VIDEO IDEAS TO CREATE AT HOME

16 Mar VIDEO IDEAS TO CREATE AT HOME

If you and your family are at home over the next few weeks, you could use the time to shoot video and make some films, that document your home and life happening in it.

These are some simple ideas based on films I’ve made over the years. I hope they inspire you to get you started because I believe once you start creating, more ideas flow. All these film ideas can be made using your mobile phone or a camera if you prefer… and to keep the process easy, you could edit on your phone – here are my favourite apps to use. Don’t get caught up on needing a great camera, extra equipment or trying to make the “perfect” film, the idea with these projects is to have fun, be creative and document your life, as it is today.

If you do need any extra help or inspiration – Check out these as well –

GETTING STARTED WITH VIDEO

MUSIC LIBRARY RESOURCES

OR MY ONLINE COURSES.

So jump in and start creating and if you’ve got family members or children at home, you can make videos together!

A STORY OF ONE ROOM OR PLACE IN THE HOUSE

Focus on one part of your home and tell the story of it. One of my favourite films is about my kitchen table at the time. This was 8 years ago!.

I set up the camera to capture the activity around our table and put it together as a compilation. You could do this over the space of a day or a week. Place the camera on a tripod or a surface, hit record and let the action unfold. Then, if you like the speeding up action I’ve created here, most editing programs offer an option to speed up your footage.

Don’t forget to put yourself in the frame as well. You’re an important part of the story.

I think the same idea would work for a sofa, family room, the kitchen or anywhere that people gather in your home.

HOW TO OR DEMO FILM

Create a step by step guide for someone to follow, perhaps shoot video while cooking or crafting for example. If you’re filming yourself, set up your tripod or the camera on a steady surface. Once you’ve chosen your framing, either from above or the side, just hit record and start your demo. Or, if you’re filming someone else, you can experiment with the various angles and compositions.

You could add text or titles to add more instructions or even a voiceover like I’ve used in these two examples. If you’re feeling even more brave, you could talk directly to camera and pretend you’re on a cooking show!

Don’t forget to include music to set the pace and tone of your film. If your film is a fun and quirky demo of, “how to tie a headscarf”, choose a tune that suits… or if you’re creating a serious ‘how-to’ film of, “how to knit a scarf”, you might set this to some calming music. Or if you’re making pancakes on a Sunday morning, this might call for some upbeat music or calming tunes depending on your setting. You get the idea! This type of film can really be elevated by the music that accompanies it.

TALKING TO CAMERA

Filming family members, especially children talking to camera, is one of the best films to create!. I didn’t make enough of these films when my kids were younger and I really wish I did. But the films that I do have, are really precious to me, so if I can encourage you to create any of the films here, it would be to interview your children. You get a chance to hear their opinions, have a record of their voices and see facial expressions. Even the simplest questions can give such wonderful answers, especially because their answers change over the time. 

Be mindful of background noises and don’t cover your microphone while shooting, so you can capture the best sound quality that you can.  Also, if you’re being the interviewer, you’ll probably be closer to the camera/microphone, so your voice may be louder… try not to speak over them when they’re talking.

You can make your film solely about the interview, you could add titles or photos, and/or you can intersperse other snippets of footage between the interview to show more of your subjects individuality, like you see in the film above.

Or, if you don’t have someone to interview, make the film about you… talk directly to camera and film yourself around the house doing different things. I did this when making my mini “Day In The Life” films, see below when I’m cooking.

A COLLABORATIVE FILM

This is when everyone in the house gets involved by shooting their own footage and then you compile it into one collaboration film. Even children shoot some video because they have a different perspective of your home and life.

The film above was shot over a weekend and we all shot snippets throughout and then I edited it together. As the boys were older, we all used our phones but this could be shot on just one phone and you take it in turns to use it. The idea is that everyone sees the world slightly differently, so even the same scene can be interpreted in unique ways.

Some tips – Decide the time period for your film, is it a day, weekend or a week?. Make sure everyone is shooting in the same orientation – either horizontally or vertically, so all your footage is the same when editing. Also, choose if you’re going to include audio, so you can be mindful to record it while shooting. But most of all, have fun!

This is a playful project because you can’t really plan what’s going to be captured but that’s also its charm.

DAY IN THE LIFE

Put together a collection of video clips or even photos during one day, capturing as it is right now – in all it’s (mess) and glory. This project is one of favourites and something I encourage people to make regularly, as life is changing all the time.

This post is packed with lots of tips, practical preparations and inspiration to shoot your day. Take a look here.

And if you’re feeling really inspired to shoot your DITL and would like a little more guidance… my Handmade Film Making course is all about make daily films, on your phone for a week. Come and join us.

Hope you’re excited to get started shooting videos and making films of life at home. Some of the films I’ve shared here are so precious to me, they remind of things I’d long forgotten. But remember, with all of these ideas, sometimes it’s just about the journey not the destination. You don’t have to have a beautiful finished film, it could just be the process of shooting and editing that brings JOY. But if you do manage to create one of these films, you will have a memory of this time that will last forever.

Enjoy!

If you’d like more guidance to start making your own videos – check out my online courses where I share everything you need to get started and inspiration to take you through the whole process and find the love of making videos!