If your family is like most, the video camera is at the ready over the holidays to capture the stockings, the relatives, and the mad dash to the tree on Christmas morning. But you may not have considered another photo op. With relatives on hand for the holiday, it's the perfect time to create a one-of-a-kind video memoir that celebrates an elder. It's a simple idea, but to help you get it just right, we've spoken to videographers and genealogists in the know and put together a list of their smartest tips and tricks. Using our easy guide, you and your family can create a special movie that will get two thumbs up for years to come.

STEP 1: Decide on a subject. Contact an older relative -- someone of particular importance to the family -- to make sure he or she is willing to be the subject of your interview. Focus on one person (or two at the most) so you can offer lots of time to reminisce.

STEP 2: Invite others to participate. Send family members an e-mail invitation alerting them to your plan. Ask them to send along questions for the subject, as well as photos and mementos to be used in the interview; include a few sample questions to get them started.

STEP 3: Write a script. Assemble the questions and memorabilia from your extended family and then add your own. (See Tips for a Better Interview for ways to improve your script.) Include your family in the process of writing the script. To get your kids involved, ask them if they have a favorite photo or memento of the interview subject. Have them think about historical events that occurred during the subject's childhood -- things that would have impacted his life -- for a personal perspective of those times. (See Four Ways to Bring Kids Into the Process for more ideas.) Create a final list of questions in the order you'd like to ask them. Send questions about specific times and places to the subject of the film so he can refresh his memory.

STEP 4: Set the scene. Choose a well-lit and comfortable interview setting. Keep the background simple so as not to draw attention away from the subject. Assign a videographer and determine whether you'll have a single interviewer or have each family member ask his own question. Be sure to have extra blank tapes or DVDs and a fully charged battery.

STEP 5: Shoot in sequence. Avoid the headache of excessive postproduction editing by shooting your video in order. Record an introduction of perhaps the whole family, or just the kids, with the subject of the video. Then follow the script. Use photos and mementos as prompts for your questions. You might say, "This is a picture of Grandpa milking a cow. What was it like to grow up on a farm, Grandpa?" Capture the images and the responses. Do as much editing as possible on the fly. Stop shooting for breaks or to change interviewers, for example. Concentrate on a good recording: hold the camera still by mounting it on a tripod, avoid zooming in and out, and use a clip-on microphone to clearly record your subject's responses.

STEP 6: Wrap it up. Consider ending the tape with a tribute to the interview subject: a holiday song or a favorite tune sung by the whole family; a poem recited by the kids; or memories, wishes, and thank-yous offered up by individual family members.

STEP 7: Package it. If you are shooting digitally, apply the finishing touches to your recording on your computer. Add a title and credits, apply transitions, and edit any unnecessary parts. Save the finished version by burning it to a DVD, then make copies for your extended family. (Be sure to test all DVDs before sending them out!) For a finishing touch, create a label for the DVD featuring a digital image of your subject. Then distribute the DVDs as a postholiday gift and let history happily repeat itself.

For more tips, see our complete guide, "Making Great Home Movies."