Family History Videos Made Easy - May 2026
Master Family Video Stories—The Simple Way
Stop feeling overwhelmed by complex editing software. This course cuts through the noise by focusing on one powerful, easy-to-use tool: Animoto. You’ll learn how to craft a compelling script and turn your research into a professional-quality video in record time. While these storytelling principles work anywhere, we’ll dive deep into one platform so you can walk away with a finished project and the confidence to make many more.
Experience Interactive Learning with an Expert
This three-hour session is designed to immerse you in a hands-on learning experience. Led by genealogy expert Rhonda Lauritzen you’ll benefit from:
- Expert Guidance: Learn directly from a renowned genealogy professional.
- Practical Handouts: Access downloadable resources to enhance your learning.
- PLUS - Receive the eBook "Writing Your Family History" ($19.99 value) FREE
What You’ll Learn
- The Power of Video: Discover why video is the ultimate medium for connecting with your family and triggering an emotional response that static photos can’t match.
- Defining Your Voice: Learn to choose the right narrative "point of view" through a guided exercise—using real-world movie trailer examples as your inspiration.
- The Story-Gathering Process: Master a repeatable workflow for collecting the essential "ingredients" for any family history project.
- Storyboarding & Scripting: Learn the professional secret to "pre-visualizing" your video before you even open an editing app.
- Finding the "Heart" of the Story: Identify the key emotional hooks that keep viewers watching, whether your video is 30 seconds or 10 minutes long.
- Step-by-Step Production: Follow a clear roadmap from start to finish.
- Source Your Media: Tips for digitizing your collection and finding high-quality "filler" footage and historical images.
- The Animoto Deep-Dive: A hands-on guide to picking templates, uploading media, and selecting the perfect soundtrack.
- Polishing Your Project: Learn to narrate your story, use text overlays, and master the "drag-and-drop" layout for a professional look.
- Sharing Your Legacy: Get your video out of your computer and into the hands (and hearts) of your relatives with easy sharing strategies.
By the end of this course you'll be able to:
- Hands-On Learning from Hour One: Move beyond theory with interactive exercises that turn "how-to" into "done."
- The "Getting Started" Breakthrough: Overcome the biggest hurdle—starting—by building your project live during the session.
- Real-Time Expert Troubleshooting: Get immediate answers to your specific Animoto questions as you work, with live screen-sharing to guide you through any "sticky" spots.
- Community Insight: Learn from the real-world questions of your fellow students, gaining tips and creative ideas you might not have thought of on your own.
- Boosted Creative Confidence: Trade "tech-intimidation" for excitement as you see how fun and intuitive video storytelling can actually be.
- A Clear Path to Completion: Leave the workshop with a functional project and the momentum you need to hit "publish" on your family legacy.
Tell Their Story. Make it Video. Keep it Simple.
Master Family Video Stories—The Simple Way
Stop feeling overwhelmed by complex editing software. This course cuts through the noise by focusing on one powerful, easy-to-use tool: Animoto. You’ll learn how to craft a compelling script and turn your research into a professional-quality video in record time. While these storytelling principles work anywhere, we’ll dive deep into one platform so you can walk away with a finished project and the confidence to make many more.
Experience Interactive Learning with an Expert
This three-hour session is designed to immerse you in a hands-on learning experience. Led by genealogy expert Rhonda Lauritzen you’ll benefit from:
- Expert Guidance: Learn directly from a renowned genealogy professional.
- Practical Handouts: Access downloadable resources to enhance your learning.
- PLUS - Receive the eBook "Writing Your Family History" ($19.99 value) FREE
What You’ll Learn
- The Power of Video: Discover why video is the ultimate medium for connecting with your family and triggering an emotional response that static photos can’t match.
- Defining Your Voice: Learn to choose the right narrative "point of view" through a guided exercise—using real-world movie trailer examples as your inspiration.
- The Story-Gathering Process: Master a repeatable workflow for collecting the essential "ingredients" for any family history project.
- Storyboarding & Scripting: Learn the professional secret to "pre-visualizing" your video before you even open an editing app.
- Finding the "Heart" of the Story: Identify the key emotional hooks that keep viewers watching, whether your video is 30 seconds or 10 minutes long.
- Step-by-Step Production: Follow a clear roadmap from start to finish.
- Source Your Media: Tips for digitizing your collection and finding high-quality "filler" footage and historical images.
- The Animoto Deep-Dive: A hands-on guide to picking templates, uploading media, and selecting the perfect soundtrack.
- Polishing Your Project: Learn to narrate your story, use text overlays, and master the "drag-and-drop" layout for a professional look.
- Sharing Your Legacy: Get your video out of your computer and into the hands (and hearts) of your relatives with easy sharing strategies.
By the end of this course you'll be able to:
- Hands-On Learning from Hour One: Move beyond theory with interactive exercises that turn "how-to" into "done."
- The "Getting Started" Breakthrough: Overcome the biggest hurdle—starting—by building your project live during the session.
- Real-Time Expert Troubleshooting: Get immediate answers to your specific Animoto questions as you work, with live screen-sharing to guide you through any "sticky" spots.
- Community Insight: Learn from the real-world questions of your fellow students, gaining tips and creative ideas you might not have thought of on your own.
- Boosted Creative Confidence: Trade "tech-intimidation" for excitement as you see how fun and intuitive video storytelling can actually be.
- A Clear Path to Completion: Leave the workshop with a functional project and the momentum you need to hit "publish" on your family legacy.
Tell Their Story. Make it Video. Keep it Simple.