Recording your family history on video is a worthwhile project. With the right equipment, a little bit of training and a lot of curiosity you’ll be able to interview relatives, preserve photos and create a video DVD for the generations.
Learn how to use Windows Movie Maker to create a family memoir video.
Conduct interviews with older family members
To learn about your family history, go to grandparents, aunts and uncles, and other relatives. Ask them about their lives, as well as what they know of family history.
Place the camera on a tripod when you're shooting the interview. If you have a lapel mic for your interview subject, you'll be able to record much clearer sound.
Set up a new video project on your computer
You don't need a complex editing system. With Movie Maker you can edit the interviews and add titles and photos to your movie.
Edit the interviews
You'll probably want to edit your interviews to cut out over-long answers and make the video flow more smoothly. Use fades, dissolves or b-roll to avoid jump cuts in your editing.
Create a photomontage
Enhance your family memoir DVD by adding a family photo album to the video. Include photos of your distant relatives, if you have them, as well as current pictures of your family today.
Add titles and credits
Give your family memoir video a professional look by adding a title at the beginning, and credits at the end. Use the credits to thank everyone who helped you to create the video.
Share the family video memoir
Surely there will be many family members eager to watch your family memoir DVD. You can share the project with them by burning it to DVD or uploading it to the web.
- Camcorder
- Tripod
- Lapel Mic
- Computer
- Windows Movie Maker
- Scanner
- DVD Burner
- High Speed Internet Connection
