At The Oral History Practice, our job is to make this feel natural, relaxed, and—even for camera-shy relatives—surprisingly enjoyable.
From the first email to the moment you press play on the finished interview, we guide you step-by-step. Here’s exactly what to expect.
We start with a short call to learn about your family, who you’d like to interview, and what kind of stories you hope to preserve.
We’ll talk through:
Who will be interviewed (one person, a couple, siblings, etc.)
What life chapters feel most important right now
Any sensitivities or “off-limits” topics we should know about
Practical details: timing, location, and budget
Answer a short questionnaire to gather names, dates, and key life events
Identify 3–5 big themes (childhood, migration, career, love, parenting, etc.)
Note any must-tell stories you never want to lose
Decide whether we’ll focus on one life story or a wider family history
Most people are nervous at first. We help them relax long before the camera or recorder turns on.
A plain-language overview of how the session will go
Tips on what to wear and how to get comfortable
A few sample questions—so nothing feels like a surprise
Reassurance that they can pause, take breaks, or skip anything they don’t want to answer
Handle all technical details—lighting, sound, recording
Guide the conversation through the themes we mapped out
Ask follow-up questions that draw out deeper memories and emotion
Keep an eye on energy and emotion, offering breaks as needed
Most sessions last 1-2 hours and it’s okay if we don’t “finish the whole life” in one sitting. The richest stories appear when people feel unhurried.
After the interview, we transform the raw conversation into something your family will actually want to watch or read.
Clean up audio and video
Transcribing the conversation and then shaping your experiences into a cohesive, organized keepsake pamphlet
Remove long pauses, tech hiccups, and repeats
Organize the story into chapters or themes
Add simple titles, chapter markers, and any photos or documents you’ve shared (optional)
When everything is ready, we deliver your interview in an easy-to-access format. Depending on your package, this might include:
A private, password-protected video link
Downloadable files you can save and back up
An audio-only version for easy listening
A written summary or transcript
Safe. We move at your pace and respect boundaries.
Structured—but flexible. There’s a clear plan, but we follow the stories where they lead.
Surprisingly fun. Laughter and tangents are welcome.
Meaningful. People leave the interview feeling seen, not scrutinized.
Most single-person interviews last about 2 hours, including short breaks. For couples or multiple participants, we may recommend 3-4 hours or multiple sessions.
That’s incredibly common. We keep things conversational, allow plenty of pauses, and remind them there are no “wrong answers.” If needed, we can also do audio-only sessions.
Absolutely. You can let us know ahead of time if there are areas you’d like us to avoid, or topics you’d like handled with extra sensitivity.
Yes. We can record high-quality remote interviews using Google Meet, and we’ll send easy instructions so your loved one doesn’t need to be tech-savvy.
From the discovery call to final delivery, most projects take 3-4 weeks, depending on scheduling and the scope of the interview.