FILM SHOWCASE
Final Project Showcase for FilmingLife® Students
Welcome to our Final Project Film Showcase Gallery—a space dedicated to celebrating the creativity and storytelling of our FilmingLife® Academy members. Here, you’ll find inspiring final projects from the live runs of our courses, including Filmmaking Foundations and Advanced Storytelling. Each film is a heartfelt reflection of the moments that matter most, created by filmmakers who’ve embraced the art of crafting meaningful, story-driven family films. Take a moment to watch, feel inspired, and imagine what you could create with a little guidance and a lot of passion.
Final Project Showcase: Advanced Storytelling Live Run Feb-April 2025
Watch the powerful final projects from the first live run of our Advanced Storytelling for Family Films course. These student films showcase emotional storytelling, creative editing, and intentional structure—all built through hands-on lessons in pacing, sound design, and story arc. Discover how family filmmakers transformed real moments into meaningful, cinematic narratives.
This was our very first live run of Advanced Storytelling for Family Films, and honestly — we were blown away.
Over the course of eight weeks, members of FilmingLife® Academy went deep into the craft of storytelling. This wasn’t just about filming beautiful footage. It was about uncovering the emotional core of a story, choosing structure with intention, and crafting edits that move people.
Here’s what we explored together:
In Module 1, we unpacked what storytelling really means in family films — diving into emotional arcs, different story structures, pacing, and story beats. Students learned how to apply those tools to real family footage and started seeing their edits in a whole new light.
In Module 2, we went behind the edit. Members studied BTS footage from a real client session, learned how to identify emotional through-lines, and organized footage to create momentum and meaning.
In Module 3, we focused on music and audio — how to choose the right song, how to use music for structure and emotional tone, and how to align visuals and sound to create dynamic, layered storytelling.
In Module 4, we refined the films with subtle visual and audio polish — from color grading and sound design to transitions, final tweaks, and storytelling through soundscapes.
Throughout the course, students completed creative challenges, studied real film examples, and worked toward a single goal: to create a final project that told a deeper story.
What they delivered was powerful.
⬇️ Scroll down to watch their films.
You’ll see:
Films rooted in truth, memory, and emotion
Thoughtful use of pacing, structure, and sound
Storytelling choices that make you feel something
To everyone who joined this first live run — thank you for showing up, doing the work, and telling your stories with so much heart.
You’ve set the bar high.
Watch the Showcase
This is a story about the importance of filming your family. It took me years to be able to watch the footage without crying. This archival footage captured years ago by my father, before my existence, proves just how crucial it is to record your history. I have been able to not just tell my children about the beautiful souls that guide and guard us but able to show them. Our faith and family is everything to us. The traditions that we continue year after year is the generational wealth I pray to pass down to future generations. I am grateful to this course and to all who participated for sharing wisdom and support every step of the way. This has been a project within me that although it is not what I expected it to be in the end - I am just so happy to share it with my family. Especially my parents.
Julia Xanthos-Liddy | Website | Instagram
For the Advanced Storytelling final project I felt like I had my spark back! After completing the Filmmaking Foundations Live Run, and then add in ALL THE LEARNING from Advanced StoryTelling, I finally could feel my north star guiding me again - everything felt so much clearer - from my ideal family, to getting back to golden hour (I used to LOVE golden hour, why I stopped shooting then just astounds me!).
Anyway, I feel like I am back to capturing and editing films in a more naturalistic, instinct driven way.
I still have to get out of my head and not overthink things too much. I feel much more content being able to cull from the timeline and more selective about what goes onto the timeline now!
I did have to go back and reshoot the UNO section of this film as I had taken their guidance of "these games last forever" and snuck off to shoot some b-roll.. then suddenly the game was finished. Wouldn't you know, when I returned for the reshoot... the game lasted a good 10 minutes! They also had new chickens at my second visit, and the middle child had acquired a good scrape on his face... This really helped me dive into a non linear edit and look at the story of their family without it being a "first we, and then, and last".
