Retro Reflections

11/26/2020

A retouched photo over fifty years old. Very satisfying!

02/02/2019

I saw this unique documentary when it was in theaters briefly a few months ago. Now it's back for another engagement.

"They Shall Not Grow Old" features black and white silent film footage meticulously brought to life with color and sound bringing us closer to World War I than ever before.

I know most people don't know or care about World War I - most people would agree that the sequel was better. However, it's still worth watching just to marvel at how footage from the 1910s was transformed by Peter Jackson and his team. His grandfather was a veteran of the war so this documentary is personal to him.

If you do go see this:

Stay until the end of the closing credits because what follows is a fascinating half-hour look into how this documentary was put together. They strove for authenticity in the audio and colorization.

One of the most impressive feats in the quest for authenticity came when the filmmakers had footage of a soldier reading something to his troops. They searched in the archives and found the document that he had been reading from and then had an actor read it to match the soldier's voice. Just incredible dedication.

12/29/2018

I can name all my grandparents. However, when it comes to my great-grandparents, that's when I start having trouble.

A third of Americans are unable to name all four of their grandparents, according to new research. From knowing names of family members, tracing their family tree or knowing when their family came …

10/10/2018

A third generation jeweler discusses the origins of the family business.

10/04/2018

Ever considered telling a life story in a documentary fashion?

I'm offering a 15% discount on all video biographies until the end of October!

09/20/2018

My grandmother was in town recently and I got her to check the captions for the scrapbooks I created.

Not only was she able to verify information, she also provided me with some new information I never would've known had I not decided to put these scrapbooks together. I scanned all the photos in the scrapbooks so I can always retrieve them.

08/13/2018

This is the opening to the Career section of this documentary where Jim describes his initial college major and his decision to change it.

08/07/2018

Have you ever thought someone's life story was worthy of a documentary?

Now is a great time to explore that possibility.

I'm offering a 20% discount off any documentary package from my site, as long as you book a consultation by the end of August.

https://www.retroref.com/documentarypricing/

07/12/2018

Working on a scrapbook consisting of my grandmother's old photos.

07/08/2018

I thought I had found all of my grandmother's old photos after I made a documentary about her.

I visited her recently and found dozens more that she forgot were in her possession (modeling shots, nightclub photos, newspaper ads, etc.) that were from Cuba in the 1950s.

I'm going to scan them to my computer - so they're preserved digitally - and then put them in a scrapbook.

I'm glad I was able to find this last batch of photos. They may have gone missing - like her wedding album. I've been able to scan all her photos and the only album that I couldn't locate was her wedding album. I remember looking at it when I lived with her years ago and now I won't be able to see it again. Preserve these items!

What interesting items do your relatives have stored away?

07/04/2018

Happy Independence Day from Retro Reflections! Stay grateful.

06/14/2018

Documentaries for people who don't watch documentaries.