FYI: I will be opening at 12 noon on Wednesday, Nov 15th in order to meet in the morning with my insurance agent to discuss my policies.  Admittedly, I am woefully ignorant when it comes to the complexities of the insurance world but do recognize it is an important part of planning for one’s future.

In a way, I’m in the insurance business too. I help insure that the memories of yesterday aren’t lost to tomorrow. In fact, I have been called a miracle worker on more than one occasion for what I can do but there are limitations to the magic. Just this past week, I was presented with a case containing 20 or 30 reels of 16mm film in cans and cases dated as early as 1944. Unfortunately, the film contained on those reels had been exposed to too much heat and/or humidity. They had decomposed to the point that they were actually fused together. They had become brittle and completely unusable. All those precious memories from an earlier age and pivotal time in world history are now lost to us due to the ravages of time and elements. I hated delivering that news to my client. 

This need not have happened. I have successfully preserved films as early as 1927. If properly cared for and brought to us before the inevitable chemical decay is allowed to destroy them, old home movies can be digitalized and preserved forever. Memories don’t have to be lost – they can (and should) be passed on to future generations.

Michael Ondrasik is the owner of Home Video Studio of Mount Dora FL http://www.homevideostudio.com/mtd and specializes in the preserving of family memories. We have preserved thousands of hours of 8mm, Super 8, and 16mm film; videotapes of every possible size and shape; as well as countless photographs, negatives, slides, and audio recordings. Whether preserved for posterity or for personal enjoyment, recorded memories should always be allowed to live on to play another day. #memoriesmatter