The film is a homage to a childhood spent in the golden sun, soaking in the love and life their parents are sharing with them. Truly finding joy in life simple pleasures; a tree to climb, trucks in the dirt and feeding the chooks!
This film was shot a year ago during a backyard mini shoot with a returning family, but for a long time, I struggled to bring it to life in a way that felt true to the emotional connection I witnessed. It sat unfinished until I took the Advanced Storytelling Live Run course. The course gave me the push, tools, and clarity I needed to finally complete this film in a way I’m proud of.
What changed most for me was learning how to better shape the emotional arc and structure of the story. I focused on creating intentional emotional beats and using pacing to draw out the warmth, and connection. Rather than just compiling moments, I worked to craft a visual narrative that reflects the love, movement, and small joys of this family's time together in my backyard.
Michelle Hughes | Website | Instagram
A scorching afternoon spent with a lively family of three young girls, diving into the heart of their favourite Sunday rituals. There were cockatoos overhead and s’mores by the firepit, because what six-year-old can resist that?—and the joyful chaos of a gangly pup who insisted on being everyone’s shadow. Despite the heat and a camera that nearly gave up, the magic was there: in the laughter, the movement, the beautiful mess of it all.
Thanks to the guidance from Advanced Storytelling, I was able to find and frame the real story—connection, joy, and love—captured and preserved forever.
Belinda Dorman | Website | Instagram
A maternity and Fresh 48 film.
The first time I assembled this film, it felt like there were two separate stories- maternity and newborn. But after taking Advanced Storytelling, I changed the music and the clips I used, keeping the story arc in mind. Now, it finally feels like one complete story.
In this film, conflict appears through the playful moments of the family preparing for the new baby, the daughter's curiosity, and the quiet excitement before heading to the hospital. These moments give way to calm, tender scenes after the baby's arrival, like the parents speaking softly to the newborn and the big sister meeting the baby for the first time.
Much like everything that comes out of FLA, this course has honestly been such an inspiring experience. It’s so thoughtfully and skilfully put together and I haven’t learnt and been this enthralled by something in such a long time. It lit a creative fire and reminded me just how powerful storytelling through film can be.
One of the biggest things I took away is how much of the real storytelling happens in the edit. It's something I knew already but didn't fully trust in myself. This course has given me so much more confidence to trust that process, and I know it’s something I’ll keep getting better at with every film I make. I've also noticed that the more I edit, the sharper my eye becomes when I'm filming. I’m realising more and more what’s missing, what’s needed, and how to capture the pieces that make the story whole. It helped bust habits I didn’t even realise I had and has completely reshaped how I approach building a narrative.
Like every session I walk into, I wanted this film to feel like a memory you can step back into.The easy comfort of being with your people, completely at ease. It’s always the little things like the small rituals, the easy laughter, the way they move around each other that quietly say, this is us. That’s what I wanted this film to hold onto for them.
Paige Gotts | Website | Instagram
I learnt so much during this live run of Advanced Storytelling. I didn't realise the depth to storytelling before and my eyes have been opened after being a part of this course. Also I don't think I would have grasped the course content as much if I didn't complete this final assignment. There's something about starting from scratch and actually having to put into practice what you have learnt.
My assignment is a film of a family who are going on a journey of renovating their home after many years living there with their growing family. It celebrates the building as it is today before they demolish part of it and also the Mum is an architect and has been working hard on the design for the renovation. I love to layer different scenes to help tell the story and I have done that in a few different ways in this film. I have learnt SO MUCH going through this process of putting together the pieces like a jigsaw. It feels good to complete it as I haven't done many family films with clients yet so this will help me on my way to hopefully offering it to clients soon.
I'm so grateful for everyone's contribution and support through the live run and Courtney and Kylie are incredible teachers- THANK YOU!
Vanessa Condon | Website | Instagram
In a perfect world I would have been able to create a film with a mom dad and child, but unfortunately the Childs father didn't want to participate. With having one of the characters in the film being a very fast 2 year old, it made capturing footage that would flow seamlessly pretty difficult. I think I was able to manage with what I had pretty well for the final outcome of this film. I hope you watch this and feel the same.
