Preserve your story

Life in Review is a Legacy Biography Production company- we specialize in bringing your story to life.

Our mission is to create beautifully crafted video biographies that honor the lives of our clients and preserve their legacy for their children, grandchildren, and generations still to come.

About us

“No tree becomes rooted and sturdy unless many a wind assails it.” -Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Every person has a story to tell

We help families capture the wisdom, experiences, and values of loved ones through beautifully crafted biographies.

Legacy Video Biographies
90 Minute Life Review

A video biography is more than just a recording—it is a living memory, carefully crafted to preserve a person’s life story in their own words and voice. Through thoughtful storytelling, personal photos, and archival footage, video biographies transform memories into a lasting legacy that can be passed down for generations. They capture not only the facts of a life, but also the emotion, personality, and wisdom that make each story unique. Families often find that these films become treasured keepsakes, offering future generations the chance to connect with their heritage in a vivid, meaningful way.

Creating a legacy video biography is a deeply personal and collaborative process—one that transforms memories into a living, visual story. It begins with thoughtful conversations designed to uncover the moments, values, and relationships that define a person’s life. From these interviews, the filmmaker crafts a narrative arc that captures both the chronology and the emotional truth of the subject’s journey. Archival photos, letters, and home videos are woven together with music, voice, and cinematic storytelling to bring the past vividly to life. Every shot, edit, and transition is made with intention—to honor the individual’s spirit and preserve it authentically for future generations. The result is more than a film; it’s a legacy in motion—a timeless portrait that allows loved ones to hear the voice, see the expression, and feel the essence of a life well-lived.

We carefully curate our interview questions and plan out our filming process to deliver a beautifully polished final product delivered digitally and on DVD. The editing process is extensive and our team has more than a decade of experience with film.

Biographical Novels
100 Page Life Story

For those who prefer the written word, a biographical novel provides a timeless way to share a life story. Crafted with care, these books transform interviews, anecdotes, and personal history into a narrative that reads like a compelling novel—rich with detail, character, and emotion. Unlike a standard biography, a biographical novel weaves together fact and storytelling techniques, creating a work that is both true to life and engaging to read. Families often choose this format as a beautiful, heirloom book that can be gifted, shared, and cherished across generations.

Writing a legacy novel is an act of preservation as much as creation—a careful weaving of memory, emotion, and identity into a lasting narrative. The process begins with discovery: gathering stories, letters, interviews, and recollections that form the foundation of a life’s arc. From there, the writer works to find structure and meaning—tracing patterns in the experiences, challenges, and values that defined a person or family. Each scene is crafted not just to recount events, but to evoke the essence of how they were lived and felt, transforming memory into story. Throughout, there is a balance between fidelity and interpretation: honoring truth while shaping it into something enduring, resonant, and human. The end result is more than a record—it’s a legacy rendered in language, a bridge between generations that ensures a life’s meaning continues to speak long after the final page is turned.

After conducting interviews and gathering memories, our team transforms these stories into a beautifully written narrative that reads like a timeless novel. The final product is professionally edited, designed, and bound. Our team also has more than a decade of experience with professional writing.

Our Team

Meet Our Leadership Team

Dan Calcagno

I’ve always been driven by a desire for truth—spiritual, moral, and personal. That pursuit has shaped who I am and how I see the world. For me, truth isn’t abstract; it’s something that should be communicated clearly, lived out daily, and shared with others.

I want to communicate moral truth to the world and encourage each person to pursue personal truth. Life in Review gives me the chance to use my skills to help others do that—by capturing their unique stories and preserving them for generations.

I’ve spent years listening to people’s stories, teaching, writing, and producing video content. Those experiences have taught me how to create space for people to be heard, and how to shape their words into something engaging and meaningful.

My focus is giving people the opportunity to share their story, making it engaging in the editing room, and shaping it into a treasure their families will cherish.

“…hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.” — The Shawshank Redemption

Windows of a building in Nuremberg, Germany

Matthew Bokma

I’ve always believed a life is best measured not by what we achieve, but by what we leave behind in others. My path has been one of quiet persistence—of learning, building, and giving where I could. Every season brought new lessons: the value of honesty, the strength found in family, and the simple joy of creating something that lasts. Looking back, I see not a straight line, but a story woven from faith, effort, and the hope that I left the world a little better than I found it.

What drives me is the conviction that every life holds wisdom worth remembering. Working with people to capture their stories is a privilege—one that lets me help them reflect, celebrate, and preserve what truly mattered. I’m motivated by the idea that memories shouldn’t fade into silence; they should become a living record of courage, love, and legacy for generations to come.

Through years of listening, interviewing, and writing, I’ve been invited into countless life stories—each one unique, yet tied together by the same threads of hope, hardship, and triumph. My work has taught me how to hear what isn’t always said, to recognize the meaning in small moments, and to shape someone’s life story with care and authenticity. Every project reminds me that storytelling isn’t just about words—it’s about honoring the life behind them.

“The truth is like a lion; you don’t have to defend it. Let it loose; it will defend itself.” — St. Augustine

Samples

Insert Videos

The Process

Bringing Your Story to Life

Initial Interviews and Preproduction

Here we work together to assess fit, and send documentation including a preproduction package.

Guided Interview

In the guided interview we discuss and film your life story.

Production

We edit and perfect your legacy video biography or biographical novel, bringing it to life and turning it into a professional production.

Receive your Biography

The last phase is where we deliver your heirloom to your hands.

Book a Call

FAQs

Do you sign NDAs?

Yes! We are happy keeping our clients information confidential!

What formats do you deliver in?

Digital and DVD.

Do we store or sell data?

We do store your finished biographies temporarily for access later, such as if you would like extensions after the fact. However, these are offline hard drives and we do not sell any data.

Do you make any accommodations?

Yes. We can accommodate our clients by driving to them, provided a reasonable distance or fees are covered, and will attempt to fulfill any other requested accommodations.

Do you have flexible financing arrangements?

Yes, we can sort out arrangements for payment plans as necessary.

How long does it take to complete a project?

We typically set deadlines to finish projects within a month of starting the interview(s).

How do we choose which photos to include in the video?

There are many ways to pick photos. We recommend focusing on ones that are both important and relate to aspects of the story you want to tell. For example, they could be pictures from your youth, of your hometown, your first place of work, or anything else that holds value to you.

Do we need to travel?

Although we do have a centralized location to visit if possible, we may accommodate by travelling to you for a reasonable distance or covered costs.

How do we know what to expect on film day?

We will provide a package that includes more information on what to expect, how to prepare, and any other information that may be important for the film day.

Do we do in person interviews?

Yes. We focus on in person interviews because of the variance in webcam quality and the greater control it offers us for filming and editing to deliver a stellar product.

Where are you located?

The Niagara Region!

What if we need to cancel the arrangement?

Please try to give us a 1 to 2 weeks notice if the interview needs to be cancelled. We do understand that things come up however, and we are as reasonable as possible when it comes to flexible arrangements.

Are refunds available?

Refunds are only permitted in specific circumstances governed by the terms of our service agreement(s).

Do you do custom projects?

Yes, we are happy to deviate from the typical 90 minute movies and 100 page books, and are comfortable handling custom projects.

I have additional questions