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Price List - how much will filming cost?

Your Investment in History: Pricing & Custom Quotes

Every family story deserves a unique approach, and so does its budget.

The investment required for filming a family documentary is always calculated individually. This is because the final price is determined by several critical factors: the depth and scope of the genealogical story, the number of ancestors and lineages to be included, and the distance and complexity of the locations that need to be visited and filmed.

Therefore, we do not operate with a standard, fixed price list. Instead, every project is fully customized to your specific wishes and budget possibilities.

Our Guarantee: While the quote is personalized, once the project scope is defined and approved, we provide a fixed, all-inclusive price. There are never any hidden fees or unexpected costs.

What Influences Your Custom Price

Your final investment is determined by the complexity of the research and the scope of the cinematic production. We prioritize transparency, detailing exactly how the following factors impact your personalized quote:

Depth of Genealogical Research The more generations and individual ancestors we trace and include, the greater the volume of archival research and translation required, thus increasing the scope.
Cinematic Scope & Location Count The film can focus on a single ancestral village or expand to document dozens of key locations across the Czech Republic for a richer narrative.
Travel & Logistical Costs Projects involving a higher number of locations, or sites in remote regions, will include travel time, accommodation, and logistical costs for the production team.
Archival Processing & Deliverables This factor covers the time dedicated to meticulous archival acquisition, full document translation, and the custom graphical design of the family tree and on-screen visuals.
Custom Production Requirements This includes requests for specialized services, such as multiple voiceover language versions, an extended film length, or structuring the project as a multi-part documentary series.

Defined Service Packages (For Orientation)

Our commitment is to deliver high-quality, deeply meaningful cinematic work. We want you to feel that your investment was absolutely worthwhile after watching the final film. We ensure maximum transparency by defining what you will receive for your budget in advance.

The overview below presents the basic structures of our service packages. Please note that these are for orientation only. We are always ready to provide a completely individual, custom quote tailored precisely to your specific story and vision.

A – Audiobook

turning your family tree into an audiobook

This package is the right choice if you already have your family tree — or even a full family chronicle — put together and want to turn it into an audiobook. We will narrate your chronicle with a professional voice, so everyone around you can simply sit back and listen. We tell the story of your family, its notable members and key events in a way that keeps listeners engaged.

Basic parameters This is an audiobook recording based on information supplied by the client. Video is not included.
Scope of family history research No research is carried out in this package. All information about the family must be supplied by the client — at minimum a completed family tree.
What you get You receive an audio recording in MP3 format — your family chronicle narrated by a professional voice with a musical score.
Bonuses This package does not include any bonuses.

SPECIAL PRICE

from €1,490 EUR

REGULAR PRICE

from €1,990 EUR

The discounted price applies if the client agrees to allow the completed work to be published as a reference.

B – Documentary film

a film about your family's history in the paternal or maternal line

Suitable for clients who already have their family tree researched and want to transform it into a professional documentary film about their ancestry.

Family tree Compiling the family tree is the client's responsibility. We assume you already have your family tree completed and want to turn it into a documentary film.
Basic parameters Searching parish records in the paternal or maternal line. We travel to the places where your ancestors lived and bring back a compelling account straight from the sites where they spent their lives.
Scope of family history research We search parish records of births, marriages and deaths based on your data, for either the male or the female ancestral line, including the starting person.
What you get You receive a one-of-a-kind film revealing who your ancestors were, where they lived and what they did — professional storytelling that puts it all in context.
Film bonuses a detailed PDF report for each individual and for the whole ancestral line, an online family tree, all links to the parish registers, plus scanned and translated birth and marriage entries

SPECIAL PRICE

from €4,490 EUR

REGULAR PRICE

from €4,990 EUR

The discounted price applies if the client agrees to allow the completed work to be published as a reference.

C - Documentary film + family tree research

a film about your family's history in the paternal or maternal line

Suitable for clients who do not have their family tree researched in detail and want it compiled — plus a film about their ancestry, including tracing documents and information in the greatest possible depth.

Family tree Compiling the family tree and tracing all records about your ancestors is included in this package.
Basic parameters I search parish records in the paternal or maternal line. We travel to the places where your ancestors lived and bring back a compelling account straight from the sites where they spent their lives.
Scope of family history research We search parish records of births, marriages and deaths based on your data, for either the male or the female ancestral line, including the starting person.
What you get You receive a one-of-a-kind film revealing who your ancestors were, where they lived and what they did — professional storytelling that puts it all in context.
Bonuses a detailed PDF report for each individual and for the whole ancestral line, an online family tree, all links to the parish registers, plus scanned and translated birth and marriage entries

SPECIAL PRICE

from €8,990 EUR

REGULAR PRICE

from €9,990 EUR

The discounted price applies if the client agrees to allow the completed work to be published as a reference.

