No, You don’t have to be a Celebrity!

SUMMARY

Biographfilm is personal. Commercial biographies are made to make money.

Most people see the term “biography” and think “famous people.” You know, actors, entertainers, world leaders, revolutionaries, inventors….

And sure, I understand the connection. It’s completely understandable to think you need to be famous or somehow remarkable to warrant a biography. After all, those are the only ones we ever see! They’re in book stores, on best seller lists, on TV or Netflix. They’re written by writers like David McCullough, Doris Goodwin, or Michael Lewis.

And, so you’re thinking, exactly, I’m not Nelson Mandela or Taylor Swift.

And, you’re right. Thing is: you don’t need to be. Not for Biographfilm. You see, Biographfilm isn’t meant for celebrities. It’s meant for people. Are you one of those?

Here’s the thing. Traditional biographies we commonly see are those created as content to be sold to the mass public. They’re created to make money! The challenge is that they are extremely difficult to create, take a lot of time and effort, and are very costly. So, yes, only biographies that are going to sell millions of copies, tickets or downloads are the ones we are traditionally see out in the world.

Thankfully, Biographfilm isn’t a traditional biography. You’re not doing this to make money. What we’re doing here is completely different. It’s personal. This is primarily for personal use. Not public consumption. We’re not investing years of writing and research and barrels of money to create a biography to market to millions of people.We don’t need to write a New York Times bestseller or pitch it to a studio. 

Biographfilm is neither labor- nor time- intensive, making it much less expensive than a traditional book or documentary. We’re not trying to sell your Biographfilm to millions of people. That’s why Biographfilm doesn’t need you to be famous. It’s for anyone who has a personal story to share with another person or group of people — and who wants to share it themselves in their own words. Period. It has nothing to do with fame.

It’s personal.

Instead of having marginal interest to millions of people, your Biographfilm is of immeasurable interest to the people close to you.

“The best loved stories are not from books or films, but those from our own families.”

- Jane McGarvey

The truth is most people on the planet may not care about you and your story. Of the billions of people on the planet today, the vast majority aren’t going to watch your Biographfilm. But, that’s not the point, is it? Biographfilm is for the people closest to you, who have an existing interest in you and your story. The value of your story is based primarily on the their emotional proximity to you. Again, it’s personal.

Think about loved one who has passed away. What would you give to watch their Biographfilm right now (if they had made one)? A heck of a lot more than you would to watch any documentary on… any of the aforementioned. There’s just no comparison between the two. You can’t put a price on a Biographfilm of a loved one. For you, it’s priceless. While most people might not care about their story, you do. And, it’s not because they have achieved any level of fame but because they mean something to you personally.

Likewise, YOUR story is priceless to your family, friends, colleagues, posterity, and more. Your Biographfilm is much more important to your people than any documentary they watch on Netflix or buy from a bookstore. Biographfilm is your way to speak to those who already care about you or have a personal connection. Your story has enormous value because of the relationship they have with you. It’s personal. It’s just that simple.

Your Biographfilm informs people who care.

Of your audience, there are those who will want to see YOU first and foremost. Then, there are those who will want to hear YOUR STORY.

I mention this because YOUR STORY is particularly useful and relevant to a broader range of people than you might think. 

We are all intrinsically inquisitive and curious beings — largely because we’re always searching for information we can use for our own advantage or betterment. It’s just human nature. And, the best and most useful information is what is most relevant to our own situations.

I realize I’m getting a bit clinical or academic here, but the point is YOUR STORIES aren’t just nostalgic or sentimental to others. While they will be to people who have known you personally, there are others — including people who you’ve never met — who will find real value in knowing about your journey. Yes, yours!

The obvious example of this group of people are future generations of your family. Your grandkids, great-grandkids, great-great grandnephews twice-removed, whatever…. You’ve never met them, but they will have a very real connection to you. And, your story can be very useful to them. You know, after they’re born. 

But, let me give you another less obvious example of people who might care about your story. Maybe it’s fellow school alumni, or fellow spouses of armed service veterans, or fellow backpackers, or fellow abuse survivors or fellow Cleveland Browns fans. You get the idea.

Your story is valuable because it can help instruct others of their own journey. Very few of us are walking truly unique paths that no one else is walking or will walk in the future. Others can learn or find reassurance or comfort in your experience.

We are connected by specific commonalities, shared interests and associations, whether they be avocations, spirituality, ethnicity, heritage… I could go on and on.

Again, the point is YOUR STORY is relevant to others you may not have thought of yet.

Your people will watch your Biographfilm because they either want to see you again, learn more from you, or both. 

When it comes to you, they’re selfish. But in a good way! They want whatever they can get from you. And, believe me, you don’t need any extra sizzle. Whoever wants YOU or YOUR STORY will devour your Biographfilm. To them, your story doesn’t need to be anything but yours.

Why you? That’s why.

Ok, thanks for listening to this talk. I hope you now understand why your Biographfilm is so important to other people. If you have any additional questions or comments about what we just covered, please let me know. Once you're ready, we'll move onto the next talk "Why Now?” Ok thanks, talk to you soon.