This is the same film I had my critique call with Courtney. I rewatched all the footage I had and really worked hard to be able to take all her feedback and put it into action. I finally feel like things are clicking after this film. I was able to produce another film just recently and I have another film in the books to record next month. I hope to continue to grow with each one! Courtney has really been so helpful for my journey. I even feel like my photography has grown from the feedback given from this film.
Emily Hallifax | Website | Instagram
🏆 And the Winners Are...
We’re excited to announce the winners of our Advanced Storytelling Awards!
Best Supporter
Belinda Dorman
Belinda’s behind-the-scenes posts, reflections on the process, and celebration of others helped build the kind of community we value so much. Thank you, Belinda, for spreading the love and creativity! 🌟
Most Improved Film Award
Emily Hallifax
Emily came into this course with a clear goal: to push herself. And she absolutely did.
Her final film showed massive growth — in both technical execution and storytelling strength. Her pacing, her use of transitions, her ability to hold emotional tension from start to finish — it was all there.
Watching her confidence grow over the course of the live run was one of the highlights for us. Emily, we see the work you put in, and we’re so proud of where it’s led you.
Best Film Award
Julia Xanthos-Liddy
Julia’s film was deeply moving — a piece about family, legacy, and the power of archival footage to bridge generations. What stood out most was her intention behind every decision: her use of voiceover, her pacing, her integration of old and new footage. All of it came together to tell a story that wasn’t just personal — it was universally resonant.
“Editing this project has been a healing experience for me. It took me years to be able to watch the footage without crying… This archival footage captured years ago by my father, before my existence, proves just how crucial it is to record your history.” – Julia
The way she brought her personal history into this film — and connected it to the future she’s building for her own family — was breathtaking. The techniques she used weren’t just learned. They were lived. A truly powerful film.
Learn filmmaking with us!
If these films sparked something in you — a pull to go deeper, to tell stories that matter — we’d love to have you join us inside FilmingLife® Academy.
The Advanced Storytelling for Family Films course is available as a self-study option year-round, and we run it live once each year.
Whether you’re coming in with years of client work or just starting to find your voice, this course will help you refine your storytelling, sharpen your edits, and create films that feel more like you.
⬇️ Join the Academy or join the waitlist for the next live run
Join the Waitlist for the Next Live Run:
Let’s Celebrate Together!
We hope you enjoy watching these films as much as we did. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below or tag us on social media @filminglifeacademy if you’re inspired to start your own filmmaking journey.
Congratulations again to our award winners, and a huge thank you to everyone who participated. Your films are a true testament to the power of storytelling. 🎥💛
Final Project Showcase: Filmmaking Foundations Live Run Jan-March 2025
Real stories. Real families. Real growth. Take a look at the beautiful keepsake and client films created by students in our most recent live run of Filmmaking Foundations for Photographers.
Every time we run the Filmmaking Foundations for Photographers course live, we’re blown away by what our students create.
This round was no different.
Over the last few weeks, students worked through each module with guidance, support, and encouragement from the FilmingLife® Academy community. They learned how to switch from photo to video, capture motion with intention, edit their footage into meaningful story-driven films — and most importantly, tell stories that matter.
The goal was to create a short keepsake or client film using the skills they’d learned.
What they delivered? So much more than that.
Why These Films Matter
Some students chose to document a moment from their personal lives.
Others chose to create something beautiful for a client.
Both approaches are equally valid, powerful, and meaningful.
What connects all of these films is the heart behind them — the commitment to telling a real story, to noticing the little moments that matter, and to growing as a filmmaker.
This project was about:
learning to shoot and edit with purpose
building confidence behind the video record button
seeing the story in both the everyday and the work you do for others
What You’ll See Below
Each student shared their final film as part of our course wrap-up.
Some were nervous to hit “submit.”
Others weren’t sure their film was “good enough.”
