Be Mine

Flowers? You don’t need no stinkin’ flowers. This Valentine’s Day, if you want to WOW your significant other with a gift he or she will truly treasure, bring me 30 pictures of the two of you together along with your favorite song, and I will deliver back to you a photo video keepsake – a customized DVD presentation that will remind you both of the special relationship you share.

Let’s face it. Flowers wilt and die. Chocolates are eaten and are soon forgotten. But memories are meant to last forever. And with our Valentine’s Day Special we can make that happen for you. #Memoriesmatter.

With thirty pictures, one song, and $74.99, you’ll be able to give your sweetheart the greatest gift ever… the memories of the times you’ve spent together and the knowledge of how special they are to you… because you spent the time and effort towards putting together this keepsake. This discounted package includes an archival quality, fully authored DVD enclosed in a case with a customized case wrap.

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. This offer is for lovers only so call today to place your order. 559-732-3050 or visit www.homevideostudio.com/art

Arthur Zepeda and Home Video Studio specialize in the preservation of family memories. But we are also in the business of creating new ones. For more information, call 559-732-3050 or visit www.homevideostudio.com/art

My First Record

Kids today have so much to be thankful for… but at the same time, I can’t help but think that they may be missing out on some of the more iconic moments we remember of growing up. I vividly recall the first music that I purchased with my own money. The Star Wars original soundtrack album. This two album set included most of the original music played for episode four of the original Star Wars movie from 1977.

For any kids that may be reading, let me explain. Before there was iTunes or Pandora or Spotify, there were record stores. That’s where we would have to go to buy music we wanted to hear. Along with these albums, they also sold a much smaller album called a 45.  They were were sold as single recordings on vinyl discs that could be played by the same process as the larger albums by dragging a needle across the face of them. On the flip side was usually a lesser known song by the same artist or group. 

Buying a record was a monumental decision for a child. The first time you put your allowance money down to buy a piece of music that wasn’t chosen for you by your parents was like taking a first step towards your independence.

I may be wrong but I doubt today’s kids can remember the first song they downloaded. It is just too easy a process to be memorable. Back in the day, great thought and planning had to be made to bring about the physical transaction that resulted in a sale of the one piece of music you decided you wanted to own. There would be other purchases to be sure, but the first record held a special meaning all its own.

I remember listening to this album for the first time and hearing it start with what is now the iconic anthem. I could visualize the words "STAR WARS" appearing as the movie opens before the opening crawl. I could see the movie in mind as the music played. There was no way to see the movie again unless we went back to the theater. Well, that in itself is another story!

Arthur Zepeda and Home Video Studio specialize in the preservation of family memories. One of the many services they offer is digitalization of audio recordings from reel to reel tape, cassette tapes, or vinyl records. For more information, call 559-732-3050 or visit www.homevideostudio.com/art

HVS Top Five Movies with “Heart” – We know you’ll heart these!

  HVS Top Five Movies with “Heart” – We know you’ll heart these! 

Where the Heart Is - An expecting girl is abandoned by her boyfriend at Wal-Mart. With a few dollars to her name she finds a way to live there. Heartwarming with many survival tips on how to make and keep Wal-Mart your permanent home.

Places in the Heart - A newly widowed woman is forced to take over the debt-ridden Texas family farm herself. Knowing she can’t do it on her own she accepts the help of the most unlikely people to bring in the cotton crop.

I Heart Huckabees - A detective story with a most unusual subject: the very meaning of existence.

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter - True to the book by Carson McCullers this is the story of a deaf mute who brings warmth into the lives of lonely people in a small Southern town.

So Dear to my Heart - A Disney classic mixing animation and live action this story of a boy and his lamb will tug at your heart strings. 

DVA - Delightful Valentine Affection with Digital Video Archive

Are you looking for a unique Valentine this year? Are you feeling in a rut with the usual Valentine’s

So, how do you say "I love you" with video? Let us count the ways!
gifts? What’s more romantic than a video commemorating your lives together? Call us today for a gift from the heart!

