If you are really close to a group of people that want to make a family video, they may ask you to direct it. You should feel honored by that gesture because you will everything that everyone is saying about each other before they know it.
What you can do is set up your camera in one room or if you want a variety of background, move your camera into different rooms. They may want you to direct because they may not know how to set up a camera like that, and they might want to make a movie in case someone would find out they have cancer or if a member is leaving for college. They would want to have all of the memories of them to watch over and over.
Since they might be having someone move away or in case someone would be dying, it is a good idea to have them keep the film as positive as can be. They would want to remember all of the good things about them and not mention any of the bad.
Small children in the household may have no idea what you are doing with a camera. Do not worry about any confusion they may have. Since you are the director, have the child sit on the floor and let them do what they normally do on an everyday basis or you can have someone else come in and talk for them.
After each member has said a few nice welcoming things, you want to put the movie up in a safe place for them and when you feel it is the right time when they are older, you can let them keep it.
Being a director may be something you have always wanted to do which is why you may have volunteered to gain some experience. Making their family video was very fun for you and editing it may even turn out to be the best career of your lifetime.
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