Whatever the occasion, a slideshow video can make it even more meaningful. What are the best ways to make your slideshow video one to remember? Here are our 5 steps for making a perfect video that your audience will be talking about.
Step 1: Decide the Best Length for Your Slideshow Video (4-5 Minutes Is a Good Starting Point)
Deciding the length for your slideshow video is actually one of the harder decisions you’ll have to make, and each situation is different. There is a fine line between a video that is too long (and your audience loses interest), and too short where they think you didn’t put much effort into it! As a general rule of thumb, a video that is 4-5 minutes is usually a great starting point. This is usually a timeframe short enough to keep people’s attention, but not so long long that they lose interest.
It’s especially important to keep the length of your video in mind if you are going to be calling for the people at your event to gather and watch your video. Shorter is better in that case. But what about a video that is playing unattended for instance, in the lobby of the wedding reception? With an unattended video, it should be fine to have a video that is 8 or even 10 minutes long. The reason a video slideshow of that length is more acceptable is because the people watching can leave (and maybe come back) at any point they want. They don’t feel like they have to watch the whole video to be polite.
This is why selecting the best duration for your video is one of the most important decisions you’ll make when creating your slideshow video. Be sure to give it the attention it deserves!
Step 2: Select Pictures with Great Lighting, Are In-focus, and High-Quality
Selecting the best pictures for your slideshow video can be challenging. Think about how many pictures a parent might have of their teenage child as they are putting together a birthday slideshow video for her sweet 16 birthday party. How in the world can you pick the right ones for a 4 to 5 minute video? Here’s a few guidelines that may help:
- Pick pictures with good lighting, that are in focus, and are high quality. Avoid pictures that came from an old cell phone or handheld camera that might be blurry and low resolution. You’ll likely be displaying your slideshow video on a hi-def TV or projector and low-res or blurry pictures will look awful. Aim for pictures with a minimum resolution of 1920 x 1080 (also known as Full High-Def).
- This one is obvious, but pick pictures that do not embarrass the person! That cheeky picture of your son when he first got braces might be cute to you but utterly embarrassing to him in front of his friends! Always consider the feelings of the subject of your videos as you choose pictures with them in it.
- Pick happy pictures. This one may seem obvious too, but pick pictures that show the subject of your video in their upbeat moments.
Step 3: Organize Your Pictures Chronologically and Double Check for Orientation/Duplicates
Once you’ve selected your pictures, you’ll need to upload them to the website you’re going to use to create your slideshow video. Make sure you’re using a website that allows you to rotate, rearrange, and add/delete pictures as needed. Unfortunately, not all websites give you these capabilities, so be sure to research the service you’re going to use before you make your slideshow video.
Most video slideshows show best when the video is arranged chronologically (from oldest picture to most current). It allows your audience to better follow the progression of the subjects life when you do. Do make sure to review all the pictures selected and eliminate duplicates. There’s nothing worse than having the same picture repeated multiple times in your 5 minute slideshow because you didn’t realize you had multiple copies of it!
Also, make sure the orientation of the pictures is correct. You’ll know the orientation of a picture is wrong when you see it is on its side or upside down. Some websites will attempt to automatically correct any pictures with the wrong orientation, but it’s not foolproof and using your eyes is the only way to make sure you got everything right.
Step 4: Select Slideshow Music That Captures the Moment
The slideshow music you choose to accompany your slideshow video sets the mood for your audience. Somber occasions such as funerals might use a more mellow, slower, musical score than a wedding or birthday party slideshow video. Here are a few tips to keep in mind:
- Music with a faster beat and higher octave is generally considered more upbeat and may be a good choice for a birthday slideshow, anniversary slideshow, or wedding slideshow video.
- Music with a slower beat and a lower octave is generally considered more somber and may be a better choice for a funeral slideshow video.
- If possible, ensure you’ve selected enough individual songs to cover the entire length of your slideshow video. Don’t repeat the same song within the same video if at all possible.
- Avoid organizing songs in such a way as that there is a huge shift in beat or octave from one song to the next. This can be jarring to your audience and take them out of the moment.
Step 5: Show Your Video On The Most Appropriate Device for Your Event
It’s showtime! You’ve put together a slideshow video that you’re now ready to show everyone. Congratulations! But now you may be wondering what is the best way to show your awesome work off? Again, the answer depends on your audience. In small informal gatherings, for say, a birthday party with a few dozen close friends, a large screen TV is probably fine. For a short funny video of your night out with the boys last weekend, a link to the slideshow video you share with your friends for them to watch on their own phones might be perfectly fine.
For larger venues, say for a funeral with 90 or 100 people, it may require a projector and screen for everyone to be able to see it. In these larger settings, keep in mind that not all projectors have speakers so you may need to arrange to have a set available if your slideshow video has music.
In a future article we will get into the various ways you can digitally present your slideshow video including using a smart TV, thumb-drive, or uploading to a service like Youtube or Vimeo and streaming your video from there. There are pros and cons to each choice so we’ll be sure to cover those in detail next time.
Recap
So just to recap, here are the important things to keep in mind when creating your slideshow video:
- Give careful thought to the length of the video you are creating (4-5 minutes is a good rule of thumb)
- Pick the best pictures (high-res, in focus, good lighting, tasteful)
- Ensure your pictures are rotated correctly, organized chronologically (in date order), no duplicates
- Select the right music based on the occasion, no repeats
- Decide on the best device to show your video (TV, Projector, phone) based on the size and location of your audience and remember to have good speakers if your slideshow video has music
If you follow these 5 simple steps, you’ll be well on your way to having a perfect slideshow video to share with your audience! Best wishes for your success!