Soundtracks for Life: Epic Little Memories
Dr. Carla Engelbrecht is an expert in educational technology and CEO and Founder of Betweened, expertly curated, family-friendly entertainment (iOS and Android). Her writing focuses on helping caregivers connect with kids through technology.
Who doesn’t love a good slow-motion video, especially when it involves a dog like Oodle the Poodle running with those adorably floppy ears? (Betweened, TikTok) Videos like these are all over social media, but we found a way to make them even more fun -- experimenting with the soundtrack. The right music can turn a simple slow-motion video into a spectacular scene straight out of a movie.
Here’s how you can create your own epic slow-motion videos with your kids.
Creating Epic Slow Motion Moments
This activity can be as simple or as involved as you’d like it to be. As a basic time investment, plan on 20-30 minutes to do the simplest version.
1. Introduce the Concept
Share examples, like Oodle (above) or Harley the Saint Berdoodle shaking in slow motion. After trying a variety of classical soundtracks, we settled on Blue Danube. (Betweened, TikTok)
While not slow motion, YouTube has a lot of examples of popular movie scenes where people have changed the soundtrack for various effects. Pre-screen to make sure they are appropriate for your kids.
Talk about how the different songs change the feel of the scene and introduce the idea of making your own videos.
2. Pick a Moment
Choose a moment to capture in slow-motion. Keep it short! It could be jumping into a pile of leaves (or pool), blowing bubbles, dog shakes, or even a drop of water in a sink. Our favorite is a slow motion sneeze (Betweened, TikTok).
3. Record in Slow-Motion
Most smartphones today have a slow-motion feature built into their camera apps. (If not, many editing tools can slow things down as well.) Set your phone to slow-motion mode and start recording. Ensure you have good lighting to make the video as clear and vivid as possible. Discuss safety, like whether any personal information is visible (e.g. house numbers).
4. Edit and Trim
After recording, trim your video to focus on the best part of the action. (Even a few seconds of slow motion video can become lengthy!) Most phone editing apps allow you to easily cut and trim your footage. Or you can use a tool like CapCut or the built-in editing tools on Instagram, TikTok, etc.
5. Experiment with Soundtracks
Music can completely change the mood and feel of the footage. CapCut and native editing tools for TikTok and Instagram have libraries of music you can search and try. (As part of this, perhaps discuss copyright, giving credit, and supporting artists.) With the wide selection of audio, you can really experiment broadly with different kinds of music and see how it changes the video.
Search keywords (bouncy, moody, Halloween) or emotions (scary, happy, sad). Or try these popular pieces that are often found in movie soundtracks
Carmina Burana by Carl Orff
Star Wars Theme by John Williams
Requiem by Verdi
Blue Danube by Johann Strauss II
Eye of the Tiger by Survivor
Let It Go from Frozen
Happy by Pharrell Williams
The Entertainer by Scott Joplin
6. Export and Share
Once you’re happy with your video, export it from your editing app. Share it with friends and family or on social media to share your experience. (Note, this became such a popular activity that I had quite a few variations saved to my phone…)
💡 Talk About It
Discussing your slow-motion video projects with your kids can enhance the experience and help support their critical thinking. Here are some questions and topics to spark a conversation:
How does the music change the way we see the video? Why do certain types of music make the video funnier, scarier, or more exciting? If you watched this without any music, what would you feel?
Which was your favorite combination?
How do filmmakers use music in movies? What songs would you add or change in your favorite shows?
And to bring the activity into every day life… what song should be our soundtrack for today?
Creating slow-motion videos with your kids is a fantastic way to bond and explore creativity together. By adding different soundtracks, you can transform the ordinary into the extraordinary, making each video a unique piece of art. So, grab your phone, pick a moment, and start experimenting with slow-motion and music. You’ll be amazed at how much fun it can be!
Dr. Carla Engelbrecht is a highly-selective mom, product leader, and internationally recognized expert on children’s education and entertainment technology. As founder of Betweened, she's on a mission to transform entertainment for kids and their families. If you haven’t already, sign up for the newsletter to get more articles like this or enjoy our free 60 minute video on how to manage when technology goes sideways.
