2020-04-09 03:14
April 8, 2020
Today’s blog comes with a considerable amount of thankfulness. I, like many other small businesses out there, will not be able to survive this time in our country… Read More
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Memories Matter Blog
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Keeping the past in our present for the future. Blogger Michael Ondrasik, who owns Home Video Studio of Mount Dora, shares the memories he has been tasked with preserving through his digitalization service.
2020-04-08 11:38
April 7, 20200
Trying to look ahead to the unknown things that may await us in our future can be, especially in times of crisis, somewhat unsettling. For that reason, we often take comfort… Read More
2020-04-07 12:20
Day Four – April 6, 2020
We all know this is a scary time we’re living through… But that doesn’t mean we can’t take advantage of what we’re being ask… Read More
2020-04-06 02:48
April 5, 2020 – Day Three
It is dawning on me that our approach to life has begun to change – slowly but surely. My behavior is undeniably altering to the new reality whic… Read More
2020-04-05 02:09
April 4, 2020 – Day Two
I’ve been seeing a lot of Facebook or Internet challenges online. I guess it is a way for people to pass some time as they grow increasingly bored with t… Read More
2020-04-03 15:16
April 3, 2020
Well, that happened sooner than expected. It is just the first official day of the Safer at Home – Florida initiative and I’ve already lost track of days and… Read More
2020-04-03 01:28
April 2, 2020 – the eve
Our statewide initiative of “safer at home” because of the COVID-19 virus begins at midnight tonight and ends April 30 so I thought I would documen… Read More
2020-03-06 12:22
As you might imagine, we here at Home Video Studio are blessed to witness a great deal of historical footage. People bring us their films, videos, audio recordings, photos, etc… and… Read More
2020-03-04 13:23
The lady pictured above is a customer who just stopped by to say hi during our recent open house. We were chit-chatting about this and that when our lobby monitor started playing one of the… Read More
2020-02-25 12:32
In 2019 this lovely lady came into my studio and asked for my help in putting together a tribute video for her late husband’s memorial service. Her name is Glory Anne Prophet. Her hu… Read More
2020-02-23 02:23
I enjoy where I live. It’s a modest but inviting home situated atop an elevated plain overlooking the rolling hills of a conservation area (unusual to find in the normally flat landsc… Read More
2020-02-19 19:00
There are pros and cons to every digital format. DVDs and CDs, although they are digital, they do have their drawbacks. First, there are clear signs that the industry is moving on and it wi… Read More
2019-11-08 11:17
I wanted to share this unsolicited post that popped up on social media last week:
“Christmas is coming! Last year I was able to give my parents an amazing present that was well receiv… Read More
2019-10-21 10:39
Customers come into our studio all the time with little mysteries they want us to solve for them. It might be an unmarked VHS tape that they are unable to play; or a reel of audio ta… Read More
2019-10-11 20:17
Throughout the ages people have used many different ways to try to capture significant events that occurred within their lives. Just when we think we have seen them all, in comes yet anoth… Read More
2019-09-23 11:00
I happened to visit the neighborhood where one of my clients from last year lives and, thinking that I would be seeing her, decided to bring along the Hanley Award that her project won.
Muf… Read More
2019-09-09 11:40
In my lifetime, I have been blessed to receive many honors. None have touched me more than the honor bestowed upon me this past weekend. My son and his fiancée asked me to officiate… Read More
2019-08-24 11:30
I am constantly amazed at how frequently history comes walking through our doors. Today a client brought us some films that were part of his dad’s collection. He then began to tell hi… Read More
2019-08-18 14:44
As you may know, Kate and I recently returned from a vacation in the UK with our granddaughter. We arrived in London on a Monday morning but could not check into our flat until late afterno… Read More
2019-08-04 10:28
Back when my wife and I were raising children, we had the benefit of having her mom and dad living in the same city as us. Every day after school and every Sunday afternoon our sons could b… Read More
2019-07-29 11:30
At the close of every Home Video Studio season, we indulge ourselves a bit and take a look back at many of the projects that we and other studio owners around the country feel best represen… Read More
2019-07-27 11:30
Throughout the years, our families have been given the opportunity to record special moments of our lives. But protecting those memories from loss and maintaining access to them so they mig… Read More
2019-07-17 12:25
I really do love getting to know the people who walk into my studio. Just the other day I was privileged to meet a woman who had a VHS videotape of a amateur video interview she conducted o… Read More
2019-06-03 11:00
There is something about holding a stuffed animal that has a calming effect on a person.
