content.

There are various choices to make, but the above are the basics. 

Testimonials

Paul Morrison

Australia

Your endeavours in preparing and producing the memoir have exceeded all expectations, a view shared by all who have seen it.

Your enterprise in researching contemporaneous photos of places and comics referred to, is amazing. Certainly, my monologue is much enlivened by your visuals. At times, it seemed I might be enjoying the telling more than the listener but in that regard I have no regrets.

I’m privileged to have partaken in what should be the start of a commercial enterprise that will be rewarding for you but more so in memory and nostalgia to those who treasure the past and know when the final curtain drops that in a small way they have defied mortality.

Cara Munns

Malaysia

Thanks so much for producing Dad’s audio memoir, it’s such a unique treasure to have of Dad’s early years.

You managed to have such a natural conversion with him, whilst capturing old anecdotes and stories we’d grown up on. Initially he was a little bit wary about partaking, but he really enjoyed the chat with you and is thrilled with the final product. Amazing Gavin.

5 stars from me!

Martin Hanna

Ireland

How wonderful to hear Noelle’s lovely voice once again. She was always a ray of sunshine in all our lives bringing fun, laughter and energy to everything she did. She really was a true lady and how lovely it is to hear those wonderful stories told in her own inimitable way. One of Belfast’s finest raconteurs along with everything else!

 

And the recording was very clear.  With the accompanying images it was like watching a documentary about someone we all knew, in their own words. An amazing record of local history and her life.

 

Absolutely fantastic for the kids and grandkids to have this to refer back to.

Eimear Carvill

UK

Just finished listening – really didn’t want it to end, so interesting, lots of stuff I didn’t know. Such a lovely thing to have. I hadn’t realised there were photos until episode three so will have to go back and listen to the earlier couple to catch the photos. Loved it, thanks.

Judy Calver

Australia

Very impressed.  It’s so lovely to have these memories recorded for the grandchildren.  And you have put so much work into the accompanying images!

Conor O’Kane

UK

Fiona and I are on the 2nd last episode of your YouTube series. Fascinating stuff and a wonderful resource for all her descendants and us. Great work by the way and very funny.

Julie Crawford

UK

Gavin that is absolutely wonderful! I listened to it last night over a glass of wine or two ….and I cried a lot ….and laughed a lot. What an interesting life and how privileged we all were.

She had huge talents always a great love for people and zest for life. What an amazing role model she was for us all – A truly wonderful, wonderful lady. You’ve done a great job in editing all of this. The photos were fab.

Kathryn Sullivan

USA

I spent the whole evening watching the wonderful videos you made of my much-loved aunt sharing stories of her life and my cousins. It was awesome!

 

It was so wonderful to hear her voice telling those stories, see the corresponding photos from those times, and feel like I just shared a fantastic day listening her stories and enjoying her sense of humor again. It is so touching, and such a gift to have this now.

Requirements

  • A suitable device (phone, computer, iPad)
  • A headset with inbuilt microphone. I can recommend affordable options. Not necessary with phone or iPad
  • A camera or webcam (if video option chosen). Not necessary with phone or iPad
  • A relatively quiet recording environment, suitably prepared as per instructions
  • We record remotely using Zoom, face-to-face even if only recording audio

Recordings

The recordings will be published on YouTube as “unlisted” meaning they are not visible to the general public, only to those people who are provided the link. 

You can share the recordings with friends and family all over the world. 

The more photos that accompany the recordings the more this becomes a historical document, almost like a documentary of the guest’s life… in their own words.

The guest will determine the date of release of the link.

Styles

1. Audio Only with limited photographs

This allows for the most editing and can result in a very polished, professional sounding podcast/radio style conversation or series. Normally this takes the form of a single recording with 5 images of the guest at different stages in life

2. Video (of guest only) and audio

This option has the added benefit of the visual which adds an entirely new dimension. However it is more restrictive in terms of editing. It may not always be possible to remove stumbling over words or misunderstandings more easily extracted from the audio only version. The guest may be wearing large headphones throughout and hopefully the set-up allows for a good angle, lighting and suitable backdrop.

3. Pictorial - Audio combined with still photographs

This is the most popular option. It makes the recording more chronological and therefore more of a historical record. This will likely involve considerable liaising with an appointed project manager. Relevant photographs will need to be provided together with details and chronological sequencing. 

These and other images I source will be added. These may include historic photos to set the context for the location being discussed, maps, favourite movie posters – anything of relevance to the conversation which is complementary to the topics of conversation. 

Participation

Send me an audio message by following these instructions below. Click on the image to view a larger version.

Step 1

On your phone tap this link

https://www.speakpipe.com/audiomemoir 

You will see this page 

Hello. That’s me!

Step 2

Tap and record your message.

You will probably first see this page.

Tap

Step 3

The recording has started.

Speak your message into the phone.

When finished speaking, tap

Step 4

To list to your recording, tap the triangular play button 

To re-record tap 

If happy, fill in the details and tap

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