Preserving Your Memories
Preserving Victoria Families' Memories Since 1991
I'm Dave Phillips. From my home workshop in Colwood, BC, I digitize every film, photo, tape, and reel that comes through my door. I started in 1991 and every job is still personal.
A Colwood Family Operation
Dave Phillips
Founder & Lead TechnicianI handle all tape transfers, film reels, and delicate restoration work. If it involves a moving part, I handle it.
Amy Phillips
Photo Scanning SpecialistMy daughter Amy has personally scanned over 10,000 photos. She handles high-volume scanning projects and keeps the output consistent and organized.
Jessica Phillips
Operations & Client RelationsMy wife Jessica keeps operations running smoothly. When you email, she makes sure you hear back quickly and that nothing falls through the cracks.
Diego
Security TeamDiego is part of our Security Team. He doesn't handle any media, but he ensures that we're all immediately notified when someone arrives at the door.
Picture a grandma who's 87. She doesn't text. She doesn't have an iPhone. She has a Roku on her TV and a recliner across the room. Every Sunday evening she watches what the family did that week, on a screen the size of her living room wall. Her great-grandkids learning to walk. Her eldest grandchild graduating. Whoever made dinner Friday night. Nobody taught her an app. She turns on the TV, and the family is there. The first week she hearted a video from that recliner, GroupHug made sense.
Why no ads, and why no algorithm Family memory is not a billboard. Every other place a family video lives, somebody else is paying for the storage. iCloud, Google Photos, Facebook, TikTok, WhatsApp threads, iMessage groups. Family memory ends up scattered across platforms that monetize attention. The price is your data, your time, or the platform's right to do whatever it wants with the file later. That is not what a grandma's living room is for. GroupHug gives family memory a home that isn't one of those platforms. So GroupHug runs on family subscriptions. One bill, one circle. One person pays, the whole family watches. Nobody else is in the room. A family-first business, not an attention-first one.
My Journey from Show & Tell to Today
1960s: The Spark
Before the first tape rolled, a fascination with capturing moments was already taking root. The seeds of preservation were planted in an era of Super 8 home movies and family slide shows.
The Spark
In 1978, at six years old, I made my first stop-motion movie using Lego, Hot Wheels, and my sister's snow boot. My dad helped me bring his Bell & Howell projector to my Grade 2 class to screen my three-minute masterpiece. My teacher, Mrs. Godfrey, gave me a Best Director award.
Video Pioneer
While other students were into sports, I was having my parents rent a VHS camera for me so I could experiment with it. I shot everything I could, including my first family wedding while still in school. I became obsessed with the home computing revolution (VIC-20, C-64), dreaming of how computers and video would eventually merge.
Wedding Videographer
During the 90s I videotaped over 200 weddings. I shot them on a Hi8 camcorder and edited them on 'Super' VHS. The 90s also brought Macromedia Flash, which opened up creative possibilities with websites. I loved it.
Digital Video Editing
When Sony released Digital8, I jumped in immediately. I moved my workflow from analog decks to non-linear computer editing using FireWire. I began producing looping video graphics and promotional videos for Victoria businesses, bridging the gap between "analog tape" and the new "digital file."
The Professional Era
Corporate videos, green-screen production, and website work for Victoria businesses. The decade that turned my video work fully professional, from small local shoots to regional marketing campaigns.
Today: SaveThis
Now, in my 50s, I've come full circle. I no longer shoot new videos. Instead, I dedicate my time to what I've always loved most: preserving the old ones. I help families digitize their past into modern formats, ensuring their memories are safe and easily shared with everyone who matters.
A Lifetime in the Lab
Safe Passage for Your History.
Curious about what your collection is worth saving? Book a drop-off in Colwood and I'll take a look.
Safe Passage for Your History.
Curious about what your collection is worth saving? Book a drop-off in Colwood and I'll take a look.