LEEZA’S MEMORY TELEVISION "After two decades of producing, interviewing and hosting on radio and television, I have seen that everyone has a story and usually they don’t feel empowered to tell it. Ironically, having the 'audience' of the camera unleashes private thoughts by giving people an outlet to go on the record. I’ve been privileged to tell many stories over the years - now I have been entrusted with the most important one... the story of my own family. Our values, traditions, the things that matter... the moments we wish we had shared. Revealing these truths is powerful and transformative." - Leeza Gibbons Leeza’s Place, a program of the Leeza Gibbons Memory Foundation, is pleased to offer LMTV – an opportunity for your family to produce a video history highlighting the stories of your grandparents, parents and children. Created through personal journaling, innovative scriptwriting, creative production efforts and set design, life events are recorded for not only the historical benefits of future generations, but for the healing benefits of families currently impacted by memory disorders. Reading books and studying a family tree to learn about our history can only give a portion of the whole picture. Often the personal stories of daily life that vividly illustrate where we’ve come from and where we’re going are missing. LMTV creates an opportunity for thoughts to pass between generations, intriguing family questions to be answered and a depth of understanding about our life foundations to be reached. The stories that make us laugh and cry, provide wisdom and give insight, allow us to heal and accept loss with reverence. These “best selling” stories come from those we love – elders, caregivers and children and provide the rich tapestry of “reality” content for Leeza’s Memory Television.™ Step 1: Scriptwriting At Leeza’s Place advisors begin with all the members of a family - children, parents, and elders both one-on-one and together, guiding them in the first step of the process known as journaling. The emotions revealed during the journaling process often prompt memories and important questions that become the basis for each family’s unique screenplay. The journaling process provides everyone an opportunity to remember and record the good times and accomplishments that individuals within a family have shared. The journals of every member of the family generationally provide perspective and can reveal enlightening details for all involved in the project helping to create a powerful final script and video about your family. Step 2: Set Design Every snapshot a person takes or keeps is also a type of self-portrait, a “mirror with memory” reflecting back those moments and people that were special enough to be frozen in time. Collectively, these photos make visible the ongoing stories of that person’s life, serving as a visual map of their past. Personal snapshots permanently record important daily moments and serving as natural bridges for accessing, exploring, and communicating about feelings and memories. Because of their importance, photographs will play an important role in the set design used for Leeza’s Memory Television. Photographs, in addition to scrapbooks and family keepsakes will be used to form the visual framework for the unique video backdrop used for your family. Television and multimedia interns will assist families with their set production using professional techniques to capture the essence of each family. Step 3: Your Family Production Using the script developed from the family journals and your specially designed family backdrop, the process of recording to video begins. Skilled production assistants from the Leeza’s Place community will assist with your family’s project ensuring that memories of your family are recorded with pride by those involved. Future generations will treasure the details of the past, and existing generations will feel enriched by details of the lives of those they love. Leeza’s Memory Television™, a program created by our executive director, James Huysman, LCSW, CAP, was developed purposely because often families don’t think about recording their stories until they are faced with a major crisis in their life, such as separation or divorce, illness, or death of a loved one. LMTV provides families with the opportunity to create this keepsake and offers them the chance to participate in the stress reducing benefits of creative production. For more information about LMTV, please speak with the Leeza Care Advocate at the Leeza’s Place in your city.