Creating a Multi-Media DVD of a Small Town\u27s Historical Images

The poster presents the process undertaken to create a DVD documentary of still and moving images, reflecting the history of a small community from the volunteer creator perspective. Sample visual elements include illustrations the DVD menu of five selections; footage of three moving image clips and two still photo collections. The challenges, opportunities, rewards are presented, as well as a section on practical ‘how-we-done-it’ and ‘how we-mighta-done-it-differently’. For example, one of the biggest challenges was identifying home movies that included town events, in addition in being in good shape for digital transfer. Furthermore, the creation of this DVD offered an opportunity to preserve identified images, transferring them in the best formats possible, placing copies in regional archives. To enhance the attractiveness of accompanying sound, local fiddler music was identified and provided, as well as World War II music as background, appropriate for the time period. As an incentive to engage young residents of the town, a selection of current scenes shown with older similar scenes was created. Additionally, the credits include background outtakes that appeal to the younger viewers, perhaps dispelling the myth that historical documentaries must be serious in nature. Finally, post-production publicity and distribution efforts include reaching out to those community members who traditionally do not have interest in the town historical societies and community libraries. The DVD, entitled Tunbridge Remembers: Photos & Films of 20th Century Tunbridge, Vermont is complete and is being distributed to local, regional and state libraries, archives, and local towns-people