HOW IT WORKS

• The first step in creating a successful photo montage is good organization and planning. Who will be the intended recipient of the montage? Who, besides the recipient, will see the montage? If, for example, your video is to celebrate the life or lives of specific people, and will be presented to a large audience, it is advisable that the length of the presentation be between 10 - 20 minutes. If you plan to present the video as a gift for Mother's Day and you are chronicling her and her family's lives, then a longer montage is quite acceptable. Keep in mind that the longer the photo montage, the more pictures that will be needed.
  
  Each picture is generally on the screen for 6 - 10 seconds (average of 8 seconds), depending upon the amount of people that are in the photo and what pan or zoom effects will be added. Using that as a guideline, estimate that for each minute of video, approximately 7 - 8 photos will be used.
  
  10 minute montage = 75 pictures
  20 minute montage = 150 pictures
  30 minute montage = 225 pictures
  60 minute montage = 450 pictures
  
  Photos are the focal point of most montages. Other media such as video clips are best used as accents to the main photo idea of a montage.
  

• Once you decide upon the length of the montage and number of photos that you are going to need, it is time to locate and organize them. We suggest that you break down the total number of pictures into a more manageable unit of time before you begin your search. You may group them by decades or by specific events. Write down these time units and then determine approximately how many pictures would be appropriate for each unit of time.
  
  If, for example, you plan to present a montage to your parents on their 50th Wedding Anniversary you may want to display 40 pre-marriage & marriage photos, 20 "early years" photos - then continue through each decade of their life up to the present, considering all the family trips, holidays, children, and grandchildren that you want to put into the montage.
  
  Another issue to consider is music. Keep in mind that most songs are between 3 - 4 minutes in length. You will see approximately 25 photos per song. So, if you can target about 25 photos per time unit, matching the music with the era of the photos will be much easier and make for a lasting impression.

• Choosing your photos is probably the most critical aspect of your final project. Here are a few things to keep in mind when choosing photos:
  
  
  • Select photos that are in good condition, not too far away, and are in good focus. If you really want to use a picture that is not in the best condition, contact us and we may be able to restore the photo for use in your montage.
    
    
  • Choose pictures that will evoke emotion. Mix them up to produce both laughter and tears. This will make for a memorable presentation.
    
    
  • Remember that TV screens are wider than they are tall. For that reason, try to choose more landscape style photos than portrait style.
    
    
  • If your montage is about an individual rather than an event, try to select good close-up photos.
    
    
  • Keep your photos a collage of many types - while still trying to maintain the tips above. Do not use all the same style photo. Mix-up your photos between action shots, side views, funny shots, etc. Not all your photos need to be of someone posing for a camera.
    
    
  • Organize your photos chronologically (before they met, the early years, the family grows, etc.) or by theme (their first game, their best shots, play-offs, etc.)
    
    
• Digital and Non-Digital Photos are both acceptable. For digital photos, please submit a good resolution picture or the photo may appear grainy on a television screen. Best resolution for digital photos are 640 x 480 or above. If you have non-digital photos that you would like to submit, we would be happy to scan your photos for a fee of 40 cents per photo. Please number each non-digital photo in the order of which you want them to appear in your montage. Please, however, do not write on the back of the photos. Instead, use post-it notes or labels for numbering.
  
  If you would like to scan the photos yourself, you may put them onto a CD and send directly to us. When scanning photos yourself, please follow these guidelines:
  
  
  • Clean the scanner with a soft cloth after every 5 scans to keep dust, fingerprint images, etc., off the digital image.
    
    
  • Save your photos in .jpg format using a 3 digit number indicating the order in which you want the photo displayed (001.jpg, 002.jpg, 003.jpg...133.jpg, 134.jpg, etc.).
    
    
  • Scan at a resolution no smaller than 300 dpi. Anything less may result in pixilated images on the TV screen.
    
    
  • Do not crop any photos you scan. If there is a section of the photo you would like emphasized, we will be able to do that with the zoom effect.
    
    
• Finally, pay closest attention to the pictures you are selecting at the very beginning and very end of your project as well as the first picture within each time unit. These will make the greatest impressions on the intended audience.

• Choosing the right music to set the mood of your montage is almost as important as the photos you choose. Try to select songs that are both sentimental and upbeat. Find music that is especially sentimental for the one receiving the montage. Choose songs that THEY will like, not necessarily music that YOU like.
  
  You may also look for music that fits in with the era of the photos being shown. Lyrics are also important. Try to find music with a theme or lyrics that fits well with your project's theme.
  
  Choose enough music to fit with all the photos you have chosen. Again, songs are usually between 3 - 4 minutes in length suggesting that 25 photos will be displayed per song. If you have 150 photos for your project, select about 6 songs for your montage. This is not an exact science, just do your best and we will make it come together nicely.
  
  We have over 100 music suggestions to choose from on our music suggestions page, but if you'd like to pick your own music, please send it to us in .mp3 or .wav format. If you do not know how to convert your music, you may send us the CD or cassette that the music is on and we will convert it for you for a fee of $3.00 per song.
  

• Now that you've chosen your package, selected your pictures, and decided upon the best music, it's time to order your montage.
  
  Once we receive the photos and music selection, it will take approximately 2 - 3 weeks to complete. If you need it sooner, you can request a "rush" order for a fee of $100.00. With a rush order, you can receive your montage in about 3 - 5 business days. Please try to give yourself enough time to ensure your montage is ready for the date you request it.
  
  Go to our Order Form page then complete and submit the form. We will contact you once the photo montage has been completed and provide you with a link to view the finished project. If there is something you would like changed, we would be happy to edit it further.