The Time Capsule Kit · Launching this fall
It's time to tell their story
The Time Capsule Kit turns the phone you already own into a studio. You record a loved one's story in one afternoon, and we craft it into a film your family keeps forever.
“Tell me about the day you met Grandpa.”
Chapter 4 of 6 · Love & Marriage
Doris's Life Story
Scan to watch
One afternoon
One sitting at the kitchen table, led by the conversation guide
Private by default
Shared only with the people you choose
Edited by hand
A real editor crafts every single film
Theirs forever
Streaming and download at their QR code, always
How it works
From our box to their voice, in four steps
One box arrives with everything you need. One afternoon later, the recording is done.
Box contents subject to change.
- We send the studioThe Time Capsule Kit arrives with a microphone, tripod, conversation guide, and setup card.
- You press recordOne sitting, on the phone you already own. The conversation guide is the script and leads the whole sitting.
- We craft the filmUpload the footage right from your phone, and within a few weeks our editors deliver a polished film.
- It lives foreverThe film gets its own private page, linked from the keepsake QR card in the kit. Streamable, downloadable, theirs.
Every family has a voice that carries the old names, the recipes, the way things really happened.
Those voices slip away quietly. A missed Sunday call. A story you always meant to write down.
You still have time.
Want a kit under the tree this year? Get in line now.
Kits go on sale this fall, in time for the perfect Christmas gift.
Inside the kit
What's in the box
Everything arrives together, ready for Recording Day. No apps to install, no equipment to figure out, nothing to buy twice.
Phone microphone
Plugs into the phone you already own and makes them sound close.
Tripod
Holds the shot steady so everyone can be in the room, not behind the camera.
Conversation guide
A guided book of questions, the basics first, then the chapters of their life.
Setup card
Framing, light, and seating in plain words. No film school required.
QR placard
A keepsake card that links to their story page forever.
Have a tablet or second phone handy? Our free Recording Companion will direct the whole session for you.
From the conversation guide
Questions that open people up
You never have to think of what to ask next: the conversation guide is the script. It starts easy and goes somewhere. Pick the chapters that fit their life, and before Recording Day the whole family can send in questions of their own.
- What did your childhood kitchen smell like?
- How did you two really meet?
- What was your first job, and what did it pay?
- When did you feel proudest of your life?
- What do you want your great-grandchildren to know?
- What was Sunday dinner like in your house?
Watch a story
See what an afternoon becomes
- The Basics
- Childhood
- Career
- Love & Marriage
- Life Lessons
The full documentary experience
Want a professional film crew to do the filming for you?
Time Capsule Productions, the studio behind the kit, films full documentaries in person. A crew comes to your family, spends the time it takes with each person, and weaves in old photos and home videos. If you want more than a kit can give, this is the way.
An honest comparison
Their words are worth reading. Their voice is worth keeping.
A story book keeps their written answers, and we admire that. We make something different: their face, their laugh, the way they pause before the good part.
| The Time Capsule Kit | Story books | Do it yourself | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you keep | A film: their voice, face, laugh, and gestures | A hardcover book of their written answers | Phone clips scattered across devices |
| Effort for the subject | One Recording Day, led by the conversation guide | Writing or dictating weekly for a year | Depends entirely on you |
| Time to finished keepsake | A few weeks after you upload | About a year of weekly prompts | Often never finished |
| Editing | Professional editors craft the film | You review and compile the chapters | You, if you know the software |
| How it is kept | A permanent story page with a keepsake QR placard | A printed book on the shelf | A camera roll and good intentions |
It all started at the kitchen table with my grandparents.
I graduated in the spring of 2020 and never got the chance to record my grandfather before he passed. Recording my grandmother became this company. Every kit we ship is the chance I wish I had taken sooner.
Graham Merten
Founder
Launching this fall
Be first in line when the Time Capsule Kit ships
Kits go on sale this fall, in time for the perfect Christmas gift. The people on this list hear first, and get first access to a kit. Leave your email and we will write the day it is ready.
Prefer a filmmaker in the room today? Our in-person productions are the white-glove path.
Good questions
Questions, answered
When can I get one?
This fall, in time for the perfect Christmas gift. The people on our list hear first. Leave your email and we will write the day the Time Capsule Kit is ready to ship.
How much does it cost?
We will share pricing at launch. The kit, professional editing, and the permanent story page all come in one price, and the people on our list hear the number first.
Will it work with our phone?
Yes. The kit is built around the phone your family already has. The microphone works with recent iPhones and Android phones, and the setup card walks you through everything in a few minutes.
How long does recording take?
One sitting, by design. Most families record for an afternoon, about 15 to 20 minutes per chapter of the conversation guide with breaks in between. One sitting means one outfit, one light, and a film that flows like a single conversation.
How long until the film is ready?
Most films are ready within a few weeks of your upload. We confirm timing the moment your footage arrives, and you can watch the status of your project from your dashboard.
Who can see the finished film?
Only the people you choose. The story page is private by default: share it by link, set a family password, or open it up, it is your call. It is never listed in search engines, and your footage is never used for anything but your film.
What if grandma is camera shy?
The conversation guide starts with the easy questions, names, places, the basics. A few minutes in, most people forget the camera is there and just talk to the person across the table. That is the moment we are after.
Launching this fall
One day you'll be glad you did this now
One day, when you are missing them most, you will have more than just memories. Get on the list and be first to get a kit.