Oor heritage is vital
Scottish heritage is something that is all around us every day. Today, in 200 years will have significant impact which reflects the past heritage of Scotland. The definition of heritage is that what is inherited. By implication what is inherited can only be inherited if it is passed down from one generation to the next. It is far too easy to dismiss the present as we are all too busy to realise its significance for us and for future generations. My approach as a heritage film maker is to capture the present as well as the past is just to do it. You dinna need a degree in media studies to capture your granny speaking about her time growing up and going to school. Your phone or a video camera can do the job perfectly. When I started filming oor heritage some 32 years ago the video cameras were big cumbersome and expensive. All that is gone, today, cameras are cheap very high quality and very user friendly.
Modern technology is much easier to use
If you do not feel confident using a video camera I am sure you can handle photos ok. So take the photo on your phone, download it and give it a date, who or what it is and a short description and store it in categories on your computer. In this way you are doing your bit for Scottish Cultural inheritance. You are deciding what is important for you to record not somebody else looking in on us.
It is just as simple and even more effective to capture your granny on film with your phone. Ask her the questions you want, download the clip, give it a name and store in on computer within a category. I am sure you can do the editing function on your phone to take out any wobbly
filming etc but you do not have to do that. It will be a gem of a clip in 200 years time.
You choose the heritage that is important to you
There is no such thing as what are the best topics to record as part of our Scottish past. Your Scottish heritage is that what you think is important to pass on to future generations. It has been seen that in the past much of oor heritage has been deemed not important by the establishment organisations. Many in my experience are making their organisations live in the past instead of dynamically capturing new material to be cherished. All that most of them do is to shuffle their pack of heritage assets. They seldom create anything that is new.
Aa thing that I aye kint wis vital t record wis oor Doric dialect. It his been forgotten aboot for ower lang. It is somthin that I am prood o n I spik it aa the time. I mak my heritage clips available t ivery Scottish school as validated educational resources so Doric is part o oor educational process. Twinty years ago I wis the only person faa believed in the power o oor dialect. Bit things are changing noo.
Don Carney
Carney Heritage Productions Ltd
Email; info@scottishheritage.co.uk
