Family Video Interview Service: Legacy Videos for Parents and Grandparents
Telloom records guided, podcast-style video interviews with parents and grandparents so their stories are kept in their own voice. A professional interviewer leads the conversation, in person in the New York City metro area or remotely anywhere in the United States. Professional packages run $1,750 to $8,000 depending on package, and every package includes the Telloom platform with transcripts, AI summaries, and unlimited family viewers.
Free planning call, about 30 minutes.
What a personal historian does, on video
A personal historian sits down with someone, asks good questions, and gets the answers on record. Telloom does that on video. We interview in person across the New York metro area, and remotely for families anywhere in the United States. What you end up with is a video biography your family can watch, search, and keep adding to for years.
How we record your parents' life story
Four steps from the first call to a searchable family archive.
Book a free planning call
You tell us who the storyteller is, what you hope to capture, and whether in person or remote makes more sense. We talk through the packages and pick the one that fits.
You tell us what matters
Before the session, you share the stories you already know you want on record. The immigration story. The first job. How your parents met. We add to that from Telloom's library of 640+ prompts across 50 categories, so the interviewer walks in already knowing your family.
We record the interview
In person, in the New York area, we bring a camera crew, lights, and mics to the session. Remote sessions run over video with tech guidance for camera, lighting, and audio, so a parent in Ohio or Arizona gets the same kind of conversation. A remote session runs three to four hours of conversation. An in-person Signature session is up to four hours on site with about three on camera, and the Legacy package spreads the work across two recording days.
Everything goes into your private family archive
We organize every recording by person, topic, and prompt, with transcripts, AI summaries, and search across the whole archive. Invite as many relatives as you like. Your videos and prompts are in the app within about two weeks of recording.
Legacy video packages and pricing
These are launch prices. The standard price next to each one is what the package will cost later.
Remote Essentials Package
Professional storytelling, anywhere
For remote families and budget-conscious
- One remote session, 3 to 4 hours of guided conversation
- Professional interviewer guides the conversation
- Tech guidance for camera, lighting, and audio
- Discovery call and custom prompt list
- Full transcripts & AI summaries
- Searchable library organized by topics
- Unlimited family viewer accounts
- Self-service photo uploads (unlimited)
- All videos downloadable anytime
- Secure cloud storage with family sharing
- 2 Years Telloom platform access included*
In-Person Signature Package
Professional filming at your location
For families wanting the highest quality recordings
- Everything in Remote Package, plus:
- In-person filming with professional equipment (camera, lighting, audio)
- Up to 4 hours on site, about 3 on camera
- Up to 25 printed photos digitized
- Trained interviewer handles pacing & comfort
- All videos downloadable anytime
- 2 Years Telloom platform access included*
In-Person Legacy Package
Complete legacy preservation
For families wanting the most complete archive
- Everything in Signature Package, plus:
- Two recording days
- Multiple prep calls for thoughtful planning
- Up to 50 printed photos digitized
- Up to 25 objects documented with stories
- 3 edited topic films (5-10 minutes each)
- 1 highlight film (up to 15 minutes)
- All videos downloadable anytime
- 5 Years Telloom platform access included*
Self-Serve App Subscription
Upload your own videos, organize & share with family
Leave your email and we'll let you know when the self-serve plan opens up.
Optional Add-Ons
Objects Documentation
From $500
Document meaningful items (jewelry, artwork, furniture, collections, awards, instruments) with professional photography. Share why each piece matters and who should inherit it.
Photo Digitization
$200/50 photos
Professional high-quality scanning of your printed photos, safely returned with digital copies uploaded to your Telloom library alongside your stories.
Edited Films
From $1,000
Custom professionally edited films from your interview footage, perfect for birthdays, memorials, anniversaries, or sharing at family celebrations.
About 30 minutes to talk through who you want to record, what you hope to capture, and which package fits.
*After your included platform access period, continue for $99/year. Download all videos anytime, no lock-in.
