Services
My name is Theresa Chamberland and I’m a StoryCatcher, someone who enjoys helping people capture their stories and preserve their legacy in print and video.
I’m always looking for new creative ways to preserve stories, so if you have an idea and it is not listed below, talk with me about your idea and let’s explore it together.
Preserving Stories through Writing
I teach memoir, personal essay, and creative writing workshops through the Springfield Museums, the Irish Cultural Center, and independent small-group classes. Whether you are beginning with a single memory or developing a longer project, these supportive workshops provide time to write, share your work, receive thoughtful feedback, and develop your own voice. See more about my classes: Write with Us.
Gathering Memories in Film
Your life or family memories can become a short video memoir or a more extensive collection of stories. I can film you at your location and enhance your story with family photographs, home movies, music, and other archival material. We can collaborate on the project, or I can handle the production from interview through final edit. Contact me to talk about creating your video memoir.
Small Business and Documentary Videos
I produce short videos for small businesses, organizations, and documentary projects. Videos can be created for websites, social media, historical projects, or other storytelling needs. We can meet to talk through your ideas and determine whether I’m the right fit for your project. Contact me to get started.
Video Editing
Do you have a video that needs editing? You may have filmed it recently or many years ago, but you need help shaping the footage into a clear, engaging story. I can do this for you. Contact me to talk about your project and how I can help.
Life Celebration
Is there a life celebration that you would like a video made to share with your family? Would you like to have a short video to show at a celebration event such as a 50th wedding anniversary? Or do you want to gather friends and family to video record their messages to someone for an upcoming event, such as a bridal shower? Contact me for details on creating a life celebration video.
Organizing Family Photos & Memories
Let’s gather and organize your family photographs and preserve them in a photo book or video. We can include names, dates, captions, and short stories so future generations understand who and what they are seeing. Contact me for more details on how you can get started.
Video Coaching
If you want to produce your own video but need help getting started, I can coach you through planning, interviewing, organizing footage, and editing your project. Contact me to discuss what kind of guidance would be most useful.
Why Preserve Your Stories?
Left to right: Emma, Arthur Sr, Arthur, Theresa. If I don’t record the stories of these generations of my family they will be forgotten. The same is true for me and you.
The stories of my family and me will be lost if I don’t record my family legacy in print or film. What about you? If you don’t record your story - who will? Contact me to talk about how to get you started.
Relatives of my generation knew Arthur as Grandpa, but few have seen Emma’s photo. Few would look at her photo and know this is Grandpa’s Grandmother, Emma Kenyon, who lived from 1870 to 1954. My niece and nephew will recognize my father in his Navy uniform, but most of their children never met their Grandfather. What about the photo of me when I was 19 years old? All my relatives will recognize me, but none of them know this photo was taken 2 months before I bought myself a 1-way ticket to Hawaii.
Preserve your photos and videos so the people whose lives were important enough to photograph or film are remembered.
Do you have boxes of unorganized family photographs that you do not know what to do with? Do you have old home videos of unknown dates and events?
Let’s Get Started
Give me a call at 413-534-7311 or complete this contact form.