Family History Video Projects
You've got a box of tapes, or a bag of loose photos with nothing written on the backs, and you keep meaning to make something out of it. This class is for that. Over six weeks we'll take your actual footage and photos and turn them into a short family history film using free editing software. No subscription, no filmmaking background needed.
Bring your own mess. We work from real footage, not tidy examples. You'll leave knowing how to digitize old tapes, label and back up your files so you never lose them, cut a video down to something people will actually watch, and export it so it plays on your mom's phone. Shorter is better. Audio matters more than you think. We'll get you finished.
What you'll learn
- Back up and label footage before editing
- Digitize mini DV tapes and scan old photos
- Set up a simple interview with good audio
- Date and caption photos with missing information
- Edit clips into a short, exportable finished video
Lessons
- Before You Touch the Editor
We deal with the boring stuff first, because losing your originals means losing everything.
- Getting Old Video Off Old Tapes
How to pull footage off a camcorder or tape into a file your computer can read.
- Photos and Dating the Undated
Scanning loose photos and figuring out who's in them and when.
- Recording Interviews Worth Keeping
How to record family members telling their stories, and why the sound matters most.
- Cutting It Down to Something Watchable
The actual editing, and the hard part of leaving good clips on the floor.
- Finishing and Sharing
Exporting a file that plays where you need it to, and getting it into hands that want it.
Class discussion
More photography & media classes
DSLR Basics: Getting Off Auto Mode
with Kevin
Phone Photography Basics
with Aubrey
Photo Editing for Beginners
with Brent