†Travel expenses added for multi-day productions outside the greater NYC area.
Package comparison
Remote Essentials Package
$1,750 (standard $3,500)
A guided interview conducted remotely over video. Pick this if your parent lives outside the New York area, or if you want to start with one focused session.
Includes:
- One remote session with three to four hours of guided conversation
- A professional interviewer
- A custom prompt list built for your family
- Tech guidance for camera, lighting, and audio before the session
- Two years of platform access
- Everything listed under what's included in every package below
In-Person Signature Package
$2,500 (standard $4,500)
An in-person session in the New York area, filmed by a crew with proper lighting and sound. For families who want the storyteller on a real camera rather than a video call.
Includes:
- Up to four hours on site, around three hours on camera
- Professional camera, lighting, and microphones
- Up to 25 printed photos digitized
- Two years of platform access
- Everything listed under what's included in every package below
In-Person Legacy Package
$5,500 (standard $8,000)
The full production. Choose it for a whole life, a family business, or a house full of objects with stories attached.
Includes:
- Two in-person recording days
- Professional camera, lighting, and microphones
- Up to 50 photos digitized
- Up to 25 objects documented (the heirloom, on camera, with the story behind it)
- Up to three edited topic films
- One highlight film
- Five years of platform access
- Travel outside the NYC area available for multi-day productions
- Everything listed under what's included in every package below
| Feature | Remote Essentials | In-Person Signature | In-Person Legacy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Launch price | $1,750 | $2,500 | $5,500 |
| Standard price | $3,500 | $4,500 | $8,000 |
| Format | Remote, over video | In person, NYC metro | In person, NYC metro, travel available |
| Recording time | One session, 3 to 4 hours of conversation | Up to 4 hours on site, about 3 on camera | Two recording days |
| Professional interviewer | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Custom prompt list | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Photos digitized | Add-on | Up to 25 | Up to 50 |
| Objects documented | Add-on | Add-on | Up to 25 |
| Edited films | Add-on | Add-on | Up to 3 topic films plus 1 highlight film |
| Platform access included | 2 years | 2 years | 5 years |
Prefer to record it yourself?
The self-serve platform is $10 a month or $99 a year. You record your own videos and organize them by person, topic, and prompt. You get the same transcripts, AI summaries, photo uploads, and unlimited viewers as the professional packages. Our guide to recording family video interviews at home covers gear at every budget, and the question library is free either way.
After any included access period, the platform continues at $99 a year. You can download every video at any time.
Each package, step by step
Book and prep, recording day, upload, and sharing for every package.
Book & Prep
- Discovery call to understand family history
- Custom prompt list based on your life areas
- Assign an executor who can manage and share your content
- Discussion of any sensitivities
Record with a Pro
- One in-person recording day at your location
- Up to four hours on site, about three on camera
- Professional camera, lighting, and audio equipment
- Trained interviewer handles pacing and comfort
- We can collect printed photos for digitization during your session
- Studio-quality production
We Upload & Organize
- Secure, private space only accessible to people you invite
- Videos organized by prompt inside topics
- Full transcripts for every video
- AI-written summaries for easy browsing
- Searchable library across all content
- We upload up to 25 printed photos that we digitize for you
You Enrich & Share
- Invite unlimited family members to view
- Self-service photo uploads (unlimited)
- Self-service object uploads (unlimited)
- 2 years of Telloom access included
- After that: $99/year (only the sharer pays; invited viewers are free)
- Download guarantee - always own your content
Timeline: App access with your videos and prompts delivered within 2 weeks of recording
What's included in every package
Every professional package, remote or in person, comes with the same platform and the same interviewer-led process.
A professional interviewer. Someone whose job is to listen, follow the thread, and ask the next question.
A custom prompt list. Built for your family from a library of 640+ prompts across 50 categories, plus the questions only you would know to ask.
Automated transcripts with timestamps. Every recording is transcribed, so you can find the moment Dad talked about the farm without scrubbing through three hours of video.
