A few words from some of the wonderful people we have worked with…
Featured
“The process has been so satisfying and collegial that I have and will continue to recommend Plantain to my friends and colleagues... You and the Plantain team are the best!”
“Plantain was responsive and excellent in taking feedback and putting it into action. They stuck to the established timelines and did not require hand-holding throughout the project - after our initial meeting they were able to take the project and run with it.”
“I could never have hoped to replicate this experience working alone. [Plantain] understood the specific parameters and requirements of my project and adapted their work accordingly. They are supportive, friendly and sensitive, qualities much needed in this field. I wholeheartedly recommend this company.”
“Plantain was very professional and communicated very well. Being that I am located in the United States they made my project feel like a priority and I am forever thankful for that.”
“Plantain’s passion fuels their ability to listen deeply to the many facets of a story, and their sheer determination and unwavering integrity bring these stories to life in a way that they can be accessed by all. This is done with immense humility and they use creative insight to make these unique interpretations in many mediums. It has been an honour to have known and collaborated with them over the last three years, and our family applauds their work.”
Felicia and her creative team provide an invaluable service! Some of us toy with the idea of doing the job ourselves - but honestly beyond jotting down some notes or capturing a few minutes of video, are we really up to the task of producing a polished end-product that will be a true family keepsake? In our case, it was a book profiling a beloved family member. Plantain handled the logistics, asked the probing questions, stood at the right distance to extract a compelling narrative…all with stylish results. Run, don’t walk, before those family stories slip away!
I purchased an interview for my 79 year old father because he tells the best stories but we haven't managed to capture them and I worry I won't remember the details to share with his grandchildren one day. From start to finish the process was easy and meaningful. A lovely interviewer called my Dad and he was really energized by the chat and inspired to record more of his stories. I suspect I will be reaching out to Plantain again though because we all always talk about how we must record stories and never seem to get around to it. That's why I love what they are doing at this company. Everyone deserves to have their story recorded, remembered and most importantly SHARED with the entire family! Thanks so much Felicia and team!
It was awesome working with Plantain on this project. I want the younger generations to fully understand what our family has been through to get where we are today and to remember that hard work and perseverance really count in life. The Plantain Team had the grace, knowledge, and patience to peel off the layers of our family's story, and were the Ideal team to work with on this journey.
My Mom recently turned 85 and as part of her celebration, we ( her kids) presented her with a mini-bio of her life. Not only was the process to get the book done easy but The Plantain Team really worked FANTASTIC with us on short notice and we presented my Mom with a really beautiful tribute to her life, with some very old pictures we found, but also some sketches that the Plantain Team did of the building ( long demolished) where she had her first job...where they found images of that building form 65+ years ago is amzaing ......brought all of us to tears!
“Plantain provides an invaluable service to piece together family narratives. My sister and I ordered a Plantain Clip, 5 minute video, for Father’s Day. They delivered a very professional mini documentary. Even though my sister and I both work in research-oriented careers, it helped to have a third party independently visualise our family history. The team at Plantain put a lot of time and care into getting the nuances of our family story correct regarding enslavement and manumission in Jamaica. We sent them a lot of photos and audio and Plantain was able to find the perfect narrative strand, bananas. For this reason I cannot recommend Plantain more highly, especially if you are looking for a unique present that can be cherished for years and generations to come.”
“I am continuously blown away by both the attention to detail and the authenticity of the product that the Plantain team is able to create. As I thumbed through the pages of the book that I had commissioned, I read the words feeling transported back to that moment in time, watching my kid brother in the story, and thinking... this feels as it was written by someone there with us 20 years ago; They have crafted a keepsake that touched us on a personal level, one that I will treasure forever.”
“They took Frankie’s stories and wove a lifetime of experiences into an exciting story giving it historical context while capturing the essence of the man. They are professional, knowledgeable about their craft and committed to excellence. It was a pleasure working with them.”
“The Plantain team truly understands the art of piecing together sometimes complex and tedious historical information of ones family in a way that is comprehensive and digestible.”
“I engaged the folks at Plantain to document my husband’s side of the family as a Christmas gift to my children. With their expert advice, guidance, research methods and attention to detail, the simple concept became a thoroughly researched autobiography filled with interviews, memories, illustrations, and photos of eras past.”
