Tribute Video: How to Make One in a Day

We are sorry for your loss. A tribute video is their photos set to music, played at the funeral, memorial or celebration of life. When the service is days away, here is the shortest path to one you will be glad you made.

Time: an evening if the photos are ready; the slow part is collecting them.

Photos: 36 to 70 make about 3 to 6 minutes.

Deliver: an MP4, tested on the venue's screen before the day.

The shortest path

Ask the funeral home or venue for their deadline and file type (usually MP4).
Gather 36 to 70 photos from family. One shared album or a group text with a clear deadline works.
Photograph old prints flat, in daylight, with no flash (how).
Put them roughly in order, oldest first.
Choose one or two songs.
Make the film, watch it once all the way through, and check every name and date.
Deliver an MP4 and test it on the venue's screen.

Sample film poster: Faro and Doris Caudill with their daughter at home, 1940 — A sample film (2:52): Faro and Doris Caudill and their daughter, homesteaders in Pie Town, New Mexico, in 1940, made from public-domain Library of Congress photographs by Russell Lee. Your film uses only your photos.

What usually goes wrong

Running out of time: photos arrive from relatives the night before.
Fast cuts and flashy transitions that feel wrong in the room.
A misspelled name or a wrong year on screen.
A file the venue cannot play.

Making it yourself or having it made

Slideshow apps are free and work if you have an evening and steady hands. If you would rather spend that time with family, a service can make it for you. Remembered Film uses only your photos and never changes a face or adds anything to a photo that was not there, and you see a free preview before you pay.

If you are making a film for a service this week: send up to 10 photos and watch a free 30-second preview of their film in about two minutes. The full film is $199, ready within 24 hours of your photos.

Free previews are open now. Paying for the full film is not open yet: your private preview page shows the button when it is.

See a free preview first

How long does it take to make a tribute video?

An evening if the photos are ready; collecting them from family is usually the slow part. A Remembered Film is ready within 24 hours of your photos arriving.

How many photos does a tribute video need?

36 to 70 photos make a film of about 3 to 6 minutes at roughly 5 seconds a photo.

What file should I give the funeral home?

An MP4 file, which almost any TV or laptop plays. Bring it on a USB stick, ask the funeral home for their deadline and test it on their screen.

Will the photos be changed?

Remembered Film uses only your photos, adds gentle motion, and never changes a face or adds anything to a photo that was not there.

More guides

How films are made, privacy and refunds · [email protected]