Video for Parents

Turn your family photography skills into video you'll actually watch back, with Nicola Mansfield

4 week video course to help you film and edit your family's stories, with our guest instructor Nicola Mansfield

KEY COURSE INFO:

Course type: Instructor-led or self paced
Course duration: 4 weeks
Skill level: Intermediate learners - you should already have some basic photography and camera knowledge

what you learn:

This course will help you build your understanding of video from the ground up, taking everything you already know from photography and showing you what changes when a decision has to hold for the length of a clip, not just a frame. You'll learn:

How to hold a shot with intention: choosing your shot size, angle and composition before you press record, so your footage feels considered rather than accidental
How to work with light, sound and movement together, so your clips stay steady and clear even as your subject moves
How to think and film like an editor from the first shot, capturing coverage and structure so your footage actually cuts together into a story

skills covered:

filming with confidence on camera or phone
composition and movement for video

working with light and colour on camera
recording clean, natural sound

building a story through your shots
editing your footage together

YES, I WANT TO JOIN!

This is the course for you if :

You've got the photography basics down, but video still feels like a different language
You want to stop pressing record and hoping for the best, and start making deliberate choices instead
You'd like to learn to record cleaner sound without buying a lot of new kit
You want to understand how to shoot so your clips actually cut together afterwards
You're ready to start editing your family's footage into something you'll watch back, not just store

HERE IS WHAT YOU WILL LEARN in this course :

The course follows the arc of learning to film your family with intention, from your first shot through to a finished edit. Each week builds on the last, so that by the end you have both the eye and the editing skills to turn your footage into something you'll want to watch again.

Camera and Composition (module 1)

We start with the basics of filming on your camera or phone: what actually changes when you switch to video mode, and why a decision that only lasted a fraction of a second in photography now has to hold for several seconds at a time. From there you'll learn to choose your shot size and angle with intention, including the single biggest shift you can make when filming children, getting down to their eye level. We finish the module with composition, using the rule of thirds and thinking about foreground and background to keep the viewer's attention exactly where you want it.

Light, Colour and Movement (module 2)

Module two builds on everything you already know about light and colour from photography, and looks at what changes when that decision has to hold steady for the length of a clip rather than a single frame. You'll learn to work with natural light, white balance and low light, and to make the most of golden and blue hour. We also introduce movement, panning, tilting and tracking your subject, so your camera moves with intention rather than trying to keep up.

Sound and Story (module 3)

Module three moves into the half of filmmaking most of us never think about: sound. You'll learn how microphones actually work, how to record cleaner conversations and avoid the most common sound problems, before we bring in some simple storytelling theory: conflict, cause and effect, and contrast. We finish by filming for coverage, learning how a Master Shot and supporting shots, along with the 180° and 30° rules, set you up to edit your footage together properly the following week.

Video Editing (module 4)

The final module is where everything comes together. You'll learn why editing matters and how to trim and assemble your clips before refining them, then start manipulating time through montage, timelapse and slow motion. We cover transitions, building a simple workflow in Adobe Express, and finish by editing a short documentary style sequence of your own, turning the footage you've gathered over the course into something you'll genuinely want to watch back.

About your instructor:

Nicola Mansfield is a Film and media lecturer with over 20 years of experience teaching video production. She is the founder of Film your Family where she teaches parents to capture their family memories in video. She designed Video for Parents course specially for Photoparents as a comprehensive introduction into the art of video for people who already understand photography

Video for Parents

Video for Parents course is available as part of the Photoparents Membership - along with access to the full course library, weekly assignments, Camera Clubs, and a community of 200+ parent photographers at a similar stage to you as well as a standalone course

Purchase options:

Instance 1

single course purchase

Access to a self paced Video for Parents course only - you keep it for life

Buy single course

Per month

PHOTOPARENTS MEMBERSHIP

Access to Video for Parents course as well as 12 other courses
Self paced and instructor led classes
Photoparents Camera Club Membership with weekly and monthly tutorials, interest clubs, community hub, downloadable PDF materials and more

Get Membership

Frequently asked questions

What equipment do I need for this course?

You can use either a camera or a smartphone, everything is taught to work on both. You don't need to buy any extra microphones or equipment to complete the course, though there are optional suggestions along the way if you want to go further.

What photographic knowledge do I need to start the course?

We'd recommend that you're already familiar with core exposure fundamentals and basic composition, this course builds directly on those skills. You don't need any prior video or editing experience.

Can I buy the course without becoming a member?

Yes. This is a guest course created for Photoparents by our guest instructor Nicola Mansfield and as such it is available on our platform free of charge to our members, but it can also be purchased as a standalone course if you prefer.

Do I need special editing software?

No. We teach editing using Adobe Express, which is free, but the same principles apply if you'd rather use iMovie, Premiere Rush or another editor you already have.

How do I choose between self-paced and instructor-led course?

You will have access to the self-paced version of the course immediately after you join as a member and log into our learning space. Beyond that, all our courses get regularily scheduled Live, instructor led runs. You can will be able to see available live run courses schedule for the upcoming months from your membership area but if you've only just missed out on a scheduled course or need help before the next one is run, we can help too - just get in touch.

What other courses will I have access to?

We currently have 13 courses in our range (with more on the way) and the cover a really wide range of core and additional photography skills:

Core Photography skills : Clickstarter ( free), Photoparents Fundamentals and Photoparents Advanced
Creative photography : Natural Light Photography, Flash Photography, Let's Play (creative photography techniques), Black and white Photography
Editing skills : Photo editing skills, Essential and Creative Photoshop
Photography FOR kids: Mini clickers - Photography course
Wait, there's more! - Video skills for Parents, Smartphone photography, Action Cam Photography (part1)

Beyond the straight up courses, you will also have access to our brilliant Camera club - with weekly tutorials and assignments, topical clubs, downloadable, printable materials and more!

Can I cancel the membership at any time or am I tied in for a period of time?

Cancel anytime directly from your own member's account. No fuss, no explaining your reasons. To be clear, we hope you won't want to cancel but if you do - it's easy. You just need to cancel before your next billing period and it'll be all done.