Hospital workers, paramedics, and police officers have long recognized the comfort that a teddy bear… Read More
2019-05-31 10:00
You’re doing some Spring Cleaning and you come across something you didn’t know you were storing. It may be an unmarked videotape. Or a reel of film that has no label on it. It… Read More
2019-05-22 12:00
Church bells ring for all sorts of reasons: Call to worship; special celebrations; or alarms to alert citizens of impending storms or attacks. Church bells have been rung both to commemorat… Read More
2019-05-05 17:00
We do a lot of tape transfers. In addition to our work with film, photos, audio, and editing, we will typically have two or three videotapes playing in the background of our studio as we co… Read More
2019-04-10 14:25
We love our clients. And sometimes we get an inkling that they kind of like us too. The object pictured above was a gift – given to us by a client who appreciated the job we did for… Read More
2019-03-30 12:06
We here at Home Video Studio have a pretty cool business. We are in the unique position to have access to a huge storehouse of personal memories because families bring their recorded treasu… Read More
2019-03-28 12:00
You never know on any given day who is going to walk into the studio. Today, a member of one of the most prestigious names in Central Florida graced our doorstep. Today, we got to meet a ge… Read More
2019-03-23 12:16
All of my grade school life, I never sat in a classroom where there weren’t a few other boys who shared my first name. It turns out that there was a very good reason for that. Accordi… Read More
2019-03-19 10:30
My reference points regarding PT boats have always been restricted to two sources: JFK’s exploits described in his book, Profiles in Courage; and the TV sitcom McHales Navy. Needless… Read More
2019-02-06 13:50
Passion can be both inspiring and contagious. It is also immediately recognizable. I saw it for myself recently as I was transferring some videotaped footage for a client.
The footage was o… Read More
2019-02-01 00:00
My wife and I don’t do it nearly enough, even though we both enjoy it.
Get your minds out of the gutter… I’m talking about hosting dinner parties.
We’re pretty good… Read More
2019-01-26 12:00
I am a big fan of talent. And it thrills me when talented people come into our studio to ask for our help in protecting and preserving the artistic creations they’ve mad… Read More
2019-01-25 12:00
I was transferring some Christmas video footage today and noticed that one of the gifts opened by a child in the video was a toy guitar with a hand crank on the side of it.
I don’t kn… Read More
2019-01-24 12:00
Dear Readers,
I apologize for the long blog absence. I kind of got caught up in the holiday season/rush and fell out of the habitual practice of writing about the memories I am privileged t… Read More
2018-12-22 17:04
We take pleasure in answering thus prominently the communication below, expressing at the same time our great gratification that its faithful author is numbered among the friends of The Sun… Read More
2018-11-28 13:38
It is funny the things you remember.
I was a junior in high school. During spring break, I went on an extended camping trip with my dad to visit nine college campuses in hopes to narrow my… Read More
2018-11-27 13:52
Over the years, we have provided service to a wide variety of clients from all walks of life but yesterday was the first time (to my knowledge) that we actually had a singing tree in our st… Read More
2018-11-21 17:24
Another Thanksgiving is upon us and while we should all take time to reflect on those things we are or should be thankful for, there’s no escaping the fact that so much of this holida… Read More
2018-11-18 12:42
It is sad to say but sometimes it takes a tragedy to get us to recognize the true value of things. We often take things for granted until faced with the real possibility that we just… Read More
2018-11-11 13:28
In honor of Veterans Day, here is a repost from my blog of 2017:
On this Veterans Day I would like to give pause to remember three men from my family who are no longer with us but served t… Read More
2018-11-05 21:42
We’re in our 5th year of serving our community and helping families protect and preserve the memories they’ve recorded over the years. During that time, we’ve seen some wo… Read More
2018-10-29 12:56
One of the truisms I’ve learned over meeting and speaking with a wide variety of people is this: Different parts of the country develop different customs and traditions. This past wee… Read More
2018-10-27 10:00
I heard a great story today. A client came in with some 16mm film to be transferred and after we conducted the transaction, we got to talking. Some of our stories seemed to share cert… Read More
2018-10-22 10:00
National Home Movie Day is quickly becoming one of my favorite holidays.
