How to & F.A.Q -

How to & F.A.Q -

HOW TO GET STARTED Length The first step to a successful photo montage, is figuring out who will be the audience be and organizing you montage to the needs of the audience. If for instance your montage is to celebrate the life or lives of specific people and it will be presented in with a large audience present, then it is advisable that the length be between 10 � 20 minutes. If the intent is to document the entire history of your family you could create a project that would be similar to a feature length movie (up to 2 hours). A two-hour production could have as many as 1000 pictures! So, in other words, the first step is to set a rough idea of how many pictures you intend to have to achieve the correct length production. Each picture is generally in the screen for 6 seconds or 10 pictures a minute. 10 minute montage = approx 60 pictures60 minute montage = approx 360 pictures1 � hour montage (90 minutes) = approx 540 pictures Photos are the backbone of most montages. Other media such as video are best used as accents to the main photo idea of a photo montage. Organization Once you have an idea of the total number of pictures you are going to need, then it is time to find them and get them organized. We suggest breaking the total number of pictures into more manageable units of time before you start your search. For instance, you may group them by decades, or specific events. Write these time units down and then determine approximately how many pictures would be appropriate for each unit of time. Each unit of time should have at least 30 pictures. Most music is about 3 � 4 minutes long and we will be trying to fit these pictures to your musical selection. Two time units can be set to one song and large units can be broken up into 2 songs. However, if you can target 35 � 45 pictures per time unit, matching the music will be much easier. It may be helpful to label large envelopes, or make new file names if using a computer, with the decades or unit of time you are using on the outside so that as you run across pictures you can put them aside in the correct grouping. Picture Selection A few things to keep in mind when you are choosing pictures: This transfer process does not enhance the existing picture, so make sure they are in focus, peoples faces are not washed out, and the picture is in good condition. Ridges, water damage etc can be distracting to the overall picture and can not be removed by Main Event. TV screens are wider and tall, so horizontal pictures fit naturally to the size of a television screen. Vertical pictures may have to be cropped or have black or white bars on each side to fill the screen. This is not bad, but too many of these vertical pictures are not visually appealing, especially if they are right after each other. Pictures need to be removed from any type of frame. Main Event does not accept pictures that are in a glass frame. Peter Hale can crop pictures to focus on one part of the picture. If you are requesting cropping, please note this on the instruction sheet under additional comments and place a post-it-note on the picture itself with specific instructions. Peter and Joshua will do the best they can to have it appear in a presentable fashion, but cropping does limit our sizing flexibility. Pay close attention to the pictures you are selecting at the very beginning and ending of your project, as well as the first picture within each unit. These may well be on the screen the longest and you may want to add titling to them. In addition, we may be changing music to go with each time unit and it is a nice touch to have an picture that makes an impact at the start of a new song. Music Guidelines Peter and Joshua have a large library to use on your montage, so don�t be discouraged if you can�t find the right music. We can choose excellent songs that will fit in perfectly with your theme. There are no rules for selecting great music. Some people choose music that matches the genre of the pictures; others try to match the theme of the pictures to the theme of the music and some just select music they like. Common Music Selection Questions What if the song I like is too long for the pictures I want to use?� We can extend the length of each picture up to 10 seconds each (generally better for slower type music) � We can cut out part of the introduction if there is a long lead in, or fade the song out early � You could select more pictures to add to this sectionWhat if the song I want to use is too short for the pictures I have selected?� You can take some pictures out. � You could pick another song, so that there are two songs for this section � Main Event can reduce the time on each picture down to 4 � seconds each (best for fast songs).You might find it helpful to place the song name on the envelope or file you are using to group the pictures. Picture Numbering Order all pictures in chronological order within each group. After all the individual groups are ordered, you are ready to number each picture starting with one and ending with the last number of the project. Each photo should have a unique number. Do not start each group over again with a 1!! Peter and Joshua recommend that you write each number on a small sticker, and then place the sticker on the bottom right corner of the picture. You can use a pen or other smidge proof pen that is easy to read. Coloured stickers are fine if your numbers are clear. Alternatively, you can use a dull pencil to write the number on the photo itself. Keep in mind that you need to write hard enough to see the number, but pressing too hard may leave an impression that can be seen from the front of the photo. Adding a Picture If you want to add a picture(s), do so by writing the proceeding number plus a letter or series of letters to the pictures you are adding. Make a note of this in the comment field of the project planner as well. Example: Laura wants to add in three pictures between pictures 122 and 123. She writes out three new stickers 122a, 122b and 122c and places those stickers on the three new pictures to be added and inserts them in the correct order. Deleting a picture If you want to delete pictures and are not submitting new ones in their place, there will be a gap in your numbering. This is fine, but please make a note of this in the comment section of the project planner. If you choose to completely re-number from where the pictures have been deleted � that is fine too. However, use new stickers as reused ones may peel off. Switching Order If you simply switch order, remove the old stickers and make out new ones with the correct number on them. Do not cross off or attempt to write over the old number! Also, so not to put a new sticker over an old one. If it falls off, then we can see only the old number that may still be on the picture. Adding Video Clips If you wish to add video clips to your photo montage, please number the video cassettes or DVD�s 1 through the total number you are sending.

