Creative Tips To Capture Special Family Events In Videos

Family events are always special because they strengthen relationships and foster love between family members. People want to preserve the memories of such occasions, whether a wedding, birthday, vacation, graduation, or anniversary. Making videos is the best way to capture memories and retain them forever. The best thing about videos is that you can live the memories again, which makes them much better than pictures. But most people end up messing up their family videos because they fall short of technique and creativity. Moreover, you may get carried away and miss out on the precious parts that need to be preserved. Let us share a few tips to capture special family events in videos.

Plan before the event

Experts recommend planning a video shoot before the event as it puts you in a good place to choose your locations, lighting, and angles. Make a mental checklist of the steps of an event. For example, the entry of the bride and the groom, exchanging vows, and the kissing ritual are perhaps the most memorable parts of a wedding. You can also check the guest list and menu to decide how to cover these elements in your video. Planning the shoot beforehand enables you to be at the right place and at the right time, so there is hardly a chance of missing out on anything.

Pick the right moments

Every moment you spend with your loved one is precious, but there always are some extra-special ones during special events. For example, nothing matches the surreal feeling of exchanging rings with your partner during your wedding or hearing the first cry of your baby after birth. Pick these right moments and shoot them right away. You will surely regret missing out on them. Think beyond the important ones, as you may also want to preserve more than the conventional memories of an event.

Keep the camera running

The best way to get the right shots at family events (without missing out on key memories) is to keep your camera running. It enables you to pick authentic and spontaneous moments as they happen. Start shooting before the action starts and stop only when it ends. Of course, you may take breaks in between, but be alert and ready to turn the camera on when you need to cover something. You may even designate a co-photographer as a backup plan when you aren’t around at the venue. 

Use editing software

While keeping the camera rolling is a good way to cover everything, you may end up with loads of footage. In fact, you may even feel overwhelmed by the length of the content. Thankfully, you can use video editing software to trim the frivolous elements and retain the best parts of the family video. Such tools also help you enhance the footage by clearing background noises, adding music, and using filters. The best part is that you can use them to create and edit the most incredible videos of family events without professional help.

Know your gear

You may use a smartphone or camera to capture family events in videos. Whichever device you plan to use, ensure that you know your gear inside out. Failing to handle the features and controls at the last moment is the worst thing to encounter. You may end up missing the best moment only because you don’t know how to move the angle or adjust the lighting for a shot. The best piece of advice is to explore the device carefully and dig deep into its features beforehand. Some practice with shooting random videos makes you more confident about using your camera or phone on the big day. 

Follow the “eye-level” rule

Remember to follow the “eye-level” rule to get the best clips while shooting videos of family events. While it is easy to follow the rule when taking shots of adults, staying at eye level with the little ones is tricky. You cannot expect them to stay still as they are always sitting, squatting, lying down, and running around. But a little effort to remain eye to eye with the young subjects can help you create the most incredible videos for family events. Experts recommend getting down on the ground to take the best shots! 

Avoid moving the camera

Another helpful tip to shoot special family events like a pro is to avoid moving the camera too much. Keep your hands steady because shaky videos may be as bad as losing the most precious memories. You may want to move around with your subjects and capture them from different angles. But the resulting footage may not match your expectations. The best option is to choose a subject for your shot and commit to it. Let the action unfold and shoot it as it happens. The mindset requires a lot of patience, but the end result makes it worthwhile.  

Think random

You may want a narrative for your family video to make it more engaging. However, a storytelling approach is a right choice for marketing campaigns instead of personal videos. Random content is the better option as such videos look more natural and authentic. Think random and capture moments as they happen instead of asking subjects to act in a certain way. You will have much better-looking videos at the end of the day by prioritizing authenticity over storytelling. Moreover, your loved ones will be more comfortable when they can be who they are. 

Capturing special memories in family event videos is more about authenticity and creativity. Of course, you need the right tools, techniques, and editing software because they cover the technical parts of the footage. But pay attention to random moments and capture each one of them without a miss. You may even keep the camera rolling and edit the footage down the line. There are no hard and fast rules for capturing family events. You can find what works for you and create your own route. However, grabbing the best memories and preserving them for a lifetime is the key to success.