Nana and Papa
Hi! I’m David Sheets, the founder of Northbound Legacy Films. In 2014, I started a wedding film company called Old North Film Company. Since that time, we have served more than 2,000 couples, capturing one of the most important moments in their lives so they can relive those memories for decades. Northbound Legacy Films was born from this same heart. We want to preserve the stories, wisdom, and memories of those who came before us, creating films that allow families to hold on to their history and pass it down to future generations.
My grandparents, “Nana” and “Papa,” were a huge part of my life. They put me and my siblings at the center of their world, and we were blessed with countless memories of time spent together at holidays, birthday parties, sports games, graduations, and celebrations of every kind. It wasn’t until their minds began to fail and their memories started to fade that I became interested in the stories that didn’t involve me. I had heard the same few funny stories they told while I was growing up, but there was so much more there that I will never get to hear.
When they passed away, one of my greatest regrets was realizing that my own kids will never grow up knowing their big, beautiful personalities. They will never experience their silly smiles and loud laughs, their back-and-forth banter and wisecracks, or the genuine wisdom, love, and faith with which they lived their lives. I wish that I had captured these things on film, but sometimes you don’t know what you’re missing until it’s too late. I will always have my memories of them, but I wish there was more, for me, my siblings, and my kids.
This is what Northbound Legacy Films is all about. I want to provide as many families as possible with a beautiful, engaging film that passes on the legacy of their loved ones like nothing else can, so you, your kids, and your grandkids can experience the stories, the personality, and the voice of someone you love for generations to come.
Northbound’s History
Northbound Legacy Films is an extension of Old North Film Company, a wedding videography and photography company based in Chicago, IL. In 2020, when COVID turned the world upside down, it brought a renewed awareness of how vital our elderly family members are to our lives. As the pace of life slowed, many families spent more intentional time together, sitting in living rooms and around kitchen tables, listening to stories that had been shared for years alongside ones that had never been spoken aloud. There was a growing recognition that these moments, voices, and histories are finite, and that once they are gone, they cannot be recovered.
Within our team at Old North, this realization led to something deeply personal. Several of our filmmakers began creating films of their own grandparents, capturing conversations, memories, and reflections that might otherwise have faded with time. These projects carried a weight that surprised us. They preserved more than information. They held personality, tone, and presence in a way that written words or photographs cannot fully convey. Families were able to return to these films and experience their loved ones again through their expressions, their laughter, and the way they told their stories.
As Old North continued to grow, our attention remained on serving couples and expanding our core offerings, and this idea was set aside for a season. It remained important to us. Today, we are in a position to pursue it with clarity and care. Northbound Legacy Films exists to preserve family stories in a meaningful and lasting way, creating films that honor the lives of those who came before us and allow their voices, experiences, and wisdom to be carried forward for generations.