Memorial Films | Playing a whole life through, with care

Almost all the material for a memorial film has to be dug out: yellowed prints, video tapes from decades ago, the last few photographs taken together on a phone. The quality varies and the span of years is wide, and putting it all in order takes patience.

What matters in the making is different too. There is no need for showy transitions or an attention-grabbing pace; what is needed is quiet, steady and unobtrusive. Letting each image stay a little longer, so that those watching have time to take it in, matters more than any effect.

Common reasons people come to us

• A life-in-review film to be played at a funeral or memorial service
• Films for occasions of remembrance such as the first-year rite or the anniversary of a death
• A retrospective film for an elder's birthday or birthday banquet
• Memorial films for pets
• Putting a family record in order, to leave for the next generation
• Memorial films for a fellow alumnus or a colleague

Common formats and lengths

• 3–5 minutes: the most common length, and not too long to play at a service
• 8–10 minutes: a full life in review, suited to keeping within the family
• Landscape 1920×1080; please check the screen ratio at the venue first
• Allowing about 3 seconds per photograph, five minutes needs around 100 photographs
• We suggest also delivering a version without music, in case the order of the service requires it

Please have these ready

The rules for materials are simple. Just follow whichever one of the options below matches what you have:

1. You already have footage

• Upload the original files to Google Drive, then share the folder link with us
• Please put the files in order first — name them in the order you want them to appear (01, 02, 03…). This step saves a great deal of back-and-forth and makes the quote more accurate
• Please send the original files rather than sending them through a messaging app, which compresses them and costs you quality

2. You do not have footage yet

A simple script is enough. You only need to write down three things:

• From which second to which second
• What is on screen
• What text appears

For example:

It does not need to be beautifully written, just clear. We will use that script to assess how feasible it is and what the scope of work would be.

3. Other things we can look at (not required)

Below are the supporting materials people often have for this kind of video. They are only a reference, not a requirement. Providing your material in either of the two ways above is enough — having these lets us assess things faster, and not having them makes no difference.

• When photographing old prints, shoot them in even light and avoid reflections and shadows
• A rough chronology, or the stages of life you want shown
• The music you would like, or the feeling you want the music to have
• The text to appear: name, dates of birth and death, and anything you wish to say
• The screen ratio at the venue and what the sound system is like

For anything else, just ask on our official LINE.

How we might approach it

Every project has a different set of materials and a different brief. What is listed below are the approaches commonly used for this kind of video; which of them we actually use, and how far we take them, depends on your material and what you need.

• Restoring old photographs: yellowing, colour casts, grain and scratches are dealt with print by print, so the whole film holds together
• A slower pace: images stay on screen longer than in an ordinary film, so those watching can keep up with the feeling
• Restrained transitions: mainly dissolves and slow pushes in, avoiding effects that draw attention to themselves
• Conservative subtitles: larger type and higher contrast, so they can be read under the lighting at the venue
• Steady levels: no sudden rises and falls, particularly where there is a celebrant or someone speaking in the room