Adding Audio Files to Digitalized Home Movies

Recently a client (I’ll call him Joe) asked us to sync an audio file to a recently digitized home movie. 

The film footage, now an MP4 file, is a compilation of several 8mm films spanning a few decades. In it, he and his family gather for celebrations and daily activities. From Christmas dinner to horseback riding lessons to lazy beach days and it’s a remarkable time capsule of he and his family on film.

But one issue with old family films is the lack of sound. People laugh, waves crash on the shore, events unfold. This is all lost in a silent film medium. You can feel that something is missing. The story glides from one gathering to the next, with no narrative context. Adding an audio file remedies that.

This is where Joe’s idea to include a running commentary comes in, and the effect is warm, funny and perfect. He had the opportunity to gather his immediate and extended family, including his mother, to view the films. Joe decided to record their comments and conversation as they watched the films. The dialogue not only brought back cherished memories but added context to the footage no one had viewed in decades. While the family continued to reminisce after the movie ended, Joe thought to add a lovely still photo of his parents to the extended audio file. Joe’s mother had passed away recently, and hearing her voice narrate much of the film’s action is a solace to him and his family. It also serves as a unique oral history, and a valuable companion to his printed and digital family photo collection. 

If this project sounds like the sort of legacy you’d like to enjoy and pass on, please contact us. We work closely with two trusted vendors to digitize both audio recordings and film, and sync the results together back in our studio. Your customized home movie videos (further enhanced with a personalized audio file) will be as cherished as Joe’s are!