Intended principally for the junior high/senior high crowd, this tape focuses on how to plan, conduct, and preserve oral histories. Two earnest high school students and two adult experts take us through the process--from finding interviewees to the "should-you-correct-grammar-or-leave-grammar-as-is-in-your-transcripts" issue--and the teens visit a centenarian's home, where we see them conducting their interview. Though many concrete suggestions are provided (use index cards to jot down questions; in addition to your other equipment, bring extension cords and adapters to the interview; don't correct factual errors while your subject is speaking, etc.), the tape could have provided many more sample questions (although each interview has different purposes and goals, a nice, generic, comprehensive list of issues to cover might have helped some students). In addition, the decision to allow the teen girl to use a syrupy, overly loud voice when addressing her subject was unfortunate (no matter how old, elders do not need to be treated like children). Despite these missteps, however, this sincere effort is recommended for those in a genealogist or historian's role, whether by virtue of a homework assignment or by honest interest. Aud: J, H, C, P. (K. Glaser)
Capturing the Past: How to Prepare and Conduct an Oral History Interview
(1997) 32 min. $95. Wisteria Pictures (dist. by Direct Cinema Limited). PPR. Color cover. ISBN: 1-55974-628-9. Vol. 15, Issue 6
Capturing the Past: How to Prepare and Conduct an Oral History Interview
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.