Durham Family Filmmaker | Cinematic Family Films
A film that sounds like your kids' voices. Feels like a Sunday morning. Moves the way your real life moves.
You already know how fast it goes. The particular way they laugh right now. The words they still mispronounce. The way the whole house sounds on a weekend afternoon when nobody has anywhere to be.
A photograph holds one moment still. A cinematic family film holds the whole thing.
What Is a Cinematic Family Film?
A cinematic family film is a short, artfully crafted film — usually three to five minutes — that documents your family as you actually are.
Not posed. Not performed. Just real.
It captures the things photographs can't: the sound of your children's voices, the way your family moves through a space together, the particular rhythm of your days. As your Durham family filmmaker, I follow your family's lead for three to four hours — and then I spend weeks editing that footage into something you'll want to watch every year.
It's not a slideshow. It's not a home video. It's a small film that feels like your life.
Film and Photography, Together
At Fifty Two Hundred, you don't have to choose.
Every cinematic family film session includes both — a full film and a gallery of photographs. Family film and photography together tell the complete story in a way that neither can alone. The photographs are what you frame. The film is what you watch alone, late at night, after everyone's in bed.
Most families tell us the film becomes the thing they didn't know they needed until they had it.
What You'll Receive
Your family film session includes everything:
A planning conversation before your session — so we can design a day that actually feels like you, not like a photo shoot
A 3–4 hour session, unhurried and unscripted, following whatever your family naturally does
A cinematic family film, approximately 3–5 minutes, set to hand-selected licensed music and edited with care
40–50 high-resolution photographs, delivered in a custom online gallery
A custom keepsake box and engraved USB, so your memories have a physical home
Investment: Four payments of $900
Every family I've documented has left a five-star review on Google. You won't wonder if you made the right call.
What the Session Feels Like
On the day of your session, I follow your family's lead.
We might start at home — in the kitchen, in the backyard, in the room where everyone ends up on Saturday mornings. Or we might go somewhere that matters to you: the Eno River at golden hour, Duke Gardens in early spring, a grandparent's living room, a restaurant you go to every Friday.
I'll have cameras for both film and photography. You won't need to manage anyone or hold a pose. My job is to be present enough to catch the real moments, and invisible enough that they actually happen.
The session itself tends to be the experience. Families almost always leave feeling closer than when they arrived.
Is This Right for Your Family?
A cinematic family film is for you if:
You've thought about how fast this is going and felt the weight of it
You want something that moves and breathes — not just photographs on a wall
You want your children to one day hear your voice and see you in the frame
You care more about honest than perfect
It's not the right fit for everyone. If you're looking for a shorter session with a quick turnaround, a Photos-Only Session might be a better fit. But if you're ready to slow down — really slow down — and let someone document the real of your life right now, this is it.
As a family filmmaker serving Durham and the greater Triangle, I work with a limited number of families each season. Spring and fall book quickly.
Frequently Asked Questions
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A cinematic family film is edited with the same care and intention you'd give a short documentary. It's scored to music, color-graded, and thoughtfully paced — not a raw recording or a slideshow. It's something you'll choose to watch again and again.
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No. The best films come from the things you already do. If your family makes pancakes on Sunday mornings, that's a film. If you read together before bed, that's a film. If your kids are obsessed with a certain game or trail or corner of the backyard — let's do that. You don't need a special occasion or a beautiful house. You need to show up as you actually are.
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Most cinematic family films run three to five minutes. Long enough to feel complete. Short enough that you'll actually watch it.
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Anywhere that matters to your family. I regularly document families at Duke Gardens, Eno River, Duke Forest, and in homes across Durham and the Triangle. If you have a favorite spot, I'd love to hear about it.
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Yes. I serve families throughout the Triangle — Durham, Chapel Hill, Raleigh, Cary, Hillsborough — and I'm available for sessions across North Carolina and beyond. Cinematic family films are something I love to travel for.
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Films are delivered approximately six to eight weeks after your session. I spend real time in the edit — I want the final film to feel the way your session actually felt. You'll also receive your photographs within three to four weeks.
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This is the question I hear most. And my answer is always the same: I've documented hundreds of families. I know how to find the beauty in the mess. A meltdown, a sibling argument, a kid who refuses to look at the camera — these are part of the story too. I'll find the moments inside those moments.
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Every family film session at Fifty Two Hundred includes both film and photographs. We believe the two belong together — and once most families see what both can hold, they agree.
Your family is worth a film.
If you're ready to stop being the one who's always behind the camera — and start being part of the record — reach out today.
Sessions are limited each season.
Katrina Williams is a family filmmaker and photographer based in Durham, North Carolina, offering cinematic family films and lifestyle family photography throughout the Triangle. She serves families in Durham, Chapel Hill, Raleigh, Cary, Hillsborough, and surrounding areas — and is available for sessions across North Carolina. Every family film session includes both a professionally edited cinematic film and a full gallery of photographs, delivered in a custom keepsake box.