With summer here at last, we invited Colleen Pence of Colleen Pence Films to share five basic video tips for capturing precious family moments.
Story by Colleen Pence
When it comes to shooting video of our families, most people fall into two camps:
- You shoot tons of video mostly, if not exclusively, on your phone, and your phone is full of clips you’re not sure how to bring together so you’ll probably never watch them all again.
- You don’t shoot much video at all because what would you do with it if you did?
Capturing special or even everyday moments on video is a wonderful way to preserve and revisit the past – to remember the funny things your son said when he was four; to hear the soft coos your daughter made as a baby; to see the adorable way your child weaved and wavered as he learned to walk. Creating short videos to share with family and to watch together lets us relive the moments we spend together with the people we love.
Whether you fall into camp one or two above, here are some basic tips to encourage you to take your video clips from a pile to a production.
1. Pick your dimensions
Before you start shooting a particular event or person (with a final video in mind) or editing clips together, decide where you’ll watch this video the most. For instance, if you plan to watch the video on your computer screen or a TV, shoot horizontally. If you plan to share and watch a short video primarily on Instagram or Facebook Stories or IGTV (Instagram TV), shoot vertically. When editing, it’s easier if all of your clips are shot in the same dimension.
2. Pick a theme
Either before you begin shooting or when you are culling together footage you’ve already shot, think about whether your video will be comprised of clips from one event or many different ones? You can definitely shoot video of your one-year-old’s birthday party and use only those clips to create a short film about that event. But you can also cull together clips of one person from the past few weeks or months (or even a year) to create a montage video showing what they did and how they changed over time. Or you can pick a nature theme or a “tour of our home” theme. The possibilities are endless. But know what story you want to tell before you begin.
3. Get in the video
The mistake many beginning videographers make when shooting footage of their family is failing to get in the frame themselves. When you watch your videos back over the years, you (and your family) will want to see that you were there too! Prop your camera up somewhere when shooting or use a tripod, checking to be sure you’re capturing what you want in the frame, hit “record,” and join your family in whatever is going on.
4. Take advantage of free editing apps
There are many free or low-cost editing apps you can download to your phone (both iPhone and Android) to bring your clips together into a complete video with a cohesive storyline. Several of these apps include short tutorials to teach you how to use them. And, some offer royalty-free music you can use in your videos (Using royalty-free music is important because if you use music that is copyrighted, many platforms, including YouTube and Facebook, will not allow you to post your videos.). Some apps do charge for more advanced features but these free apps are a great starting place to learn some fast and easy editing tips.
Some of my favorite apps for fun and easy editing on phones are: VideoLeap, InShot, and Adobe Premiere Rush. And, if this all sounds like it’s more than you’re interested in doing, try the free 1SE (1 Second Everyday) app which prompts you to shoot one second of video a day and then helps you compile those seconds into a complete video record of each week, month, or year in your family’s life.
5. Don’t overthink your camera
You don’t need a fancy camera to capture precious memories. The best camera is the one in your hand and the best moments to capture are happening right in front of you. Just shoot and remember to get in the frame, too!
Through Colleen Pence Films, Colleen creates videos for nonprofits, small businesses and families. Look for her on Instagram, Vimeo and Facebook.
