A Video Legacy Project for FFWPU-UK

The Idea

Our community's most valuable stories are disappearing. As the elders pass away, their lived experiences — their struggles, their transformations, their wisdom — are lost forever. In the years up to 2026, respected members have passed away. Their stories are gone.

The Vision: Capture these stories on film before it's too late. Create a living archive of your community's real people, real struggles, real faith.

The Result: A collection of video stories that live on your website, shareable on social media, used by families and new members to understand who you really are. Proof of who FFWPU actually is.

Why We're Proposing This Now

We've seen firsthand that this works.

In 2019, Toby produced Henry Masters: The Eye of the Needle — working as producer alongside director Valgas, diving deeply into Henry's autobiography to understand the arc of his life story. The work involved careful story development — deciding which moments mattered most, how to structure the narrative, what would resonate. That film is now featured on FFWPU.org.uk under "Our History."

Henry passed away a few years later. His story lives on through that film.

In 2011, Toby and Patrick interviewed Alec Herzer — capturing his story on film. The footage sat in archive for over a decade. Then, in 2025, after Alec passed away, Toby returned to that archive footage, edited it with care, and shaped it into Remembering Alec Herzer. He chose which moments would form the emotional core of the film. When it was released, Alec's son responded: "This was such a beautiful capture of Dad in his PRIME... This MUST be played at his SeungHwa." FFWPU UK officially shared it on social media.

We were fortunate to have that archive footage. But in the years between 2011 and 2025, other respected community members passed away. Their stories were never captured. They're gone.

Both pieces demonstrated something clear: video storytelling works. Not as marketing. Not as propaganda. But as a genuine way to preserve and share the stories that matter.

And here's what we learned: the window is closing. The first-generation members who carry the deepest stories are aging. Every year, irreplaceable narratives risk being lost. This isn't a "nice to have" project — it's a preservation project with a real window.

In 2011, Toby and Patrick interviewed Alec Herzer — capturing his story on film. The footage sat in archive for over a decade. Then, in 2025, after Alec passed away, Toby returned to that archive footage, edited it with care, and shaped it into Remembering Alec Herzer. He chose which moments would form the emotional core of the film. When it was released, Alec's son responded: "This was such a beautiful capture of Dad in his PRIME... This MUST be played at his SeungHwa." FFWPU UK officially shared it on social media.


We were fortunate to have that archive footage. But in the years between 2011 and 2025, other respected community members passed away. Their stories were never captured. They're gone.

Both pieces demonstrated something clear: video storytelling works. Not as marketing. Not as propaganda. But as a genuine way to preserve and share the stories that matter.

And here's what we learned: the window is closing. The first-generation members who carry the deepest stories are aging. Every year, irreplaceable narratives risk being lost. This isn't a "nice to have" project — it's a preservation project with a real window.

In 2011, Toby and Patrick interviewed Alec Herzer — capturing his story on film. The footage sat in archive for over a decade. Then, in 2025, after Alec passed away, Toby returned to that archive footage, edited it with care, and shaped it into Remembering Alec Herzer. He chose which moments would form the emotional core of the film. When it was released, Alec's son responded: "This was such a beautiful capture of Dad in his PRIME... This MUST be played at his SeungHwa." FFWPU UK officially shared it on social media.

We were fortunate to have that archive footage. But in the years between 2011 and 2025, other respected community members passed away. Their stories were never captured. They're gone.

Both pieces demonstrated something clear: video storytelling works. Not as marketing. Not as propaganda. But as a genuine way to preserve and share the stories that matter.

And here's what we learned: the window is closing. The first-generation members who carry the deepest stories are aging. Every year, irreplaceable narratives risk being lost. This isn't a "nice to have" project — it's a preservation project with a real window.

How This Aligns with Your Vision

From what we understand, your leadership is centered on "Passing the Flame — Shared Responsibility across Generations." This concept speaks to continuity, to wisdom transfer, to the idea that community strength is distributed and intentionally passed forward.

Video storytelling is how you make that vision tangible. It's not abstract. It's real people, real stories, real evidence of what generational responsibility looks like in practice.

Additionally, FFWPU UK's positioning — "Family, Not a Church" — is most powerfully demonstrated through the lived experiences of your members. Not through statements, but through their actual stories. Video does that better than anything else.

The Opportunity

Younger members are seeking authenticity and connection. They want to understand the why behind the faith, not just the what. Personal stories — told by people they know and respect — bridge that gap in a way nothing else can.

This is also an opportunity to show the world who you are. How many religious organizations have a thoughtful, curated video archive of their community's stories? Not many. This positions FFWPU UK as an organization that values its people, preserves its legacy, and is confident enough to show the world who it really is.

How This Could Work

We're proposing three flexible approaches. The right choice depends on FFWPU's timeline, team capacity, resources, and vision for how involved you want to be in the creative process.

Option 1: Direct Production

Toby comes to the UK in July and directs/films the project himself.

•Complete hands-on production during the July window

•Strategic story development and interview direction

•Professional cinematography, audio, and editing

•Finished videos ready for publication

•Full creative vision and execution

What this means: Toby owns the creative process end-to-end. Your team identifies subjects and provides context; Toby handles everything else.


Option 2: Remote Strategic Direction

Your team captures footage. Toby directs the strategy and post-production remotely.

•Pre-production: Toby works with your team to identify subjects and develop story frameworks

•Production: Your team (or a local videographer) captures footage based on Toby's creative brief

•Post-production: Toby handles editing, color grading, narrative structure, and finishing

•Finished videos ready for publication

What this means: Your team is involved in the filming process. Toby provides the strategic direction and professional finishing. This builds capability within your team while ensuring professional-grade output.


Option 3: Training & Mentorship

Toby trains your team on storytelling, technical execution, and project planning. Your team executes.

•Strategic framework for story selection and interview preparation

•Technical training: camera, audio, lighting, basic editing

•Directorial feedback on rough cuts

•Your team owns the filming and editing

What this means: This is about building long-term internal capability. Toby guides the process, but your team owns the execution. The final product depends heavily on your team's ability to apply what they learn.

The Timeline

All three options are anchored to July 2026. This is when Toby will be in the UK. It's the ideal window for intensive work on this project.

Next Steps

This is an invitation to a conversation. We'd like to discuss

•Which approach resonates with FFWPU's vision and constraints

•Who the subjects should be (your decision)

•What success looks like

•How to make this happen within your reality

The goal is to find a path forward that works for FFWPU and aligns with your leadership priorities.

About Toby

Toby specialises in biographical and personal storytelling. He has a proven track record with FFWPU (the two pieces mentioned above). He understands the community and can tell these stories with sensitivity and authenticity.

Beyond FFWPU, Toby's work spans multiple industries. He's produced storytelling films for dental practices — capturing the personal journeys of dentists, their motivations, and their impact on their communities. These pieces demonstrate his ability to find authentic human stories in any context and translate them into compelling visual narratives.

He's genuinely invested in this project's success.

Sample of his Other Works

A story about William Long having transformational dental treatment.

A story about why this clinic owner founded his clinic.

A story about how the latest dental techniques can be transformational for patients.

Let's Talk

We'd welcome a conversation with you about whether this concept fits into FFWPU's vision.