How much does a life story film cost?
An honest guide to life story film prices in the UK: what drives the cost, what you should get for your money, and how films compare with books and doing it yourself.
The short answer
Professionally filmed life story films in the UK usually cost anywhere from a few hundred pounds to a few thousand. The price depends mostly on how long the conversation is, where it’s filmed, and how much preparation and editing goes into it.
Ours start at £295 for a studio film, and £595 for a longer film in the studio or at home. Bigger family projects are quoted after a chat.
What affects the price
A finished film takes far more time than the filming itself. For every hour on camera there’s preparation beforehand and several hours of editing after.
Length of the conversation
An hour captures the main chapters of a life. Two hours lets you go deeper into the stories, the people and the places.
Studio or home
A studio is set up and ready. Filming at home means bringing lights, cameras and sound to them, which takes more time.
Preparation
Standard questions are quicker. Questions shaped around one person’s life, and a call with them beforehand, take longer and make a better film.
Photos and old videos
Weaving family photos and home movies through the film adds editing time, and adds a great deal to the result.
Number of people
One storyteller is simplest. Messages from the whole family, filmed over several weeks, is a bigger project.
What you take home
A link only, or a proper keepsake: a USB in a box, extra copies for the family, long-term storage.
What a Memory Room film costs
- The Studio Story, £295. Up to an hour of guided conversation in our Motherwell studio, with our tried-and-tested questions. Edited in 4K, delivered on a USB in a keepsake box with a private family link.
- The Signature Story, £595. Up to two hours, in the studio or at home. Questions shaped around their life, a video call beforehand, their photos and old videos woven in, and two keepsake boxes.
- Celebration Films, from £1,200. For a big birthday or anniversary: their story plus messages from the whole family, finished in time for the day.
- Family Legacy Archive, from £2,000. Several family members, several sessions, one family archive.
- Memory Vault, £195 one-off. Optional. We keep the film safe for 25 years.
A £100 deposit reserves your date, with the balance due before filming. Families can split the cost, and Klarna is available. Home filming outside the central belt has travel added to the quote.
See everything that’s includedFilm, book or do it yourself?
Written life story books and subscription services send your parent a question each week and turn the answers into a printed book. They’re good value and lovely to read. But they rely on your parent writing, and you don’t get their voice, their face or their laugh.
Doing it yourself on a phone costs nothing, and it’s far better than nothing. The difficulties are usually sound, light, knowing what to ask, and the editing, which is where most home recordings stall. Our guide to recording at home and free question cards will help.
A professionally filmed life story costs more, but it’s the closest thing to sitting down with them again. Someone else handles the questions, the camera and the edit, and you can simply be there and listen.
Many families do more than one. Question cards over Christmas dinner, then a film when it matters.
What families tell us
Nobody has ever told us they wish they hadn’t filmed. Plenty of people have told us they wish they’d done it sooner.
If you split a Studio Story between three or four brothers and sisters, it costs each of you about the same as a nice meal out. What you get back is something your children and their children can watch.
Watch real family storiesLife story film costs
How much does a life story film cost in the UK?
Professionally filmed life story films usually range from a few hundred pounds to a few thousand. Ours start at £295 for a studio film and £595 for a longer film in the studio or at home.
Why does a short film cost more than a photographer?
Most of the work happens off camera: preparing questions, setting up sound and light, and several hours of editing for every hour filmed.
Can we pay in instalments or split the cost?
Yes. Klarna is available, and families can split the cost between them. A £100 deposit reserves your date.
Is there an alternative to a written life story book?
Yes. A filmed life story keeps their voice, face and way of telling a story, and they don’t need to write anything. Some families do both.
Do you charge extra to film at home?
Home filming is part of the Signature Story. We only add travel for homes outside the central belt.
Can I buy one as a gift?
Yes. Gift vouchers come by email or as a printed card, and are valid for 12 months.
Talk it through with us first.
A free, no-pressure story call. We’ll help you choose the right film, with clear prices.