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Video Wills (view source)

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[[File:videowill.png|link=Basic Instructions|right]]
 
{{quote|''Oh! Hello there. I am dead!''|'''[[The Non -Adventures of Wonderella|Wonderella]]'''}}
 
You may be looking for [[The Tape Knew You Would Say That]].
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== Anime ==
 
* In ''[[Air Gear (Manga)|Air Gear]]'', {{spoiler|Spitfire leaves a [[Video Will]] behind after he appears to die. This Video Will coaches Kogarasumaru, using 'a R.E.A.D. program that analyzes data and relays it using Spitfire's synthesized voice.' Most characters simply come to the conclusion that he's still alive and is spying on them.}}
* The climax of ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam 0080 War in The Pocket (Anime)|Gundam 0080]]'' is just this
* [[Audio Adaptation|The third Sound Stage]] of ''[[Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikersStrikerS]]'' revealed that {{spoiler|[[Dead Guy, Junior|the first Reinforce]]}} left one for Reinforce Zwei, though in a [[Magitek]] variation, [[Ridiculously-Human Robots|she managed to implant it into Reinforce Zwei's memory banks]] for her to view when she sleeps. And yes, it was a [[Tear Jerker]], especially since it was recorded during [[Heroic Sacrifice|her last day]] and included her dreams of living a normal, happy life with her companions which she knows will now never come to pass.
* In ''[[King of Thorn (Manga)|King of Thorn]]'', the leader of the Venus Gate cult makes an [[Apocalyptic Log]] explaining what [[The Corruption|Medusa]] is and how it caused [[The End of the World Asas We Know It]]. He says that he hopes it will be found by some other survivor who can fix things, but he himself does not have the will to fight on, then commits suicide.
* At the end of the [[Triangle Heart 3 ～sweet songs forever～]] OVA, the cast views one.
* After his death, [[Hunter X Hunter|Netero]] leaves a tape to be broadcast around the world to signify his "resignation" from his seat as the Chairman of Hunter's Association, and that the next Chairman will be elected by vote. Obviously, this is for keeping the world in its [[Crap Saccharine World]] state, so his death isn't announced.
 
== Comic Books ==
 
* In a recent(February 2011) arc on ''[[Fantastic Four]]'', {{spoiler|after the Human Torch sacrificed his life to save his teammates from Annihilus, the team found a holographic recording he made in the event of his death. Among other things, he recommended that the FF should recruit [[Spider -Man]] as his replacement(which they did when they renamed the team The Future Foundation).}}
* In the DCU, Bart Allen aka Kid Flash (aka Impulse aka The Flash at the time of his death, though he recorded the will as Kid Flash) gave his old friend Robin a video will to play at his funeral, seen in Countdown. The Tearjerker came on extra-strong when he repeated address his other old friend Superboy, who had already passed. (At the time, anyway. This is superhero comics after all)
 