But they all pushed through and shared something they were proud of.
⬇️ Scroll down to watch their films.
You’ll see:
real-life chaos, not perfectly curated scenes
laughter, connection, and beautifully imperfect moments
the start of something amazing
To the Students Who Shared Their Work...
You should be incredibly proud.
Not just of the final film, but of the time, love, and energy you poured into learning this skill.
You’ve taken the first big step in your filmmaking journey — and we can’t wait to see where you take it next.
Watch the Keepsake Film Showcase
What a precious gift it is, to get this assignment. A keepsake film. Thinking about what I could use as a theme of my keepsake film, wasn't a hard task. I've been struggling being a mom of 3 little kiddo's. They make a mess, they need help, they always call 'Moooooom' and never their dad, ... I need time for myself. And when I have that time, I probably use it watching photos and movies of them... So I wanted to really realize what it will look like when they'll be gone and leave the house. Because there's clutter, there are dirty windows, and there is a whole lot of dishes to do. But the house is alive. There's sound. It's not silent. It's full. Life is full. And with a poem I got from Lois Kruidenier, I wanted to show what it's like now, and to make people (parents) realize that this time isn't forever.
Well we're blessed to have four Grandkids, this is no 2. He's the sweetest boy with a heart of gold. Always thinking of others it's hard to get him to sit still lol. He did rather well and was surprisingly chilled throughout the whole process.
John Hollis | Instagram
This is a keepsake family film of my two girls, in their own spaces and how they are together. I have absolutely loved documenting them in this way, I have so much more skill to learn. I’m so happy to have this as a keepsake… not only as it is of my own girls at this age, but also as a keepsake of how much I have learned thus far!
Ashley Carruthers | Website | Instagram
TN had a week of snow and during January. A new photographer had posted about wanting a family session and I asked if I could do a little video with no promises on how it'd turn out. My fingers were frozen, the little boy screamed the whole time (instead of laughing) so there's minimal audio with him. However, it was a great learning experience. I was recording willy nilly and when I went to put it together it was hard because I didn't think about how clips could flow if I had paid closer attention to who was where, who was interacting with who and the bigger picture. I pulled audio from different clips when it came to the little boy giggling and the snow crunching.
I wanted to film a Japanese family in a traditional Japanese home since moving to Tokyo. I’m so happy I had the opportunity to capture this beautiful family in their element. The mother mentioned that the younger boy tends to be shy around others and often experiences stranger danger, so it was especially meaningful to see him open up.
One of my biggest challenges is letting go of the clips I take. Just like with photos, it’s hard to cull my footage, but I’m working on it. I also struggle with finding the right music, which always takes forever. There’s still so much to learn about videography, but I’m glad I took on this challenge!
This is a moving portrait of my daughter with a love letter from her dad. I loved making this film. I put so much love it in and it's one close to my heart. It's one of the first films I made, because I just started operating a camera. But filmmaking has already won me over. The foundations course was so valuable and made me a lot more confident in operating my camera. During the course we talked about the challenges of filming inside (especially with the small windows in Holland), so I challenged myself to film it all indoors (different rooms). I tried to shot match everything. Also focused on using the different angles and shot types we learned about. And the most important thing I wanted to catch were 'interactions' instead of just 'actions'. I'm very proud and happy with the end result.
PS: the film is in our native language Dutch but with "cc" you can enable subtitles.
Inge Latour | Instagram
This was meant to be a keepsake of my friends playing scrabble. In the final lesson we discussed how adding a short interview would help tell the story of her victories post stroke. Then, after filming, I discovered that my brand new microphone was not switched on. (Headphones broke earlier in the day, and I saw levels in the camera and assumed all was fine... lesson learned.)
Since grandma was subsequently unavailable in the week for a new game, we got creative with the interview.
The family was absolutely awesome to work with. They're all beyond pleased, and a bit emotional in loving the film. I take that as a victory over my blunder!
🏆 And the Winners Are...
We’re excited to announce the winners of our Filmmaking Foundations Keepsake Film Prizes!
