What Makes a Great Video?
You have pictures (check). You have video clips (check). You have amassed a enough of them to take up half of your computer or phone's storage space (oh my, check!).
Where should you begin?
It's easy for me to start off suggesting you take some time to organize all of these files onto your PC, clean out the bad ones and start a back-up solution ASAP. In an ideal-I-have-an-extra-10-hours-in-my-already-crazy-day world, perhaps. So, if you're excited about creating a video, I'll jump straight to the good part (but I still strongly suggest you place photo organizing on your short term to-do list!).
First step is to determine what type of video. Will this be to celebrate a birthday year? Relive a family vacation? Take all of those photos that everyone took on their phones at your wedding and put them into a single video!?
Once you have determined the occasion for the video, you can begin collecting 'files' into a folder on your computer labeled with the title of the video. If you have physical items or printed photos, place them into a labeled physical manila folder or similar safe place.
A mix of photos and short videos (< 1 min.) work best. Here is a run down of items to consider for your video;
Photos. Landscape photos work better than portrait, but if you have a favorite portrait, throw it in! Stick with quality photos. Not blurry or unidentifiable photos. Photos of people and landscapes are super, but don't leave out little goodies like memorabilia (tickets, awards, cards, maps, books, itineraries, souvenirs, favorite stuffed animals, etc.) You can take a picture of these with a nice, clean background.
Videos. Keep the clips short. Under a minute is great. There are instances where you need longer, say at a recital. In that case, longer video clips are fine. When taking video on your phone, be sure to film with the phone horizontal! And try your best for good lighting!
Music and Sound. Music is a must! Whether you are doing strictly photos in a slideshow or the scrapbook package, music brings it all together and emits emotion! You can use songs you have already purchased or I can provide royalty-free music, whatever genre you prefer. (Just watch posting purchased music on social media platforms - FB and You Tube have been known to pull videos with purchased, popular music. Unless you have bought a license to use this song publicly (which gets expensive!). Also, consider adding sound clips by recording voices saying a favorite phrase or interview the subject. I can always at sound effects that fit the theme of the video.
Relevant Information. These are not going to be files, but something typed or handwritten that includes all relevant information to help explain or supplement the video. The location of your vacation, maybe the stops you made along the way. Provide significant dates, names and locations. Maybe you would like to add captions or quotes to certain pictures. Mark those down as well!
Once you've tracked down the items above, you are off to a good start for a fabulous video that will be enjoyed by everyone for years to come! Remember, I am available for 1:1 consultations to help walk you through the process!