Detailed Pricing Breakdown: What Your Investment Covers

For maximum transparency, we divide the production of your family documentary into distinct phases. Below is a detailed description of the services and deliverables included in every full-service package (C, D, E, F, G)—from initial research to final graphics.

Phase 1: Meticulous Archival Research

This section covers the core genealogical work necessary to build a factual foundation for your film.

Genealogy Setup Before filming begins, we systematically compile a complete, verified family tree (pedigree) for all individuals within the scope of your selected package, ensuring the narrative is structured accurately.
Immigration Tracing We focus on obtaining immigration and naturalization records for the ancestor who begins the narrative. This record is often key to determining their original Czech residence and birth details.
Birth Records Obtaining the birth record is mandatory for the film's foundation, as it officially defines the individual, names their parents, and often details their grandparents, establishing the precise location for filming.
Marriage Records Obtaining the marriage record is mandatory for linking family lines and defining the specific partner. It provides crucial information about the place and date of the union for the documentary.
Death Records (Optional) Obtaining the death record is included where possible. It illustrates the overall life of the person, providing valuable context such as age at death, place, and often the occupation or cause of death.

Client Advantage: If you have already completed and verified your family tree and can provide all necessary records, we can potentially skip this research phase, which will be reflected in a reduction of your final project investment.

Phase 2: Document Processing and Visual Assets

This phase transforms the raw archival data into polished, film-ready elements.

Document Scanning & TranslationTo utilize records in the film, we save all registry entries as high-resolution images. We then transcribe the content and fully translate it into the narration language. For each record, you receive a full page screenshot and a detailed close-up of the entry as part of your final deliverables.
Custom Family Tree GraphicsWe create custom-designed, high-resolution graphics of the family tree to clarify relationships for the viewer. These graphics are used for transitions between ancestors and can be individually styled to suit your family line.
Script CreationWe compile a detailed script for the film, blending spoken dialogue with a list of required shots. The script alternates between stories about individual people and detailed histories of the locations they lived in.
Narrative IntegrationThe individual's script includes the complete transcribed texts of the registry records, connecting them into a smooth narrative. The location script involves researching historical data about the municipality, reviewing maps, and identifying historical buildings, churches, and landmarks.

Phase 3: Cinematic Production and Post-Production

This phase covers the on-site filming, voiceover production, and final editing that determines the film's quality.

Video Filming (4K) Based on the approved script, we travel to the specific ancestral locations. We film high-quality footage with a camera and drone to create compelling visual material. We emphasize historical buildings, churches, cemeteries, and other sites essential to your ancestor's life.
Travel Costs (Logistics) Travel costs are generally included in the package price, assuming ancestors did not move to extremely distant locations every generation. In rare cases where locations are exceptionally far apart, we calculate fuel/time individually and inform the client beforehand. Accommodation fees are rarely required but may be charged additionally if extensive, distant filming is necessary.
Narration Recording (AI Voiceover) Every video features professionally recorded narration using advanced Artificial Intelligence tools. This technique ensures consistent quality and allows for narration in multiple language versions. We use different voices (e.g., one for narration, another for reading records) and offer a choice of main voice style.
Video Editing Video editing is the most time-consuming phase and directly affects the final film's quality. This involves meticulously syncing the spoken word, background music, and visual material—selecting the best shots from the camera and drone, and integrating graphics, historical photographs, and registry scans.

Phase 4: Optional Enhancements (Additional Services)

If you wish to supplement the film with further details, we can add the following extras through individual agreement:

Searching for Historical Photographs: We actively search archives to find specific historical photographs for a given location, integrating them into the narration and optionally photographing the current snapshot for a comparison shot.
Generating Thematic Images using AI: Where authentic historical photos are unavailable, we use AI to generate thematic images (e.g., historical drawings, a military officer, a scene depicting the ancestor's occupation) to complete the historical atmosphere.
Filming a 360° Virtual Tour: We can film a 360° video bonus of a specific location (village square, cemetery, etc.). This video can be uploaded to YouTube, allowing the viewer to "look around" in all directions.

Phase 5: Terms and Legal Agreement

All details of the cooperation are always predetermined to provide you with peace of mind and certainty. Before commencing work, you will receive:

Terms and Conditionsdownload
Contract/Order Templatedownload

This process ensures you have advance certainty regarding the scope, deadline, price, and all final deliverables before any work begins.

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