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Tips & Tricks

My most frequently requested information can be found on this page. But if you can't find what you're looking for, check out the FAQ page or contact me directly. 

Photos + Timing

The amount of photos selected for your montage determines the overall timing. The goal is to feature the right photos for the right amount of time. Part of my design process has been to determine the best way to present your memories in a way that honors them - but doesn't overcrowd the video. 

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  • We are a photo first design house. We believe that your photos and videos are the stars of the show and the special effects should be minimal and non-invasive. 

  • It is not recommended to split screen or collage photos to take off large amounts of time (1 minute or more). Split screens should be used as a method of preserving lower quality (LQ) photos.

  • Excessive requests to split screen and collage for the sake of time will result in additional charges.   
  • Additionally, it is not recommended to shorten the time a photo is displayed on the screen. Three (3) seconds is the preferred length of time for optimal viewing between transitions. 

Montage Timing Breakdown: 

3 minutes = 60 photos

4 minutes = 80 photos 

5 minutes = 100 photos 

6 minutes = 120 photos 

7 minutes = 140 photos 

8 minutes = 160 photos 

9 minutes = 180 photos 

10 minutes = 200 photos 

11 minutes = 220 photos 

12 minutes = 240 photos 

13 minutes = 260 photos 

14 minutes = 280 photos 

15 minutes = 300 photos 

16 minutes = 320 photos 

17 minutes = 340 photos 

18 minutes = 360 photos 

19 minutes = 380 photos

Photo Selection 

Your montage will be produced as an HD video (1980 x 1080; 16:9). Therefore, the highest quality (HQ) photos should be selected.

 

Viewing photos on a phone or a computer is a lot different than viewing them in an HD format. Why? Because photos will automatically display on a computer or phone in the photo's resolution. The montage will force HD resolution - which can pixelate lower quality photos. 

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We cannot increase the quality of low resolution photos - so choose photos wisely. During a review process, we will identify any photos that may be problematic during the editing process. 

 

If you only have physical photos and are unable to "scan" them yourself, you can mail them to me. I will scan them for an additional charge of $1.00 a photo. In addition to scanning, I also improve the overall quality of the photos with this service. I will ask for a prepaid postage label in order to return the images to you. Please allow for an extra week for this service. 

A couple of tips to help you narrow down photos:

  1. Remove selfies - no one's face looks good cut off/close up.

  2. Remove anything with a "filter" - avoid Instagram and SnapChat photos .

  3. Remove anything blurry, it'll only look worse on a large screen.

  4. Remove photos that are redundant: i.e. same party, same outfit, same sets of people from the same day. Pick one photo from the set.

  5. No naked babies - full frontal nudity prohibited 

  6. Check the background of the photos, you'll be surprised what you miss of stranger activity in the backgrounds of photos.

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