• Do you have a copy of your wedding on tape or film? We can transfer it!

• Does your wedding video need a little freshening? Let's add a little pizzazz with music, titles, or maybe some re-arranging!

• What about a Photo Video Keepsake combining photos, video or both in a moving tribute of your lives together through the years. Add some special music, or maybe a message with titles.

Once your Valentine’s video is finished we’ll put it on DVA™ – Digital Video Archive™ so you can watch on your Smartphone, Computer, Ipad or Smart TV!

• DVA™ is cloud-based. Your memories are safely archived - never again vulnerable to the elements, breakage, or being lost.

• Each of your videos, after transfer, are uploaded to Digital Video Archive™. From your personal DVA™ account you can then view, organize and edit your old memories.

• View your family videos on any computer, iPad, Tablet, Smartphone or Smart TV.

• Invite your friends and family to view! Everything you share is private and by invitation only.

• Add, change and re-title chapter markers online. Organize your new DVAs into Archives.

• You can also easily edit your videos.

• All your current videos are part of your archives too! You can transfer your own smartphone video to your Digital Video Archive™ account.

This Valentine’s Day show your Delightful Valentine’s Affection with Digital Video Archive™.

Call today! 559-732-3050


Home Movie Transfer - 8mm & 16mm Film
Don't let your treasured film memories fade away! Preserve your 8mm, Super 8 and 16mm film by transferring them to an Archival Platinum DVD. These DVD's are entirely scratch proof and rated to last 100+ years!

With tens of thousands of satisfied customers and over 30 million feet of film transferred in our thirty years of business, Home Video Studio is the leader in home movie transfer. With professionally trained film technicians and state-of-the-art equipment your precious memories are in the best of hands. Sprocketless drives, color correction and full frame capture guarantees that your film will look its absolute best! Whether you have one reel or hundreds call us today! 559-732-3050

Video Editing and Changing the past

I have spent many hours at my editing desk changing the past. People are learning more and more that digital technology provides almost limitless possibilities in how one’s home movies can look or sound.

In the past I have sped footage up, slowed it down, and had it played in reverse. I’ve added soundtracks, suppressed noises, zoomed in closer, or eliminated scenes entirely. I’ve restructured the timing of events, merged scenes together from two different sources, and added subtitles to help with understanding dialogue.

Today’s digital equipment provides editors with a vast array of tools that make it look like they can do just about anything. But it remains a labor intensive process and most editing jobs are still priced out using an hourly rate.

Here are some tips to keep in mind when contracting with a video editor that may help keep your budget in check.

• Be specific in what you want the final product to be. The more information you provide the editor, the easier it will be for him or her to deliver to your expectations.

• If possible, provide the time code of the sections that need to be edited. A lot of wasted time (and dollars) can be spent simply trying to find the piece of video that needs to be altered. Knowing ahead of time that it appears fifteen minutes into the hour long video allows the editor to narrow the search.

• Editors work faster alone. While most will allow their customers to sit with them as they edit, understand that the process will take longer and therefore become more expensive.

• Recognize the difference between what is available and what is affordable. Some requests, while achievable, can only be accomplished if some extensive hours are put in. The result may not add a value that matches the cost.

• Know that some things are simply not possible. A video editor cannot reshoot your original film to refocus, change the angle, or capture something that happened offscreen. What we can do is to insert additional footage or “B” roll to give it that illusion.

There’s an old saying that people “can’t change the past.”  While that remains true on an existential level, we can change how it was recorded and thereby change how it will be remembered.

Arthur Zepeda and Home Video Studio in Visalia specialize in the preservation of family memories and yes, we can transfer the memories from MD discs and store them on CDs or as MP3 files. We can transfer so many different formats! For more information, call 559-732-3050 or visit http://www.homevideostudio.com/art