Ever wished you could preserve all of your family’s memories forever and create something that can be passed down over generations? While photos are a great way of computing moments in time, they’re not quite enough to really show the true personality and character of each family member.
Videos are a lot better, and with the rise in popularity of smartphones and social media, people are taking more videos than ever before. While you can share these videos with future generations, a family documentary is an even better way of sharing memories and telling your family’s story.
In this article, we’ll look at how you can create your own documentary on your family, and why it’s easier than you might think. You don’t need to be an expert filmmaker, and it’s a great way to create lasting memories while also spending time together creating something truly unique.
Creating a Story
All good documentaries tell a story, and you can create a lot of compelling and interesting stories based on things that have happened in your family’s history. When telling the story, think about how you can combine old and new generations so everyone is included, and be sure that it paints a fair and accurate depiction of what happened.
Booking a Studio
You can film your documentary from home, but if you really want it to look and sound great, you can use a professional studio. Look for a film studio London to find options close to you. These offer better lighting and sound, and you may also be able to rent equipment to ensure your documentary is as high-quality as possible.
When telling your family story, you should aim to interview all of the living members of your family so that they’re each included in the documentary. You can ask them to share stories and memories, opinions or just facts that they want to tell about themselves.
If you choose to film these interviews at home, you’ll need to make sure the lighting is good and that the background noise is at a minimum. You can make some changes when editing, but getting the footage and audio as clear as possible is important.
Using Old Photos and Videos
As your family relive their memories and share stories, you can use old photos and videos in the documentary. Make sure you collect as much media as possible, digging through all photo albums and looking at social media pages.
In addition, you can show old letters or memorabilia, using them to tell a story and illustrate the narrative of your documentary. Be sure to include narration on physical objects to describe them and how they relate to the family and your story.
Editing Your Documentary
Once you’ve filmed all of the footage you need and gathered up all the available pictures and video, it’s time to edit it all together. The editing process is perhaps the most important part of making a documentary, as it allows you to use the material to tell a story.
Most documentaries involving past and present tell things chronologically, but you can tell the story however you feel best. Sometimes a non-linear approach works well, as it allows you to create a more complex and interesting documentary.
Hiring Professional Help
You don’t need to create your documentary all by yourself. It’s a difficult task, especially if you’ve never created film before. If you’re having trouble telling a complex story and you want it to be told in the best way possible, you can always hire a professional to help. Professional filmmakers will help you shoot your perfect family documentary, leaving you with something that can be enjoyed by future generations.