How To Film Your Parents/Grandparents On A Smart Phone.

Photos are the only record many people have of their family history. A photo album is the only way to look at the precious few pictures of your grandparents there are. You can’t hear them talk, or laugh, or cry. Just a few, faded black and white pictures in a family album. You’ll have no idea who some of the people in there are, as there’s no information along with the pictures.

At Silver Screen Family our aim is to get people to start filming their parents/loved ones with whatever equipment they might have available.

I have always had a passion for family history and ever since I was a child I have been filming my family history videos. My family is now so grateful that I filmed my great grandmother talking about her childhood. Remembering the first time she read the headline of the Titanic sinking. Remembering the hardships endured in the First and Second World Wars as well as the more personal stories such as her first boyfriend who sadly died. This I filmed as a child with an old home movie camera!

The digital revolution has changed the way we film and shoot footage. Everyone has a decent camera on their phone nowadays. It has also made sharing family history documents and family film recordings much easier.

We don’t realize how easy this is to do and how important it is to have these family historical recordings until our parents or grandparents are no longer with us and we have no one to ask.

Having a family film that documents your family history will enable you to share it with your children. Having a video showing mum talk about the person in an old black and white photo, for example, will help pass this knowledge down your generation line when they and us are no longer are around.

The aim of this article is to show how with the equipment you already have, you can create a great family history film without having to purchase any further equipment. I recommend using a cheap lavalier mic compatible with your phone and a tripod but as I say this is not necessary as the aim of this article is to create a good film out of the equipment you already have.

You will need an iPhone or other smart mobile phones with a camera. (please make sure you film horizontally and in the best video quality possible).
Lighting is very important. Have your parent or family member face a window (Try avoiding direct sunlight as this will create shadows). Place the camera between them and the window.
Audio from a mobile phone can vary and I recommend getting a cheap lavalier microphone, which is compatible with your phone. You can find decent microphones online for under £25. Regardless of the microphone, you use, when recording close all windows and switch off any loud electronic appliances such as TVs, radios, fans, etc. The aim is to record in a quiet and peaceful environment where we will only hear our parent’s/grandparent’s voice.
Holding your phone whilst recording will create a lot of movement making the video judder. Using a tripod stand will give you a stable image with no movement. If you do not have a tripod stand do not worry rest your phone on a stack of books for example.
It is worth remembering that the family history movie you create will be passed down from generation to generation. Try finding a clutter-free area in the house where your family member could be filmed. The aim is to have no distractions in the shot and the viewer focuses on them.
Framing your shot. Try to relax your parent, sit them on a comfortable chair and set your shot. Try positioning your family member on one-third of the screen either to the left or to the right (as can be seen in the example below). Once you have set your shot, ask your parent to leave a pause between your question and their response. That will be really helpful when editing the video. Next week I will be writing a blog about the best free editing software to edit your family film. Stayed tuned and happy filming!!!