It is celebrated in October – this year on the 20th – and we use the occasion to invite people with unm… Read More
2018-10-19 19:39
It was 45 years ago that the first cellular phone call was made. Here’s a fun fact: in keeping with the true spirit of competition, the call was made by Martin Cooper, who headed up M… Read More
2018-10-15 10:00
One of the iconic board games of the 60s was Milton Bradley’s Mystery Date. Targeted to girls aged 6-14, the game had players collecting fashion cards on their turns. When they assemb… Read More
2018-10-12 10:00
When you live in a small town, like I do, you are often challenged to change perspectives. After all, by now most of us are “plugged in.” We co-exist amid a tangled web of onlin… Read More
2018-10-06 12:56
A Shellback walked into my studio today… not that I would have noticed. I had never heard of one before. Fortunately for me, he decided to tell me his story.
He came in to have… Read More
2018-10-04 15:31
One of our clients told us the saddest story yesterday. A friend of theirs was taking a family vacation aboard a cruise ship and while gone, they received a message from a neighbor saying t… Read More
2018-10-01 13:58
My eldest son recently completed his first solo flight. I’m sure it was an exhilarating moment for him. Not being particularly fond of flying myself, I never had the desire to put mys… Read More
2018-09-28 16:59
Today is my birthday. And while I celebrate the occasion with my family and friends I like to take a look at what other celebrations are taking place around the world that will be sha… Read More
2018-09-26 12:50
My wife and I have for years adhered to a grain-free/gluten-free diet. And while we have noticed an improvement in our overall health as a result, there are still times when I get nostalgic… Read More
2018-09-23 13:59
It turns out that reflecting on memories can have a therapeutic effect on a person. It’s something that I think we all recognize intuitively at some level. I was fascinated to r… Read More
2018-09-21 10:00
Good night John-Boy.
That phrase still brings a smile to my face whenever I hear it… and I’ve been hearing it quite a bit of late.
In our household, we’ve had a bit of a… Read More
2018-09-19 12:25
I had an interesting conversation with a prospective client the other day. He came into my office with a videotape and some reels of film and told me that some fifty years ago his father ha… Read More
2018-09-17 10:00
One of the best things about my business is the environment in which I work. It is kind of like stepping into a time capsule every day. Our studio may not be as snappy as a modified DeLorea… Read More
2018-09-14 10:00
Oil vs Water.
Captain Kirk vs Khan.
Your videotapes or film vs a flood or hurricane.
Some things will never go together.
With hurricane season upon us, we should ask ourselves what, among o… Read More
2018-09-11 10:00
“In fourteen hundred and ninety-two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.”
If you attended school around the same time I did, no doubt you recited that little poem more than once to… Read More
2018-09-09 10:00
We had a charming couple from Brazil in the studio yesterday and, as we were chatting, discussion eventually turned to the current events from their homeland. I don’t know if you hear… Read More
2018-09-08 10:00
For dinner last night I made a quiche. Real men do more than just eat quiche you know… we also know how to make them. But this was no ordinary quiche. It was a spinach an… Read More
2018-09-07 10:00
Throughout my adult life I’ve carried with me an air of what I thought was self-confidence… self-reliance… self-assurance… All of which I believed to be pos… Read More
2018-09-05 10:00
New gadgets always excite me. When I first got married, my wife asked me what I might want for my upcoming birthday, I replied, “I don’t care… just as long as it is black… Read More
2018-09-03 16:29
I suddenly realized how dependent I have become. As I blogged earlier, we cut the cable cord recently – deciding instead to rely on streaming technology for our TV entertainment… Read More
2018-08-31 11:15
We finally did it. We cut the cord… to cable tv. And I wish we had done it years earlier. There is a bit of a learning curve because it does alter the way one watches televised enter… Read More
2018-08-30 10:00
My wife and I like antiques and have pretty much furnished our home with them. Perhaps 80% of the furniture we use is well over 50 years old if not older. One thing we quickly realized is t… Read More
2018-08-28 10:00
I’d like to meet the twisted mind that invented grout… or at least the consumer application of it. It’s difficult to apply; impossible to keep clean; and a major pain to… Read More
2018-08-26 10:00
A few years back I was asked to sponsor a neighboring community’s bowling league to help it get launched. Why not I figured? I always like to help out my fellow Floridians.