AI summaries. Each video gets a written summary, so a cousin can skim what Grandma covered before watching an hour of footage.
A searchable library. Search across every video in the family archive.
Unlimited family viewer accounts. Invite siblings, cousins, grandchildren, whoever you want. Nobody else can see it.
Downloads anytime. The footage is yours. Download all of your videos whenever you want.
Objects. Document heirlooms alongside the stories behind them. The Legacy package includes up to 25 objects. Other packages can add object documentation from $500.
Someone to carry it on. Name a trusted person to manage the videos after the storyteller passes away.
Who this is for, and who it's not for
Telloom is a good fit if
- You want a parent or grandparent's life story on video, told by them, and you'd rather have a professional lead the conversation than do it yourself.
- Your family is spread out. Remote sessions work anywhere in the United States, and everyone gets viewer access afterward.
- You're in or near New York City and want the session filmed with a real camera and lighting setup.
- Something has changed, like a diagnosis, a move, or an 80th birthday, and waiting no longer feels safe.
- You've got old footage on a hard drive nobody opens, and you want this to be different.
- You have heirlooms, photos, or a family business with a story worth documenting properly.
Telloom is not the right fit if
- You want a printed memoir or book rather than video. Telloom is video first. Transcripts come with every recording, but we don't produce books.
- You need a videographer for a wedding, party, or other one-time event.
- You want a public video channel. Nothing on Telloom is public. Only people you invite can watch.
- You're outside the New York area and want a single in-person session. We travel outside the NYC area for multi-day productions.
- You're comparing against StoryWorth-style question-by-email services and mostly want text. Our comparisons of StoryWorth alternatives and Remento alternatives explain where each approach fits.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a professional family video interview cost?
Remote is $1,750. In person in the New York area is $2,500, and a two-day production is $5,500. Those are launch prices; the standard prices are $3,500, $4,500, and $8,000. Prefer to record yourself? The self-serve platform is $10 a month or $99 a year. For what other providers charge, see our guide to what it costs to record a parent's life story on video.
How long is a recording session?
A remote session is three to four hours of guided conversation. In person, a Signature session is up to four hours on site with around three hours on camera. Legacy is two full recording days.
Is a remote interview as good as an in-person one?
The conversation itself doesn't change. You get the same interviewer and the same platform afterward. What changes is the picture and sound. Remote sessions include tech guidance for camera, lighting, and audio so you get the best result the storyteller's setup allows, but they won't match a session filmed by a crew. For a parent who lives far from New York, remote is the practical choice.
What if my parent is shy, or has memory changes?
Tell us on the planning call. Knowing in advance which subjects they love and which to avoid shapes how the interviewer leads the session. Our guide on how to interview your parents has more on easing in.
How long until we get the videos?
Your recordings, transcripts, and prompts are in the app within about two weeks of the session. Edited topic films and highlight films (Legacy package, or as an add-on) arrive within four to six weeks.
Who owns the footage?
Your family does. Everything recorded lives in your private family archive on Telloom, and you can download all of your videos at any time. When the included access period ends, you can continue for $99 a year or download everything and keep it. Nothing stays behind if you leave.
Can more than one family member be interviewed?
On the platform side, yes. Videos are organized by person, so each storyteller gets their own place in the family archive. For the recording sessions themselves, tell us on the planning call who you'd like to include and we'll recommend the right package.
What happens to the recordings long term?
You choose who can watch. The archive stays organized and searchable, and you can name a trusted person to manage the videos after the storyteller passes away. Because you can download everything at any time, the archive never depends on Telloom to exist.
More answers on our full FAQ page.
Most people have been meaning to do this for years. The call is the easy part. Tell us who you want to record and we'll take it from there.
About 30 minutes to talk through who you want to record, what you hope to capture, and which package fits. No commitment required.
Prefer email? Write to hello@telloom.co. Tell us the storyteller's name, where they live, and what you'd like to capture. We'll reply with a recommendation.