Learn how to shoot & edit video using the gear you already have, from anywhere in the world.
Join our nurturing + inclusive community of family filmmakers and learn how to make films you love.
Elevate your
photography business
with family films
Here at FilmingLife®, we bring together family photographers who are ready to level up their business by learning the skills necessary to create meaningful, story-driven family films.
Whether you’re a photographer who’s been in business for years, or you’re new to all of it.
At FilmingLife® we’re here to help you succeed.
Imagine this: You’re surrounded by a team of support and have all the resources you need to create the films you’re bursting to create.
The steps are all laid out for you.
No more scrolling through YouTube, searching through endless videos
full of promotions of the latest gear that influencer is obsessed with (we’ve all been there!).
Just you with a simple, straightforward plan to start creating the films you’ve always dreamed of.
Here’s what you’ll learn in our courses:
FilmingLife® is where
Heart + Storytelling
meets Creative Filmmaking
We believe that a special kind of magic happens when families slow down and invite us into their home to capture them in their space. It’s a collaboration of their willingness to be vulnerable and our ability to meet them where they’re at. The end result is a film and photos full of realness, and beauty, and love.
Learning how to make a film is about so much more than just completing a technical checklist of techniques. It’s about digging deep, finding the heart behind your subject, and telling THAT story.
Courtney Holmes
Founder & Lead Educator
Kylie Purtell
Community Manager & Educator
Our mission at FilmingLife® is to provide you with the knowledge and skills you need, to be able to craft the kinds of stories that you want to tell. To create a welcoming space where you can connect with other creatives, as you learn and grow as an artist. And to nuture a community of filmmakers who will be there to support you along your journey and celebrate your success.
It’s our mission to see you succeed in family filmmaking so that you can feel confident about giving this gift of memory preservation to yourself and to others.
listen to our podcast
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listen to our podcast 〰️
Our Courses
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“Your ability to anticipate what we need to know is masterful. Also, I appreciated that when it came to gear, for example, there was never more than 2 recommendations (from what I remember), which was helpful in terms of not feeling overwhelmed. None of the information was overwhelming, only simply (yet deeply!) explained, and presented clearly and beautifully on the site. I appreciated the balance of delivery of instruction -- reading vs. video tutorial vs. YouTube source — all so well considered (LOVED the docs). You're a great teacher!! “
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“Such an amazing course; I took this course for a second time after the Academy courses had been revamped in 2020, and the extra tips sprinkled throughout were awesome. The tip about creating a culling sequence of all your clips before you start assembling your film was GENIUS, not to mention the tip about keyboard shortcuts for labelling the and organizing the clips for audio, b-roll, etc. Thank you for being such an amazing resource for continued learning about filmmaking; you guys are the best!”
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“I loved the Color Grading Fundamentals Course. It was really well organized and I got so much out of this course. I find color grading a bit overwhelming so this helped break it down into sections I could focus on, step by step. There was so much in this course that I am definitely going back through it again. Thank you Courtney for sharing your knowledge and putting together such a wonderful course!”
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“Although I’m not experienced with video - I have had my photography business for 4 years now and thought I was pretty across portfolio building strategies - so I was really pleasantly surprised that I was able to take so much away from this course ! So many things I hadn’t thought of before and it has given me some really clear strategies moving forward to go into film portfolio sessions with a confident approach ! Feeling very inspired - thank you kylie !!”
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“I loved the organization of how it was laid out. I have previously taken a course similar to this so I had the bones of a marketing plan were already in place but I hadn't decided to make the full switch to family films until recently. I was able to pull out that old marketing plan, pull things I wanted to keep from it and develop a whole new marketing plan for going forward. It was also nice to be able to actually put pen to paper, so to speak, with my goals and steps to take. I'm curious to see how my time frame for things pans out. I liked adding a monthly calendar reminder to help me check in & time block my time. A lot of my current goals are in the works so it makes me excited to hopefully see some positive outcome.”
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“Another great course!! Full of detailed information which is explained simply.”
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“Amazing! Thank you for being so generous with explaining and sharing your process. It was very helpful to see the process from start to finish and getting insight into developing an effective workflow. Thank you!!!”
Film by: Courtney Holmes
Photographs can capture a moment in time but video gives you the ability to re-live that moment.
Combine moving images with audio, and the capacity for meaningful storytelling is endless.
The demand for high quality video content is growing by the day, and families are starting to jump on board. This is the perfect time to diversify what you offer. To get ahead of the trend and be one of the first in your area to offer films as a part of your business.
After joining, our members have said they:
Stopped feeling overwhelmed by thought of making films and started actually making them.
Spent less time searching for answers and more time creating films they love.
Leveled up their business with our guides and templates which made adding films to their business so much easier.
Gained the confidence they needed to find their artistic voice and create films that make an impact.
Your monthly membership includes:
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You get access to all of our premuim courses with no extra charge for our Live Educational UPSKILL mastermind calls
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You’ll have access to our FilmingLife® Network where members can ask questions, share their work, and support one another.
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Hang out with us LIVE on zoom where we talk about business and filmmaking in a collaborative environment.