== Film ==
 
* In the Richard Pryor film ''[[BrewstersBrewster's Millions]]'', Brewster learns via this method about his inheritance, and the challenge that has been put to him.
* In 1979 version of ''[[The Cat and Thethe Canary]]'', Cyrus West had himself filmed and a simultaneous sound recording made in the days before sound film was common, and arranged that it would be played at one last family dinner years after his death - so that he could tell everybody present what he thought of them one last time.
* In ''[[Inglourious Basterds]]'', Shoshanna Dreyfus leaves one for the Nazi high command. {{spoiler|She didn't plan on dying before it was shown, though.}}
* In ''[[I, Robot (Filmfilm)|I Robot]]'', Dr. Lanning leaves [[Chekhov's Gun|one of these]].
* In ''[[BAS Eketball|BASEketballBaseketball]]'', Ted Denslow leaves his team to Coop this way. {{spoiler|Also, he sings "I'm Too Sexy."}}
* ''Parting Glances'' features a tragi-comic example; Nick, among other things, takes the opportunity to come out to his parents and tell them he has (or by the time they see it, ''had'') AIDS, and also leaves his [[Love Triangle|ex's new boyfriend]] a giant comedy dildo.
* ''[[Scream (Filmfilm)|Scream]] 3'' shows one by Randy, {{spoiler|who was killed in the previous film}}.
* The protagonist of ''[[Things to Do Inin Denver When You're Dead]]'' makes an honest living setting these up.
* [[Older Than Television]]: In the 1932 comedy ''[[The Greeks Had a Word Forfor Them]]'' a character leaves a will (complete with [[The Tape Knew You Would Say That]]) recorded on a ''phonograph record''.
* Brutally subverted in ''[[Cthulhu (Filmfilm)|Cthulhu]]'' (2007). The protagonist is told his dead mother left a video tape for him hidden in her house. {{spoiler|He instead finds it in plain sight on top of the TV/VCR. On the tape his mother starts to warn him that his life is in danger from the mysterious cult run by his father; she then hears a noise and quickly turns the camera off. The camera is then turned on again by his father, who implores the protagonist to take his rightful place as the leader of his cult. The protagonist is shocked to see his father has blood on his face and hands, implying that he murdered his mother moments before.}}
* ''[[The Ultimate Gift]]'' revolves a very elaborate version of this. Red Stevens seems to have prepared a video response to every possible action that Jason might take, creating the apparent contradiction of a very proactive and dynamic [[Posthumous Character]].
* One of the few bright spots in ''[[Deep Blue Sea]]'' features the station's cook making a tape for rescue crews to find in case he doesn't survive. After a somber introduction explaining that, he immediately brightens up and starts giving his recipe for the perfect omelette.
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* Done in a fantasy series, of all things: In ''[[The Inheritance Cycle]]'', Eragon gets a telepathic transfer of memory from Saphira, of Brom's last testament spoken to her well in advance of his death.
* Also a fantasy variant, from [[Simon R. Green]]'s ''Wolf In The Fold'': Duncan [[Mac Neil]] leaves a prepared illusion as his will, complete with instructions on precisely how his relatives are to be seated in the room where it'll be activated. That way, when his 3D image appears, it can address his son, daughter, sister and others "face to face".
* In ''[[Left Behind]]'', the preacher of a fundamentalist church leaves one of these behind to watch in case of [[Caught Up in Thethe Rapture|the Rapture]], which naturally (because it's an [[Author Tract]]) foreshadows everything that happens in the rest of the book.
* [[X Wing Series|Ton Phanan's]] actual will wasn't video, but it did come with a video where he told his best friend, and the sole beneficent of his will, [[It Is All My Fault|not to blame himself]].
** And in a previous book, Corran Horn seems to have left a video will...but it was actually a live broadcast that he used as a prank, after getting back to base ''ahead'' of the rest of his squadron after they were forced to abandon him, due to a third-party rescue by people with a much faster ship.
* Used in the ''[[Battle TechBattleTech]]'' novel ''Bred for War'' with a video message recorded by {{spoiler|Khan Ulric Kerensky}} months before his death to address his Clan and reveal that he's basically [[The Chessmaster|planned everything that has happened to them since in advance]].
* Hari Seldon sort of did these with the messages he left for the First [[Foundation]] in the Seldon Vault in Terminus City. However, these are not wills ''per se'', but rather his hints at what, given his science of psychohistory, is about to happen.
* In the 1980 short story "All the Lies That Are My Life" by [[Harlan Ellison]], the deceased not only records an extensive video will, but specifies a ''seating arrangement'' in the room where the will is to be read, so he can "look" at each person as he addresses them individually.
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** It managed to be both [[Tear Jerker|sad]] and [[Crowning Moment of Funny|hilarious]].
* Played straight in an episode of ''[[WKRP in Cincinnati]]'', when one of Jennifer's elderly gentlemen friends dies and includes her in the execution of his will. He videotapes a message to be played for his various sponging relatives, at one point correctly mimicking one of their replies. As for Jennifer, whom the man's relatives assume is a mere gold digger, he requests she uses the rest of his money for a big parade. The relatives protest this seemingly ridiculous waste of money, but are stunned when Jennifer immediately starts making arrangements to fulfill his wishes without any thought of taking money for herself.
* {{spoiler|The character Toshiko}} did one in ''[[Torchwood (TV)|Torchwood]]''. This example features a notable subversion of normal Video Will tropes, as she includes a goodbye message for {{spoiler|Owen,}} not knowing that he would die {{spoiler|(again)}} just minutes before she did.
