Courtney Holmes I How to Create Powerful Family Films

image credits: courtneyholmes.com.au

Courtney Holmes is a photographer and filmmaker from Australia, who crafts some of the most heart-warming family films you’ll ever see. Courtney is also the founder of FilmingLife Academy - an online filmmaking school for photographers who want to create story-driven films for families. In this episode, she’s sharing a ton of tips from her filmmaking process: what gear to use, where to get licensed music for the films, how long should your movies be, how to prepare parents and kids for the big day, and how to turn family routines that might seem mundane into truly impactful films.

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A few cliff notes from our chat with Courtney:

• Create a questionnaire for your clients to fill out before their shoot with you. Include basic questions, such as the names of family members and kids’ ages. However, if you want to get to know them on a much deeper level, and capture more meaningful and intimate moments - you’ll need to go behind the scenes. Find out what is important to these people, what challenges they’ve faced as a family, what makes them happy. You will notice how these answers bring a whole different dynamic to your sessions.

• If you want to start offering videography services on top of your photography ones, remember that there are heaps of free and useful information that will help you to get started: YouTube tutorials, the good old Google, and even your camera manual.

• If you’re doing a photography session and you want to experiment with video, ask your clients if they’d be up to stick around for an extra half an hour, so you can shoot some footage, too. As long as you’re being honest and open about it, they will most probably say yes and you’ll get 30 minutes to practice your videography skills.

• Composition-wise, shooting videos is very similar to taking photos. In terms of movement, you don’t need much of it to start with. Try this trick: spread your feet hip-width apart, shift your weight from one side to another, and that’s just about all the movement you need in the beginning.

• If you feel like something is missing from the session, you can make opportunities happen on the go. For example, you can have a parent talk with one of the kids about a special memory they have together. The emotions you’ll capture in these moments are unmatched.

• While you should always have a storyline for your final video, its overall mood and emotions it conveys - keep in mind you can’t really plan a session that involves kids. You need to stay open to changes, be adaptable, and quick on your feet.

• When you prepare and deliver the final version of the footage, be mindful of who will watch your film. On one side, there’s the family who is in the video, but there are also your potential clients who will see the movie on your website or social accounts. Make sure that what you’re presenting online is visually engaging. Avoid long introductions, with a lot of scenery or details. Instead, try to go straight into the plot, and start with beautiful imagery of people, because people are dynamic and engaging.

Want to learn more from Courtney, and start your family videography journey? Visit her website courtneyholmes.com.au - an incredible website, custom-made by Squaremuse. You can also join her Filming Life Academy for more resources, at filminglifeacademy.com - a website built with Cosi Design Kit.

For a weekly dose of touching photos and films, follow Courtney on Instagram @courtneyholmesfilmsandphotos

A big thank you to our lovely podcast host – Nadia Meli. Connect with her via her website: nadiameli.com or follow her on Instagram: www.instagram.com/nadiameli

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Creatively yours,

Squaremuse Team