Frequently Asked Questions Which photos should I choose to include in my project? You may already know the exact pictures you'd like to include in your DVD Slide Show, but here are some additional tips that may help.� Choose pictures that are candid and show character. � Choose a mix between close ups and group photos. Choose photos that show the most important stages in someone�s life � Choose more horizontal shots than vertical shots. The reason for this is that TV screens are wider than they are high, so horizontal shots fill the screen and look much better. Vertical shots will appear on the TV screen with black borders on each side There's not a problem with the borders, but too many vertical shots one after the other won't be as pleasing to look at as horizontal ones. � Stay away from photos that are too small or out of focus What are special effect transitions? Special effect transitions are the way the slide show moves from one picture to the next. The song you choose typically dictates which transition effect we'll use. With a slower song, a simple fade in/fade out usually looks the best. For an up tempo song, a little livelier transitions may go well. How many photos do I need to make up a 5, 10 or 20 minute production? � 30 photos can result approximately in a 5 to 8 minute production. � 60 photos can result approximately in a 10 to 13 minute production. � 90 photos can result approximately in a 15 to 18 minute production. � 120 photos can result approximately in a 20 to 23 minute production. � 150 photos can result approximately in a 25 to 28 minute production. � 180 photos can result approximately in a 30 to 33 minute production. � 210 photos can result approximately in a 35 to 38 minute production. � 240 photos can result approximately in a 40 to 43 minute production. What size pictures can I send? We can work with any size pictures up to 8x10's. Can I scan the pictures myself and send them to you? You may scan them and burn them to a CD. If you are scanning the photos yourself, please keep the following in mind. The higher the resolution, the better your photos will look on the screen, so up to 300 pixels/inch is great. Unfortunately, less than 100 pixels/inch will result in a very grainy picture. You need the save the images as JPEGS, please give them an identifying name or number. Should the photos I send be vertical or horizontal? Horizontal photographs or landscape photos will look the best on a TV screen. Vertical photos still look good, but there is a black border around the photos when shown on the TV. It's usually best to space your vertical photos throughout the show if possible. How should I choose the order for my photos? We will prepare your project in the exact order that you send the photos to us. You can choose to organize them in two different ways. For wedding Slide Shows, most people will show pictures of the groom growing up, pictures of the bride growing up, and then pictures of them together.For other pictures you could do: 1. Chronologically, for example: baby pictures, childhood pictures, high school, college, dating.or 2. By theme eg: eating, moving, holiday's, Mother's side of the family, Father's side of the family, cars he has owned, fancy dresses she has worn etc How long will each photo appear on the screen?Each photo will appear for between 7-8 seconds, 8 seconds is normally the most suitable but this can vary depending on the nature of the photos, the tempo of the music and the special effect transitions we're using. How should I choose my start and end photos? Make these your very best shots, as often they will appear in the screen the longest, or will have titles overlaid on them. I'm worried about giving you my photos, how do I know you will return my photos in the same condition as you received them? We can understand why you would be worried, because we know how important your photos are. It's because we know how irreplaceable photos and the memories they evoke are that we treat your photos as if they are our own. To this day, we have never damaged or lost any photo entrusted to us. We guarantee your photos will be returned to you in the same condition as we received them, unless something catastrophic happens that is out of our control. To put you further at ease, we employ all manner of precautions in our studios to protect your photos (including no liquids or food allowed in the work room). Do I need to watch the DVD on a computer only? No, the DVD that we create can be watched with a DVD player or a computer equipped with a DVD-ROM drive. All you need to do is to insert the DVD disk into the DVD player and play to watch on the TV. Please make sure that your DVD player is DVD-R compatible (Most of them are). Can I create sections in a DVD so I can watch selected sections? Yes, we can create a menu that points to individual sections of the DVD. You can select the section that you want to watch, and play to watch it. Can my old black and white photographs be transferred to DVD? Yes! We advise transferring as many of your old photographs to DVD to digitally archive them. Will you return my photographs and home movies? Yes, your original source material (music & photos) will be returned to you with your order. I have some specific questions that I want answered. How can I go about it? You can email us and we will be glad to answer all your questions. [email protected] How long will it take you to complete my project? Our typical turn around time is 14 days, but if it's urgent we can discuss an earlier time frame. How do I give you my photos and music? Using this information,compile your memories , number your photos,slides,movies in order and post to us atUnit5 / 1944 Albany Highway,Maddington,6109, WA.What if I don't organize my materials? Please try and organize your material before you send them as it will make for the best slide show. Only you know the order you'd like the photos shown. However, if you don't organize them, we'll try our best and generally will put them in chronological order. Can�t I create my own DVD Slideshows at home? Yes. Many people are interested in the art of home based videography and digital imaging. Most new computers today come with rudimentary tools that are capable of creating a digital video production of some type. However to produce the quality of production that you will receive from us, you would need to invest a lot of time and expense that you may not wish to undertake. What if my DVD doesn't play? On average 98% of all players will play back our DVDs. You can check to see if your DVD player will support DVD-R at the www.vcdhelp.com web site. Will you keep a copy of my DVD? We will keep the master of your DVD on file for 1 year, for purposes of reordering unless you specify that we don�t. What about Photo Retouching? We will do some minor photo retouching of digital images to enhance the DVD Photographs experience. This will include color correction, cropping, straightening, red-eye correction and enhancing the detail and lighting when needed. This will be done as part of the service to insure that your DVD Slide show is a truly moving experience. Can I pick my own music? You can pick your own music for inclusion on the DVD. To include copyrighted music you must own the original recording to be used in your production. Use of the track will be covered under your fair use rights of ownership. Can you work from other forms of printed media as well as photographs? Yes. We can work from any type of photographic materials such as prints. We can also use other types of paper media that can be digitized on our flatbed scanners. This would include items such as announcements, newspaper articles, brochures, flyers, ticket stubs, cards and letters, licenses or just about anything you can imagine. Can I order additional copies of my video? Yes. At the time of purchase you can order additional copies of the DVD We will also keep products on file for 1 year and you may reorder any time during that period. The cost for additional DVD's is just $35.

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