The league… Read More
2018-08-24 10:00
It’s Pirate Week in Mount Dora. This is a relatively new thing – a town promotion attaching itself to the success of our popular Seafood Festival, now entering its 3rd ye… Read More
2018-08-22 10:00
You might be thinking that all I did in the recent Getaway in Tucson was win awards. I have to admit, that was a sweet icing on the cake but the real reason we attend this annual even… Read More
2018-08-19 11:10
I can sometimes be my own worst enemy.
We were in the studio on Saturday. It was an active day with customers streaming in throughout the morning and afternoon. We had a Brazilian couple st… Read More
2018-08-18 12:23
Thanks go out to the Wise Corporation for this insightful (albeit incomplete) evolution of the hands-down all-time favorite movie-watching snack: popcorn.
Whether it is buttered or &ldquo……Read More
2018-08-17 10:54
Aretha Franklin impacted so many people with her music… my wife included. Her gospel leanings infused with an energetic pop style led many people to appreciate and applaud her vocals… Read More
2018-08-16 10:00
You just never know who is going to walk into the studio on any given day. Yesterday it was a delightful young lady of 84 who just wanted a DVD of one of her tap dancing performances… Read More
2018-08-15 10:00
One of the benefits of being a part of a franchise operation is the ability to tap into the collective knowledge of those who are providing the same services you are… even though the… Read More
2018-08-14 10:00
One of the pleasures of life in a small town is that it doesn’t take much to rub elbows with the movers and shakers of the community. I recently spent a pleasant hour with… Read More
2018-08-12 10:19
Today’s blog is a repost taken from The Real Estate Reporter and ERA Grizzard Real Estate. Thanks for the history reminder.
Set against the backdrop of the Harris Chain of Lakes… Read More
2018-08-11 10:00
Today was a pet peeve day. And it came as a surprise. It was a pet peeve that I had almost forgotten about. Car troubles. I figure for the amount of money we spend on acquiring automo… Read More
2018-08-10 11:56
I was transferring a reel to reel audiotape yesterday. One of the elements to be aware of is that reel to reel machines allowed users to record at different speeds and unless you match the… Read More
2018-08-09 10:00
We get a lot of compliments on the stained glass windows that frame our windows in our lobby. And they are attractive. But I had nothing to do with them. These gorgeous custom-made artistic… Read More
2018-08-08 10:28
Somewhere in the adult handbook seems to be a rule that grownups aren’t supposed to be silly. Fortunately, I was never given a copy of that handbook. I considered it a compliment when… Read More
2018-08-06 13:11
We recently got back from Tucson Arizona. It was 122 degrees Fahrenheit there.
We’re back home in Florida. Temperatures are in the low to mid 90s.
Our air conditioner unit decided to… Read More
2018-08-03 10:00
There are heroes all around us. I know. They come into my studio every day.
Today It was the the 93 year old WWII veteran who spent the war transporting troops to the beaches. He just wante… Read More
2018-08-02 10:00
If you’re experiencing what I am, you are now being inundated with electioneering stuff… phone calls, flyers, door to door canvassers… all of which are signs that it&rsq&helli…Read More
2018-07-29 15:27
Our “season” came to an end last night at the 18th annual Home Video Studio Getaway. As always, it was a time of learning, camaraderie, and some good-natured competition as stud… Read More
2018-07-27 23:43
When married to a history buff, you kind of get used to making little unexpected side trips. Yesterday, it was to the Tohono O’odham Indian reservation, located about 40 minutes… Read More
2018-07-26 13:00
I spent most of the day in the editing suite working on a commercial spot for the studio while expanding my working knowledge of Premiere Pro, After Effects, and Audition in Adobe’s C… Read More
2018-07-25 13:00
First day in AZ… It’s hot. Really hot. How hot is it? It is so hot nobody here has body hair… it has all been singed off. We wisely stayed inside the hotel most of the d… Read More
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