Movie Memories Online!

Movie Memories Online does not yet exist.  After revisiting the project these last few weeks I feel stronger than ever that MMO could enrich the lives of Seniors the world over.  The Big Idea needs to be launched Big with staff support and promotion, but this seems to be both feasible and affordable.

Movie Memories on DVD exists right now, today, and can be purchased from Festival Films.  This Retirement Community Group Activity wakens memories and promotes reminiscing and social interaction.  My separate Movie Memories blog has been getting hits lately and I sold a few Volumes at amazon.com, which is rather amazing since I have trouble finding it at Amazon.  One activity director told me she found it by searching for "1940s music."  I still can't find it unless I put in "movie memories reminiscing."

Movie Memories can also be a terrific GAME to connect seniors with grandchildren.  They share a fun video together showing what life was like when the grandparent was a child, then discuss the onscreen questions.  As such it has a future in private homes as well as retirement homes.

This video prevu explains exactly how the Movie Memories activity works:

 
Click Here To See More Samples!

Each DVD volume of Movie Memories includes a cornucopia of TV ads, newsreels, musical, comedy and action films, plus 1950s TV shows, cartoons, Sing Alongs and classic excerpts.  A group leader shows vintage film clips from a DVD player connected to a television or projection TV system.  Four onscreen questions after each short segment kick off the topics to recall and share.  The leader pauses on each question for discussion.  Seeing the cars and trains, homes and schools, cafés and drug stores, hairstyles and fashions, toys and sports of the 1930s to 1950s sparks memory.  Inspired by the films and prodded by the questions... reminiscing runs rampant!  Sharing memories with a group is a fresh tool for both memory therapy and social interaction.

Movie Memories are further explained at the Festival Films website where the Discussion Guides are posted for all 4 regular volumes and two Musical Movie Memories.  The four questions after each film segment are listed so you can guess in advance how your Senior groups might respond.  Plus there are numerous video samples of the films in Movie Memories followed by the onscreen questions.

So far Movie Memories are only available on DVDs.  Each volume contains 3 separate DVDs with about an hour of film on each, more than enough for three full sessions.  If a lively audience wants to talk a lot ... and please encourage that ... then a session can run way over an hour or you may quit without running all of the films on a DVD.

Movie Memories Online!
The bigger dream is to bring Movie Memories to Seniors and the whole world on the Internet: Movie Memories Online.  Here is how a FREE online version of Movie Memories might work:

Activity Directors connect their laptop computers to large screen TVs in small meeting rooms or to DVD projection systems in auditoriums.  They choose the Movie Memory segments they want to run that day from website menus divided by genre -- sing along  cartoons, newsreels, action, horror, comedy or romance clips, etc.  They can rearrange the segments and preview them before the session.  Push “Start” and the first film streams from the Internet cloud to the screen.  After each film clip the first question freezes onscreen.  Then it's Talk Time!  Who wants to talk about their favorite childhood toy?  Favorite cowboy star?  Name Big Band singers?  After lively discussion it’s on to the next question or film clip.

Activity Directors will embrace this activity once they see how much Seniors love  reminiscing sessions.  Any Senior living at home with computer access can also enjoy the activity free by themselves or with friends and family.

Movie Memories Online could make money using this business model:
1)  Insertion of ads before each Movie Memory segment.
2)  Monthly subscription fee that would let Activity Directors stream the videos without ads.  (Think 10,000 retirement homes x $20 a month!  How about 50,000 homes?  How many communities are in the world market?!)
3)  Public domain or licensed feature films could be added to the site for additional ad revenue or to induce users to subscribe to watch the films without ads.

The film clips on the initial Movie Memory DVDs are from public domain films and are presented in standard definition.  Licensing deals could be worked out that reimburse owners of music, the actors' images and the films themselves.  Imagine "Movie Memories: I Love Lucy" or "Movie Memories: Ma & Pa Kettle."  All videos could be upgraded to High Definition for improved quality on large screens.

Movie Memories are for sale on DVD at Festival Films.  Movie Memories is registered with the Writer’s Guild of America.  I am seeking an Internet partner to turn my online dream of free Movie Memories on every computer into a reality.  Here are further ideas how Movie Memories Online could be upgraded with a small investment that promises huge rewards.  Don't just stream videos to Seniors, give them the key to unlock childhood memories and discuss them with friends and family.  Give them Movie Memories Online.

Thanks for visiting my websites at Festival Films and Lost and Rare.

-- Ron Hall