Learning how to create a documentary from your family history is exciting and very rewarding. You have spent hours and hours designing a perfect family tree. Your board has photographs and notes pinned on it. You have files and folders on your computer comprising every information you could find on your family. When you have worked so hard to gather even the nitty-gritty of your genealogy, why not take it a step ahead by making a documentary? An exciting documentary will notch the creativity of designing the family history to another level!
Many people just stop here with loads and loads of data about their family history. But the actual value of any research is evident when it is published. Yes, you can pass it on to everyone to read, but not all will spend the time to go through it. And since you have invested so much time and effort to reach up to this stage, present your work in a movie that every member of your family will enjoy.
In this article, we will tell you everything about making a documentary about your family history. This is a one-stop spot for your genealogy documentary questions. The definition of incorporating the research, preparation, selection of gears, data collection, interviewing, shooting, and many more points will be covered in this article.
The idea of spending a pleasant Sunday afternoon gathering your family to see an excellent documentary about your family history is a good one! It will be entertaining and informative for the younger generation in the family. Creating a documentary about your family history will be a jewel to be treasured.
Family History Video
Let’s understanding the basics. Family history videos are the compilation of recorded interviews of your family members in which they share their stories of the past. An essential part of your genealogical research is the interview you take of every family member. It is better to record these interviews as a reference to your research. And when you compile these interviews and the photographs to form a video, the result is simply breathtaking.
Once you have all the data in your bucket, it is easy to design a family tree. Various online databases and family tree designing software are available to create an elaborative set of information about your family. It is then convenient to scoop out the information from these databases and put them in a video.
A movie on one’s family history is an inspiring enterprise. The papers or the souvenirs may or may not remain in the family for years, but an optimized and well-compiled movie will stay in the family for generations to come. Let’s illuminate some points as to why creating a documentary is essential and a fun task.
1 – It is always great to hear the stories from the ones who lived it. You don’t have to rummage through the papers and newspapers every time you want to revisit the stories. In fact, you can keep the video as we as the papers or documents you have collected to enjoy the best of both worlds.
2 – Videos create a sense of belonging to the person and establishes an effective connection with the story, which is otherwise missed in offline historical records. Watching a movie for, say, one hour is preferable to spending hours and hours reading and decoding the historical events of your family.
3 – The younger generation and the future ones deserve to know about their family. They deserve to know their grandparents, great grandparents, and their ancestors who designed the structure and beliefs of the family. Their mannerism, thoughts, humor gives a glimpse into the personality of the ancestors. To see and listen to the elders’ voice telling their experience or stories of the family is a thing to cherish among the younger generation. This establishes within them a connection with their family and ancestors. And it is an enjoyable feeling.
4 – With your documentary, you can even reach your long lost relatives. How? By sharing it on various social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Documentaries are on-the-go and enjoyable information if uploaded online. It is engaging and enjoyable.
5 – Every family builds its legacy. A legacy that trickles down the generations. The morals, values, beliefs, and principles, everything intertwined in one, create a treasured legacy by the family. Some choose to write lengthy memoirs left to be read by future generations. The uncertainty of its accessibility or readability differs from generation to generation. In such cases, if there is a video covering your experiences and anecdotes, it can be watched more. These were some points to elaborate on the advantages of creating a documentary on your family history. However, the preference might differ to access family history. Some might still prefer to go old school, which is also good. But looking at the history in a creative, interactive, and influential way in a video may become the favorite of many.
The story of 
“Leonard Smith’s presentations come to life in front of your eyes! His expertise and use of technology encompass all of the necessary tools to create a documentary that all can appreciate. He teaches his audience how to write the story of one’s ancestors and emphasizes the importance of writing that story. Anyone attending his seminar will definitely appreciate the knowledge on how to bring one’s family to life that will be preserved for future descendants.” ~Kathryn, New Orleans, LA
