Home/Family movie night
Family movie night, the way it used to feel.
There was a ritual once: somebody threaded the projector, or pushed a tape into the VCR, and the whole family watched itself — smaller, louder, younger. The movies weren’t good. The gathering was the point, and the voices in them are priceless now.
The ritual, rebuilt
Every January, Rooney combines your family’s chapters into a Year Film: the happiest moments, the hardest ones, and who mattered most — built from your own photos, video, voice, and words, in the order your year actually happened. It’s made to be watched together: same couch, same people, press play. Not a feed item to scroll past alone — an occasion.
And because Roon keeps your story all year — the chapters, the answers, the little things — the film isn’t a slideshow generated from files. It’s the year, told.
About your old home movies
Questions we hear: How do I watch VHS tapes without a VCR? How do I get home movies onto my TV? Honest answers: tapes and film need converting first — a local shop or a mail-in service does that well, and it’s worth doing soon, because tape degrades. Once you have digital files, they can live in Roon alongside everything else, in the same chapters as this year’s photos. Roon doesn’t convert tapes; we’d rather tell you that plainly than sell you a page.
Slideshows are made for an event. A Year Film is made for a ritual — it arrives every January, from a story that’s still being written.
start this year
Next January’s film starts with this year’s photos.
Roon is in private beta now, which means founding families are building the stories their first films will be made from. The film is part of what a family story is — and if grandparents’ voices are part of the soundtrack you want, start with recording their stories while they’re here to tell them.
plain answers
Questions, answered straight.
What is the Year Film?
Every January, Rooney combines your family’s chapters from the year into one film — the happiest moments, the hardest ones, who mattered most — made to be watched together, like home movies on family movie night. It’s built only from your family’s own photos, video, voice, and words.
Can Roon convert my old VHS tapes?
No. Converting tapes and film is a job for a digitizing shop or mail-in service, and it’s worth doing — tape doesn’t improve with age. Once you have the digital files, Roon can keep them in your family’s story alongside everything else.
How is a Year Film different from a slideshow maker?
Slideshow tools assemble a one-off video from files you pick, for one event. The Year Film is compiled from a living story Rooney has been writing with your family all year — chapters, answers, and moments already in context — and it comes back every January.
We're building this with a small group of families first.
Roon isn't open to everyone yet. We're letting in a limited first group — people who'll help shape it, get in at founding pricing, and keep that price for as long as they stay. Add your email and we'll be in touch as spots open.
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We'll email you the moment a spot opens. Thank you for wanting this to exist.