Stellar Research for Feature-Length Documentary Film
Plantain recently worked to find an extensive amount of hard-to-find information surrounding the origins and culture of Calypso and Soca in Trinidad and Tobago for a feature film called 'Charlie's Records.' They were thorough, professional, and expedient. Can't recommend their services enough!
“Plantain helped us to answer a lot of questions just in time for our family reunion attended by people from all over the world. The team has helped us not only to honour the past, but more importantly to spread the news to the next generation.”
“The team at Plantain have the amazing ability to relate your story’s emotions to the audience. I definitely recommend working with them!”
“The product was high quality, the service excellent.”
“I chose Plantain to document my father and his brother’s stories of growing up in Belmont. Felicia was extremely patient with us and her assiduous research gave us clues and hints to old family questions that we would not have been able to answer.
The resulting package created by Plantain is easy for each family member to access and understand. But the most valuable result of the service was the sense of togetherness it brought us while working on it that we hope to continue.”
“They’re a great innovative company, providing excellent products and great customer service!”
‘“Help for a novice: Though I’ve always enjoyed writing about “stuff”, whether it was personal views or experiences, I had no particular ambition to write a book. The impetus came when Uncle Edmond, the last surviving sibling of my mother’s generation, celebrated his 90th birthday. It’s not easy to come up with an appropriate birthday present for a ninety-year old, so I designed a glorified birthday card, based on stories and pictures of his, and the older generation. It was a hit, and everyone at the birthday party not only wanted a copy of it, but were encouraging me to do something more elaborate - a book. I had heard about Plantain and approached them. It was all new to me, and of course I was new to them. Over time, with the interviews and discussions, we forged a relationship that went beyond that of “just another client”. I suspect I was a bit different, since I insisted that the end result had to be not just to tell the stories, but to make sure they sounded the way l would tell them. (Twice, after writing “dived”, it ended up as “dove”. Nah, I would never say “dove”, it HAS to be “dived”).
I hesitated a bit, trying to decide whether my rating should be 4 or 5 stars, and eventually opted for 4, based on the criteria for 5 “recommending for anyone”. At my age (76), I’ve long come to terms with the vast differences in peoples likes, dislikes and expectations, to feel that my own views are “transferable”. I wouldn’t hesitate to give Plantain a 5 for people like me, but I feel that it might be a bit misleading for others “not like me”.’
“I was so thrilled to read the personalised book produced by the Plantain team about my son’s perspective of events in his youth. As a parent one does not always know how decisions made for the sake of the family will impact the individual members. It was very touching to read about the little things that meant so much to him and the subsequent effects on his life.
Well done Plantain keep up the good work.”
“The process was easy for me. I appreciated the reminders and quick turnaround time, felt more personalised than using a typical website. I found the questions were good prompts and the story flowed well when the finished product was provided. I learned so much about my relative and it sparked many further conversations about things we would not thought to have discussed. I see the value in preserving these stories while we can and will definitely engage for further products.”
“Your future self, kids and grand-kinds will thank you for reaching out to Plantain for their services!”
“My family and I had the pleasure of working with Plantain whilst preparing our family reunion. I must say I loved their excellent work and dedication to the project. At the end of it all Plantain put together a booklet containing rich information about our family’s history. My personal favorites from the research that they did were that I learnt much more about my great-grandfather, about his lifestyle, where he came from and also that he pursued the same occupation as I do. Secondly and most significantly I found out where my ancestors originated from. So not only would I totally recommend them for future projects, but I’ll like to personally thank Felicia and Zaake for helping us discover so much about our family history. Congratulations on a job well done.”
While I did not have Plantain develop the content, I used their expertise to create a design from scratch. They customized the aesthetics of the book exactly as I wanted through their questionnaire about the subject's style and through my direct requests. They were very responsive to every question and request and genuinely cared about creating the perfect keepsake book for my family. I appreciated very much their flexibility in customizing the design and structuring the package to meet my needs. I am extremely pleased with their tasteful, elegant and professional creation.
“Plantain is a really excellent service and will do all possible to have the information that the clients need. It was a great experience and very appreciative of the work that Plantain has done for future generations!”
“I truly had such an amazing experience working with this awesome couple! They made my dad’s story come alive through their writing styles, illustrations and the history of what was happening historically at the time.”