Legacy

Emma Brown Production was born out of a passion for filmmaking and storytelling.

Our Legacy projects however, like many great stories, began unexpectedly. 

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The first Legacy video I ever created was for a grandparent of a loved one, back in 2017. When Grandpa Bill's memory began getting shaky, we took a look at all the amazing accomplishments in his life and knew we had to capture his story somehow. Bill was one of the first technicians to build the telephone lines throughout Alberta. Alongside his career achievements was a beautiful story of meeting the love of his life, adopting 3 children, building a lakeside home and growing a family. Over the course of 3 years, we built his story through film. He told us his life story, the lessons he learned, how he grew. He told us about the best times and the most challenging. Where gaps existed in his memory, the family filled in details. When it was time to collect supporting footage, we travelled across Alberta, capturing footage of the first telephone poles to go up and of the gorgeous cabin he built with his own hands. Little did I know, this project would begin a journey of finding meaning in love, time, life and legacy.

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Several years after Bill's Legacy Video was completed, his time came and he passed away. If we didn't see the impact of the legacy project at it's first viewing, we definitely saw it following Bill's passing. The video was shared widely; everyone who knew and loved Bill was able to hear about his Legacy, in his own words. Soon after, I began collecting content for my own grandparent's legacy videos. My Grandpa, Andrew, was fully invested in the project from the start. As a Cambridge Graduate, he dove right into collecting photos, making notes and organizing his life's work. He spent the last two years of his life tirelessly supporting my growing business, but more importantly, providing me, my parents, and my 3 siblings with his life, placed neatly in emails, documents, albums and photo folders. I worked hard to finish his legacy video in the weeks following his passing. Having done all the interviewing prior, I got to spend several more weeks with him after he was gone, listening to him talk, hearing his quick witted jokes and his tight-lipped but sincere messages about how to live a good life. I am so grateful for my beautiful Grandad and that whole experience alongside him showed me how important it is to capture the stories, advice and words -- all things we live by.

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- Emma