* In '80s TV movie ''Grand Larceny'', a woman returns home after her father, an insurance detective, dies. His video will not only asks her to become a detective but claims to have stored answers to any questions she might have during her new career. With the help of her father's will she solves the first case, possibly who killed her father, in the meantime meeting a new partner. At the end of the case she learns the will only has answers for the case she just solved and the point was for her to meet her new partner, her father's old partner.
* Kirk leaves a set of "last orders" for Spock and Bones in the original ''[[Star Trek]]''.
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*** Well, she is a [[Red Shirt]] and they do have a short life expectancy anyway...
** ''[[The Next Generation]]'' has a subversion in the episode ''Family''. Wesley is bequeathed a message addressed to him from his father shortly before his death (the first of many he planned to record for his newborn son)... not once does he consider that he might be dead when it's viewed.
* ''[[Queer Asas Folk]]'': Emmet's rich older boyfriend leaves him one.
* In ''[[Heroes (TV series)|Heroes]]'', {{spoiler|Kaito Nakamura leaves one for his son.}}
* In ''[[The IT Crowd (TV)|The IT Crowd]]'' {{spoiler|Denholm}} dies at the start of season two and at his funeral he asked for a video to be played for everybody as a good-bye and asked for his company to be left to his son, [[Incoming Ham|Douglas]]. There was a section he told Douglas to watch alone but Douglas said everybody should hear it as he didn't want to keep secrets... but since it was due to the company retirement fund (which had some notable "irregularities" in it) so he shut it down. At the end of the episode it was shown he spent a long time eating an apple whilst recording.
* ''[[The Middleman]]'' makes a video for Wendy in the event of his death for every episode. He doesn't die, but at one point she gets to watch the ones made for the first half of the season.
{{quote| ''"If you're watching this, it means that we failed to stop the [[Artificial Human|Terracotta Man]] [[The End of the World Asas We Know It|from starting a hundred year rain of fire]]. Not really sure how you survived...but good for you!"''}}
* The ''[[Stargate Atlantis]]'' first season episode ''Letters from Pegasus'' had definite undertones of this. The characters were sending back video messages to the SGC before taking on the Wraith, assuming they might die. Most of them said goodbye.
** In the pilot, Weir leaves behind a tape for Simon, letting him know that she'll have left the galaxy by the time he watches the tape.
* [[Monk]] had two such messages; one by {{spoiler|Kevin Dorfman}}, and the other by {{spoiler|Trudy Monk}}.
* ''[[Babylon Five5]]'' has a few of them. Most poignantly, when {{spoiler|Sheridan}} records a birthday message for the child that he knows he will never see reach adulthood.
* [[Doctor Who|The Doctor]] makes a holo-recording of himself in case an emergency program is activated. The message is meant for Rose. Strangely, the hologram appears to know where Rose is standing during playback, as the Hologram turns it's head and looks straight at her before shutting off.
* Done quite humorously in an episode of ''[[The George Lopez Show|George Lopez]]'', in which the deceased leaves all of her money to her daughter Veronica, to be managed by a trustee. She manages to get in one last jab at her father-in-law before naming George as the trustee:
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'''Claudia''': Good. [[Take That|Now bend over and kiss George Lopez's ass]], because I choose him. }}
* ''[[Doogie Howser, M.D.]]'': After Wanda's mother's sudden death, Vinnie, afraid that he could also die at any moment, creates one for himself.
* In an episode of the '80s sitcom ''[[Too Close for Comfort (TV)|Too Close for Comfort]]'' called "Where There's a Will", after a nightmare where Henry imagines his family is destitute after his death because he didn't make out a will, [[Papa Wolf|Henry]] takes [[Cloudcuckoolander|Monroe]]'s suggestion to do a videotaped will. His wife Muriel, daughters Jackie and Sara, and niece April arrive just as he is about to tape it and watch the reading live. Henry ultimately starts to regret making a will when during the reading Jackie, Sara and April continually interrupt him, either balking at his statements in the will or discussing how to spend their inheritance should Henry die; [[Hilarity Ensues]] when their actions lead him to snap at them for their greediness.
{{quote| '''Henry''': "I, Henry Rush, being of sound mind and body, refuse to die!"}}
** After that though, he suffers chest pains ( {{spoiler|that turn out to be the result of gas}}) and is sent to the hospital.
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== Newspaper Comics ==
* ''[[Dilbert (Comic Strip)|Dilbert]]'': In the arc where Dilbert dies, he leaves behind a holographic will which is mostly him reading his recipe for chile con carne. (It's not a good recipe.)
 
 
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* In ''[[Angel Moxie]]'' {{spoiler|Tsutsumu}} uses a [[Video Will]] to {{spoiler|leave his multinational corporation to the Magical Girls who defeated him}}.
* [[The Non -Adventures of Wonderella|Wonderella]] records hers in [http://nonadventures.com/2009/08/08/big-will-style/ this] strip.
* And for the curious, ''[[Basic Instructions]]'' will teach you [http://basicinstructions.net/basic-instructions/2009/9/16/how-to-videotape-your-will.html how to videotape your will.]
 
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** And in one of the "What If" episodes, Farnsworth leaves a Video Will where he leaves everything he owns to Leela.
*** And which shows Leela killing him.
* Memorably used in an episode of ''[[Batman: theThe Animated Series]]'', where the Joker inherits a wad of money from an old enemy; the twist being that he only sees the ''video'' portion of the will after he's walked right into the enemy's financial trap.
* ''[[The Critic]]'' had a video will prepared by Franklin and Eleanor Sherman, giving Jay their fortune and Margo a music box. The will is bookended by [[Orson Welles]], who ends up promoting Mrs. Pell's Fish Sticks ("They're even better when they're ''raw''!").
 
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