Gift Of Heritage

Host and narrator Mary Lou Peterson shares her experiences and ideas with viewers interested in committing their family tree to video. The secret is in careful planning, and Peterson describes the many pitfalls the would-be filmmaker may run up against in the making of a family video. Viewers are apprised as to what supplies will be necessary, given a brief introduction to genealogical research, shown examples of how to conduct interviews, and taken through the technical and production aspects of actually making the video. There's a fair amount of good, usable information on the video, but the program suffers from two drawbacks. The tape doesn't look terribly professional, and the points made in the video are illustrated with 2-3 minute unedited clips from Peterson's Aasen Johnson Family Story video. To anyone other than Aasen Johnson's descendants these clips will seem too long. Still, the price is reasonable, the subject is popular, and there's not a whole lot available on the subject. You decide. An optional purchase. (Available from: DBA Mary Lou Productions, P.O. Box 17233, Minneapolis, MN 55417; (612) 726-9432. )