Social Media Sharing Prize
Kristen Willden wins 6 months of FilmingLife® Academy membership for her enthusiastic sharing of her experience throughout the course on social media, and her passion for inspiring and encouraging others. Thank you, Kristen, for spreading the love and creativity! 🌟
Best Film Award
I’m so excited to announce that the winner of Best Film Award and 12 month Membership to FilmingLife® Academy is Inge Latour.
Inge’s film was a love letter from her husband to their daughter — and it was stunning. The emotion, the storytelling, the way she captured those tiny, meaningful moments — I honestly couldn’t stop watching.
She pushed herself technically too — filming entirely indoors, working with challenging light, and editing everything together so beautifully. Her growth from where she started to this final film was huge, and I’m just so proud of what she’s created.
Well done, Inge. You absolutely nailed it.
Learn filmmaking with us!
If these films have inspired you to explore filmmaking and create your own keepsake film, we’d love to welcome you to FilmingLife® Academy! Whether you're just starting out or looking to refine your skills, our Filmmaking Foundations for Photographers course is designed to help you confidently switch from stills to motion and craft story-driven family films you’ll treasure forever.
You have two ways to join us:
Start Right Now: The course is available as a SELF-STUDY OPTION, so you can dive in immediately and learn at your own pace.
Wait for the Next Live Run: Prefer to learn with guidance and community support? Join the waitlist for the next live run of the course, where you’ll receive real-time feedback, participate in group discussions, and have access to live Q&A sessions with Courtney.
No matter which path you choose, we can’t wait to help you turn your passion for storytelling into meaningful, heartfelt films. Let’s create something unforgettable together! 🎥✨
⬇️ Join Now or Join the Waitlist
Join the Waitlist for the Next Live Run:
Let’s Celebrate Together!
We hope you enjoy watching these films as much as we did. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below or tag us on social media @filminglifeacademy if you’re inspired to start your own filmmaking journey.
Congratulations again to Inge and Kristen, and a huge thank you to everyone who participated. Your films are a true testament to the power of storytelling. 🎥💛
Heartfelt Family Films: A Showcase of Keepsake Films from the Filmmaking Foundations Course (Nov-Dec 2024)
Discover the heartfelt keepsake films created during our Filmmaking Foundations live run (Nov-Dec 2024). Celebrate creativity, meet the winners, and get inspired to craft your own story-driven family film. Join now or join the waitlist for our next live run!
At FilmingLife® Academy, we love celebrating the incredible creativity and talent of our members. The Filmmaking Foundations for Photographers course was all about teaching photographers how to switch their cameras from stills to motion and create meaningful, story-driven keepsake films.
And now, we're thrilled to share the results with you!
The Keepsake Film Showcase
Below, you’ll find a collection of stunning films created by our course participants. Each one is a beautiful reflection of the love, connection, and everyday magic within their families. We’re so proud of the effort and heart they’ve poured into their work.
Click play on the videos below to watch their keepsake films:
For this project I had big dreams about creating something about our recent travels around Australia but realised that was a much bigger longer term project that I will continue to work on. Instead I set about capturing these sweet quiet moments at home with my son and him building this Star Wars set that he was so excited about. I have loved the live run of the filmmaking foundations course I have completed these past months. I am so excited to continue to learn and be part of this amazing community.
Natasha Wakefield | Website | Instagram
All the chaos and glimmers of calm with two children. Long summer nights and Christmas traditions. Children of course being their wildly unpredictable selves and the tornado of ideas unfurling! I was a bit lost about how to weave the two components of the advent book and playfulness together, but think with Courtneys guidance on anchor footage, this has been worth the challenge! Not as much audio as I usually love, but enough to remember the voices!
Each year my kids' grandma writes them a letter in their birthday card. She talks about what they're like at that age and what she likes about them. I got fixated on this idea of filming her reading the card, giving them the gift of her voice as well as her words.
