They will also remind you of embarrassing events that you have tried to forget but are still important in shaping your identity. They will also be able to remind you of happy moments which you may have completely forgotten about. Try to interview each member of your family separately so they can feel more comfortable sharing their thoughts and experiences relating to your life.
This can also serve as a great way to reconnect with friends you haven’t seen in a while. Try to keep up contact with them even after the project is over!
Jobs. Jobs expose us to many different experiences and the hard work shapes our identity. Relationships. These can include anything from romantic relationships to friendships. Relationships teach us about ourselves and help us learn how to relate to others. These are important things to include in the video. Any moves to a new place. Moving to a new place is scary for anyone. It requires us to make new connections and sometimes give up the old. They help forge our identities.
Writing everything down will also help solidify what has been truly important in your life. At this stage, do not try to eliminate anything from the list. Just get everything down and then figure out what you want to include later in the process.
Be aware that your audience probably expects some fairly personal details in the video, though. Try focusing on 8-10 events or periods in your life which truly shaped who you are today. The video may get too lengthy if you include all the memorable parts of your life.
Why you decided to include the event. Why is this event important? What change did it make in your personality or your identity? How you perceive the event now. Reflect on how the event makes you feel presently. You likely have a different perspective now than you did when the event initially happened. Draw My Life videos usually start from birth and lead up to the present, so you should try to follow this structure.
Unless you have consent from people you will talk about in the video, use fake names to preserve their anonymity.
For example, if you were bullied growing up, figure out how honest you want to be in terms of your emotional response. People attacking your vulnerability could trigger painful memories. Do you want to focus on the bad or the good? Figure out what would be the most honest representation of your feelings.
If you do use a drawing software, you will also need software to record your screen. A popular screen capture software is Fraps.
A good way to do this is to extend your tri-pod above the board and then angle the camera downwards. If you do not have a camera or tripod but do have a phone capable of recording video, you can still make a “Draw My Life” video. Just set your phone on a table with the camera sticking off the edge. Set up your whiteboard beneath the table, within the frame of the camera.
Draw based on your skill. Stick drawings are perfectly acceptable. Your audience is more interested in hearing about your life story, they will excuse bad drawings if your commentary is good.
Use the rule of thirds to capture the scene in a focused way. The rule of thirds helps to draw your viewer’s attention to certain parts of the scene.
Use different colors to help add some flavor to the video.
You may also wish to cut scenes that you don’t think fit within the video. If you don’t feel comfortable with a scene, cut it out. If you think a scene is unnecessary, cut it out. Use your editing skills from previous videos you have made.
Speak clearly and concisely so your audience will be able to understand you.
Take any negative comments in stride and try not to let it affect you.
