Family archives
Make a scene log for old home videos
Note the file name, a start timecode, who appears, what is happening and whether the scene may be shared. Watch once, log as you go and write only what is visible or audible. Leave out what you assume happened off camera.
A text to start with
I am logging the video file [file name], which runs about [length]. As I watch, I will give you notes like: [timecode, what is visible, names I am sure of, names I am unsure of]. Turn them into scene log rows with file, timecode, people, event and sharing preference. Mark unsure identities as possible, and do not describe anything that is not in my notes.
Example request. Change the details to fit your situation.Home video scene log
File name: [ ] Original format and where the source is kept: [ ] Total length: [ ] Date of recording, with the basis for it: [ ] Scene start timecode: [ ] Scene end timecode: [ ] What is visible and audible: [ ] People I am sure of: [ ] People who may be present, with the reason: [ ] Event or occasion, marked guess if unsure: [ ] Sharing preference: [ ] People who should be asked before sharing: [ ] Question for a relative: [ ]
Invented context and shaky names
A log row that says "birthday party, Mom's 40th" may be filling in an occasion the footage never states. Keep the event line to what can be seen, such as a cake and singing, and put the occasion under a guess if you are unsure. Check that names marked sure have a reason. Watch for timecodes that drift if the file was converted or trimmed. Avoid claims about who was present beyond what the shot shows.
Ask another agent to check the result
Compare each log row to my original notes. Flag any event, relationship or occasion that appears in the row but not in my notes, any unsure identity written as certain, and any claim about what happened off camera.
Use the log to find moments
Test the log by picking a moment you remember and finding it from the rows alone. Fix any entry that sends you to the wrong place. Mark scenes you want to share and those to keep private, then decide who gets which clips. The Library of Congress personal digital archiving pages cover describing and organizing digital material, which can help with naming. Keep a copy of the original file untouched.