Making a family tree digital video can make your family tree project a lot more fun and much more comprehensive. It's just like any other digital video you would make, only this time you are going into the past. It's such a great way to complement your family tree and it can also be a wonderful addition to family get-togethers.

What do you need?

Not much. You need information on your family, you need a video recorder, a voice recorder, and you need family mementos and anything else that you think would make your family tree digital video more interesting.

Family Members

You need to question family members about other members of your family and then capture this information on the video camera. The best people to start with are obviously those who are likely to have the most information, so it's time you gave grandma and grandpa and all your old aunts and uncles a visit. You want them to know in advance that you're coming and what you plan to do, so that they can be prepared. Tell them you'll be taping so they can think about what they remember and perhaps 'dress' for the occasion! Some of your richest sources may be quite elderly so make sure you are respectful about assuming they want to be recorded on a video. If you are unable to record them on video you may be able to record their voice that you could use as a 'voice-over' to a video of photographs of them. Perhaps you can get them to just talk as you write and then you can use the voice recorder to put in the voice yourself afterwards. Don't forget about the youngest members of your family. Make sure you video the newest baby being held by great-grandma!

Travel

If you can afford both the time and the money to travel to those far off places where some of your relatives lived, do it. This is a great touch, especially if you can complement the picture with a voice recording of what you see, a bit about what you're after and what you eventually find. If you decide to do this, make sure you talk to neighbors and friends of relatives who passed on too, because they can be another rich source of information.

Google Maps

If you cannot travel, think about how you can use Google Maps to show where certain people in your family lived, and make sure to accompany it with a voice clip.

Mementos, Medals, Certificates

Don't forget to incorporate any pieces of memorabilia that members of the family own by laying them out and recording them on film. A great idea is to have the owner of the memento describe on camera just what the significance of the memento is. Have the recipient of the award or medal explain just why they were presented with this award or what they did to receive the medal.

Organization

As you go along collecting information, make sure that you organize it well. Have dated and labeled folders so that everything is in the right place - it will make the final job of compiling your family tree digital video much easier.

Voice Clips

Whatever information you have about members of the family who have passed on, you can add it yourself - just show photographs and read into the voice recorder.

Editing

Once you have it all recorded and the voice clips in place, it's time to do some editing. This is where you will put in whatever special effects you want. Get as creative as you want, and this goes for visual as well as sound effects. If, for example, the video includes some wedding footage, play a little wedding music, put in some confetti effects and so on. It will be as good as you are creative. Once you're done, you will have a family tree digital video that you can share; pass it to as many relatives as you can and let them enjoy it!