This was my first completed film, which was a huge mental barrier for me. Completing the practice footage editing in the FilmingLife® Foundations course helped my confidence and workflow, though, and I was surprised how easily this came together. The lighting (and therefore colouring) in this room is also very challenging for both photographs and film, so I focused on properly lighting skin where possible, even if it meant sacrificing detail in the highlights.
Chelsea Wiseman | Website | Instagram
The Filmmaking Foundations course gave me an amazing opportunity to revisit the fundamentals of family filmmaking and create my own keepsake holiday video. I’m so grateful for this chance!
As a non-native English speaker and a naturally shy person, I didn’t attend any calls. However, I’m determined to overcome this and hopefully participate in some business calls next year😅
For this film, I focused on using overlays to enhance the holiday mood and add some visual interest. I’ve always avoided double exposure because I didn’t feel confident using it. But this project pushed me to practice, and I used it a lot in this video—I’m so glad I stepped out of my comfort zone!
I know many of you started your journey as family photographers, but I’m not one of them. While this sometimes feels like a disadvantage, being part of this incredible community has been such a gift. I see it as my advantage—having the opportunity to learn from and grow alongside so many talented filmmakers.
We do so much as parents to be ready for our children. We spend time thinking about them and meditating on what we've done and how to keep making the right choices.
In this project, I was deeply challenged by my teens not wanting to be recorded. Of course, I understand, and what is this if I can't honor that?! So, I was thinking about filming my husband's morning routine. Then during the class it talked about the story and storyboarding. Courtney had encouraged me to work on my "cause and affect," and I thought I should try it. This concept of double exposing with memories emerged.
It was a fabulous opportunity to learn doing this live run. The accountability definitely helped me to learn and make something WAAAY beyond what I had made before. It gave me loads of inspiration and ideas, and determination to vary my shots, capture faces, include music and heart into the soul of a film, and work more with story-telling in every video, even personal ones.
Thank you for being so patient, kind, positive, and informative to everyone at ever pass in this course.
Life often feels like a whirlwind - busy, chaotic, and full of endless snacks. But nestled within the hustle are those quiet moments that mean everything. Laughter over breakfast, playing with new Christmas presents or a sleepy reading nook allowing you to soak up the last light of the day. This video aims to capture the beauty of those fleeting, everyday connections - the moments that ground us, even amidst the chaos.
As a first project I am pleased to get this done. In a few months, once I have had more practice, I know this one will probably make cringe, but you have to start somewhere, right?! This was probably my biggest challenge - it not being “just so”. However, I’m glad to have started, to be getting more familiar with my camera and filming techniques. I have been most surprised about how it is similar but SO different from taking photos and am loving embracing thinking a little differently.
Annie Crane | Website | Instagram
This isn’t the film I originally set out to make. I had planned to document the bedtime routine with my youngest (with me in the frame too), but as I started editing, the film evolved into something more. I wasn’t planning to do a voiceover or to include any older footage, but it just felt right and a voiceover is something I’ve always wanted to try.
So, here it is - a love letter film to my youngest boy, Alfie.
I’m incredibly grateful for this live run with FLA and everyone in the group. I never would have made this film otherwise!
I think this is my third time doing the Foundations course since 2019, and Courtney, it keeps getting better every time..like wow) I always come away with new insights. There’s so much value in revisiting the basics and it’s been humbling in many ways. It has reminded me how important it is to keep learning and growing and this experience has truly reignited my motivation to continue improving my skills.
My keepsake film is about how my husband has always valued reading to our kids. The film has a thread of them reading one of our favourite books "What We''ll Build" by Oliver Jeffers. The words in the book also tell a story of our lives together and I experimented with layering other footage of our family around the house in ways that light helps tell the story.
I am a very visual person and could picture scenes I wanted in my film in my head but I experienced challenges with transferring that into actual video when the kids had their on plans! I had feelings of wanting to give up when it seem too difficult to create, but I have grown by pushing through and not giving up.