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Your membership includes access to the filminglife® arthouse where we lead members through a film project dedicated to a specific theme. Each arthouse includes educational tutorials & inspiration to create new films!
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you can study at your own pace, and come and go as you please.
Don’t just take it from us, here’s what our members are saying:
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“Everyone is so nice and so helpful in the network. I love the zoom meetings and how it’s all so flexible so I can work it in with my busy mum life. I love the video demonstrations in the course content, it really helps."
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“I like how you break the course into bite sized pieces. The information seems detailed but not so detailed that it’s overwhelming. I liked the video sample of how you broke down the music to the footage as I’m not super musical. How you explained the process of selecting music made the choice much clearer and also what to listen for clarified a lot for me. One thing I have really noticed is how my photography is becoming more layered through doing these courses.”
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“I love the videos where we can watch step by step editing as well as the behind the scenes filming families that Courtney did.”
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“I like the mixture of written, spoken and visual form. Love that Courtney as a founder with all the other girls that now run the courses are available for Q&A, live calls, and that the community is very much alive. Or how to put it :). I don’t feel like I was tempted into a course and then left with material to download - have seen that “hands off” approach many times after someone successfully launched a project/business. So I am very grateful here it is quite the opposite. A very friendly and supportive group - not too small, not too big, you get to know most of the names and people, feels like a family, really. Saying that, the projects and challenges (and the support for it from you gals), is what will keep me intrigued and never want to quit my subscription :)."”
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“FilmingLife® 101 was great and really easy to follow—a few of my favorite things—since I’ve been a photographer for years so since this was made from a photographer’s perspective everything made sense. It makes me excited to try to make films, and opened my eyes to new ideas to integrate films into my business quickly!”
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“It all seems so achievable and I think that comes from Courtney’s relaxed and positive vibes. There’s so much great information but I don’t at all feel bombarded by it. I know enough now to get started and getting started is the main thing! :)”
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“I love how organized all of the courses are and all of the video content for learning. I feel as though I learn best through video. The “watch me shoot and edit” videos are so helpful! The network is better then I ever could have imagined-I love how helpful and encouraging other filmmakers are in this community.”
Frequently asked questions
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The biggest difference between FilmingLife® and the CreativeLive class is the depth and amount of content included in the courses along with access to Courtney for Q&A and critique plus all the support you’ll receive through the FilmingLife® Network. At FilmingLife® you get access to more editing tutorials and case studies, as well as a lot more in depth information on working with families and more recent behind the scenes videos, plus you get access to tons more content through our classes on business, sound design, and more. Think of the CreativeLive class as a beginner class, and the Academy as the next step afterwards. There’s a lot more to learn than the basics! The CreativeLive class just scratches the surface!
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There are lots of places online where you can buy a filmmaking course outright, but we aren't one of them. We update our content regularly, add new courses each year, and put a lot of effort into providing you with up to date education and resources on a daily basis. In addition to that, we are actively invested in your progress through our participation in the FilmingLife® Network on a daily basis. This is the reason our Academy is subscription based instead based on a one time purchase model. We actually think it's better for our students in the long run to have access to up to date content as they need and want it, and to be part of a thriving community of filmmaker's who have the same goals.
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No, you're not locked in to the membership plans, although we do suggest a commitment of at least 6 months to ensure you get the most out of your membership. We understand that people learn at different speeds based on their availability and circumstances, so there is no obligation and you can cancel at anytime!
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We can’t offer credits or refunds to members who don’t log in during their active subscription. We encourage you to log in and keep track of your time so that you’re dedicating at least an hour a week to either learning or engaging with the community while your subscription is active. You are free to cancel your membership at any time during your billing cycle, through logging into your account and accessing your details in your account profile.
Cancellations must be made at least 3 days before the end of the billing period to have time to process in our system. You will be able to set your account to cancel at the end of your billing cycle and still access the content through the remainder of the month. If you have any questions or issues cancelling your membership please contact us using the chat box in the bottom right corner of the screen.
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+ You will need to own a DSLR or Mirrorless Camera with video functionality, any wide angle prime lens, and a camera strap in working order.
+ You will also need a fast SD or CF card made for filming. You do not need to have any audio equipment to do this course, in camera audio is fine.
+ Computer with at least 16gb RAM (32GB is better) and enough memory/storage to work with video files.
+ A subscription to Adobe Premiere Pro CC (or you can also use Final Cut Pro or another editing software)
+ A stretchy camera strap (our favourite is a scarf strap)
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You need to be comfortable shooting in manual mode. All courses are taught with the assumption that the photographer has a competent working knowledge of their camera settings and how to achieve correct exposure in manual mode.
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Courtney just uses her camera strap to stabilize, and all demonstrations you'll see are done without any gear apart from her camera strap. She does discuss the options for stabilization gear, but it is not a requirement to go out and buy any of them.
Courtney recommends using in camera audio to start with so you do not need a microphone to do the course. She does provide links and information on microphones should you decide to purchase one, but it is not a requirement to go out and buy one beforehand.
Courtney uses only natural light during her sessions. You do not need to purchase any lights prior to joining the school.
Have questions not answered above?