Funeral Videography for a Baby Born Sleeping | Islington & Camden Cemetery
This film was made at Saint Pancras & Islington Cemetery on High Road, East Finchley, Barnet, London near the borough of Camden & Islington, in the children’s memorial section. It was a graveside service only, for a baby born sleeping.
The family carried a tiny coffin from the hearse to the graveside. A Catholic priest led the service. Dad said a few words. Then people left. It was short, and it mattered. The family wanted a film for the wider family who could not get to London.
The cemetery
The children’s section at East Finchley is its own part of the cemetery. Wind chimes hang near the graves. Trees break the light and provide a quiet and private way that would not be the case in a church.
Before anyone arrived I flew the drone over the cemetery to show where the burial would be — the paths, the trees, the corner of ground they had chosen. Establishing shots like that help a short film breathe and create context. Without them you only have the minutes at the graveside, and those minutes go so quickly.
I also recorded the place itself. The wind chimes. The sun coming through the trees, the clouds in the sky. That natural sound of the wind chimes went into the finished film with all the original audio of the catholic priest and the family when they spoke.
The service
The family carried the coffin from the hearse. It was small, delicate and had a huge impact on me as I realised again how cruel life can be. Somehow, the family still found the courage and a way to celebrate the small amount of time they managed to spend with her. People always amaze me. The grace, the compassion and just the sheer courage they can bring from the depths in such times. Amazing!
The priest took them through a Catholic graveside service. It was lovely in the simplest sense: clear, unhurried, the right length for a gathering this small. Dad spoke. Then it was over.
I filmed it as funeral videography, not as part of a live funeral stream. The family wanted a high quality 4k film, with all the details they could send to relatives around the world. A stream is for people watching at the same time and is often reduced in quality, HD rather than 4k to send it over the internet. This was for people who needed the day kept with all the extra details.
The finished film
The finished piece is fairly short as this was a small service. Instrumental music was added over the sounds of the cemetery which I collected, and the original audio from the priest and from Dad were used. My approach was to add the detail and keep the film as honest to the location and the people as possible, representing the day as it unfolded.
Delicate funerals are not filmed by standing a long way off and hoping. They are filmed by knowing what the family want kept — the carrying of the coffin, the words at the grave, the place itself — and not crowding them while it happens. This family were clear. They wanted it recorded so the rest of the family could see it.
Videography for a baby funeral
I have filmed and photographed funerals for babies born sleeping at cemeteries and churches across the UK. The work changes with the family. Some want stills only, some want a short film and some want both. There is no standard package that fits every one of these days.
If you are deciding whether funeral photography is right as well, this is the companion piece: Photographing a Baby’s Funeral
Funeral videography starts from £750.
Call or text 07772 509101, or use the contact page.