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.

Courtney Holmes 17/4/25 Courtney Holmes 17/4/25

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.

Sophie Keyenberg | Website | Instagram

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.

Darcy Ferris | Website | Instagram

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!

Kristen Willden | Website | Instagram

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!

Breanna Kimes | Website | Instagram

🏆 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

LEARN FILMMAKING NOW

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. 🎥💛

Courtney Holmes 27/1/25 Courtney Holmes 27/1/25

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!

Brianna Nguyen | Website | Instagram

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.

Mayumi Johnston | Website | Instagram

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.

Breanna Kimes | Website | Instagram

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.

Paige Gotts | Website | Instagram

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.

Vanessa Condon | Website | Instagram

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.

Belinda Dorman | Website | Instagram