The process
The process
Every film we make is a private commission, and each one is shaped to its story. This is how that work unfolds, from the first conversation to the day your family watches the film together.
The first conversation
It begins with a conversation.
Most of the people who write to us are not yet sure what their film would be, and that is where we start. In a first conversation, we listen for the story: whose it is, who it is for, and what is happening in your family's life right now.
Nothing is decided in that conversation except whether we should continue.
The creative vision
We see the film before we film it.
Before we arrive on location, we spend months developing the creative vision for your story. We come to know the people, the places, and the moments that matter, and we assemble the most experienced team available for the work.
By the time the cameras are on, we already understand the shape of the film we are making.
Production
We work at the pace of your family's life.
We plan production around what is happening in your family, not the other way around. When a significant event is approaching, such as a birthday, a reunion, or the honoring of an elder, we schedule so that we are there for it.
Projects run from nine months to many years, and each is structured in the way that best suits the story and the family.
The annual commission
Some moments cannot be staged again.
For most families, we recommend an annual commission. It places us at the keystone moments: celebrations and birthdays, the arrival of children and grandchildren, and the honoring of elders. Over time, it builds both the film and the family archive.
We have been invited into the most private rooms of people's lives, from the delivery room to a final goodbye, and we treat that trust as the heart of the work.
The edit
There is as much artistry in the edit as on location.
Our editors shape the story with the same care that went into filming it. The film is finished to the highest standard of craft, because it is made to be watched by generations who have not yet been born.
The premiere and the archive
The film is celebrated among the people in it.
When the film is complete, we work with you on a private screening for your closest friends and family. Afterwards, your film lives in an online space built for private viewing, and it is shared only with the people you choose.
During production, we gather the photographs, documents, and recordings your family already holds and digitize them. When the film is complete, they return to you as a preserved archive.
Privacy
Every film we make is a private commission. We never share a family's name, footage, or story without their written permission.
The investment
An investment in the people you love.
We plan for our futures financially. A Perpetelle film is how a family plans for its future emotionally, so that the wisdom of the people you love is there for the generations who come after them.
Every commission is shaped to its story, including the number of production days, the length of the commission, and what your family would like to receive. We work that out together, in conversation.
Commissions begin at $50,000.