A major inspiration for this film was recreating the light I had photographed in the kids bedroom into video but when I checked the light in the bedroom I realised the photos were taken in Winter when the sun was in a different position. That meant that now that it's Summer the sun was completely blocked by trees and I couldn't find that same light. I was pretty devastated but was determined to find this light for my film. No other windows in my house had that light either and I really wanted to spray water on the glass to create bokeh. So I drove to my mum's house and sure enough found that her back glass door was in a great position for sunset so we filmed this section there.
I also experimented with free lensing while videoing for the first time and absolutely loved the dreamy blurred effect that helped with my storytelling.
I find it hard to create strong emotional pulls/stories when on holidays but decided to try centre this film around their sibling relationship and make it a bit punchier/fun than my usual edit/songs. I think I find it difficult because holidaying with children this age is already hard and busy let alone finding the opportunity to pull out the camera and record in between sand, wet swimmers, sticky hands, watching kids and traffic and always lagging behind. I made it through by trying to remain present, just getting the camera out and leaving it around my neck more and letting my husband take care of the kids more when I was filming.
At their age I also used to holiday at Noosa, annually we would drive from Melbourne in just over a day and spend two weeks there. When I was ten we moved there, Mum and Dad still live in the same house and I still consider the coast 'home', I find it hard to leave and hope one day we may get to live there also. Another reason why a keepsake film here is extra special for me, I considered a VoiceOver with a bit of that story but felt it distracted from it being about them.
🏆 And the Winners Are...
We’re excited to announce the winners of our Filmmaking Foundations Keepsake Film Prizes!
Social Media Sharing Prize
Brianna Nguyen wins 6 months of FilmingLife® Academy membership for her enthusiastic sharing of her experience throughout the course on social media, and her passion for inspiring and encouraging others. Thank you, Brianna, for spreading the love and creativity! 🌟
Best Film Award
Vanessa Condon has been awarded 12 months of FilmingLife® Academy membership for her stunning film. Vanessa’s keepsake film stood out for its heartfelt storytelling, creative vision, and dedication to bringing a deeply personal story to life. Her film beautifully weaves together moments of her husband reading to their children, using the book "What We’ll Build" by Oliver Jeffers as a central thread. The book’s words reflect their family’s journey, while Vanessa masterfully layered footage of everyday moments around the house, using light to enhance the narrative.
What truly set Vanessa’s film apart was her perseverance and experimentation. She overcame creative challenges, like adapting her vision when seasonal light shifts disrupted her plans, and even went the extra mile—literally—by driving to her mum’s house to capture the perfect sunset light for a key scene. Her exploration of free lensing added a dreamy, blurred quality that elevated the emotional tone of her story.
Vanessa’s film is a testament to resilience, creativity, and the magic of capturing meaningful moments in a way only she could. Congratulations, Vanessa! 🎉
Learn filmmaking with us!
If these films have inspired you to explore filmmaking and create your own keepsake film, we’d love to welcome you to FilmingLife® Academy! Whether you're just starting out or looking to refine your skills, our Filmmaking Foundations for Photographers course is designed to help you confidently switch from stills to motion and craft story-driven family films you’ll treasure forever.
You have two ways to join us:
Start Right Now: The course is available as a SELF-STUDY OPTION, so you can dive in immediately and learn at your own pace.
Wait for the Next Live Run: Prefer to learn with guidance and community support? Join the waitlist for the next live run of the course, where you’ll receive real-time feedback, participate in group discussions, and have access to live Q&A sessions with Courtney.
No matter which path you choose, we can’t wait to help you turn your passion for storytelling into meaningful, heartfelt films. Let’s create something unforgettable together! 🎥✨
⬇️ Join Now or Join the Waitlist
Join the Waitlist for the Next Live Run:
Let’s Celebrate Together!
We hope you enjoy watching these films as much as we did. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below or tag us on social media @filminglifeacademy if you’re inspired to start your own filmmaking journey.
Congratulations again to Vanessa and Brianna, and a huge thank you to everyone who participated. Your films are a true testament to the power of storytelling. 🎥💛