Do you have an upcoming occasion celebrating someone you love? Team up with VideoTov to make the festivities extra memorable with a tribute video honoring all the things that make your loved one special.

Creating a tribute movie can be an exceptionally arduous process, often involving sifting through a lifetime of footage! But the end result is so moving and powerful that our customers almost always say they’re glad they took the time to piece it together.

Our editors are trained to help you through every step of making a tribute video, ensuring that everyone is on the same page throughout the entire process. VideoTov video editor Wiebke Reile explains the eight steps to making a tribute movie with VideoTov.

1) Share your initial thoughts with VideoTov. Tell us about the person you’re celebrating, what the occasion is, and any visions or ideal constructs for the movie. “The more specific you are, the more your movie will turn out the way you want it,” says Wiebke. “If you’re not sure what you’re looking for in a tribute video, we can help you brainstorm some ideas.”

VideoTov will help you create the perfect tribute movie.

2) Gather your footage, and share it with VideoTov. If you have older photos that aren’t yet digitized, you can scan them yourself or, for the best photo quality, take them to a photo shop. We will make your files look as good as possible, but note that older photos and videos won’t be as HD as newer ones. For best results, use one file type for all photos (e.g., JPG or PNG) and videos (e.g., MOV or MP4).

For best results, get your older photos scanned at a photo shop.

Organization is the key to getting your video completed quickly. If your footage spans many years, creating a folder for each time period will help your video editor assemble everything in the right order.

3) Consider recording video messages. Ask a few of your closest friends and family to record a short video message congratulating the person you’re celebrating. As long as they center themselves in the shot and say what’s in their hearts, the footage will be invaluable.

Get friends and family to share thoughts about the person you’re celebrating.

“You want these video messages to have a similar look. If one person uses expensive professional video equipment and other people use cell phone cameras, the difference will be noticeable,” notes Wiebke. “I usually recommend asking everyone to use a smartphone—and don’t forget to ask them to hold the smartphone horizontally!”

4) Choose a few songs. Pick three to four songs that remind you of the person you’re celebrating (or more songs if you’re creating a long video). They could be your loved one’s favorite songs, songs that set a mood, or songs that bring back old memories.

Our editors will carefully combine footage to songs to set the mood and pace of the video.

Wiebke says, “I recommend giving your editor several options to choose from. VideoTov editors are experts at matching songs to footage, eliciting a strong emotional response from viewers.”

5) Hold a kickoff call with your editor. Before getting started, your video editor will review all your files, read your expectations, and hold a phone call with you to go over details such as the story of the person you’re honoring, the timeline for making the tribute movie, who else will be helping you with it, the event where you’ll show it, etc.

Your kickoff call will introduce your editor to you and your ideas for the tribute movie.

“Any specifics you give your editor about your loved one’s personality will help us customize the tribute movie,” explains Wiebke. “Is his favorite color blue? Does she love old movies? These details will help your editor craft a personalized movie.”

Your editor will summarize your discussion and—after your approval—VideoTov will give you a price quote. Once you accept it, your editor will get started on the video.

6) Review the first draft of the video. Following the guidelines you’ve set, your editor will invite you to review a rough draft. You and your editor might hold a feedback-review phone call, or you might want to use VideoTov’s collaborative online platform to make specific comments on the movie’s timeline.

For the first draft, you can hold a call with your editor or add comments on the reviewing platform.

7) Collaborate with your editor. Use VideoTov’s platform to review the next revisions and leave comments on any part of the movie. You can also invite your friends and family to give their suggestions.

VideoTov’s collaborative platform is easy to use, no matter your experience level.

8) Receive your tribute video. After three review cycles, you’ll be satisfied with your movie. Upon payment of the editing fees, VideoTov will send you a high-resolution file. We can also post your movie on a password-protected site to make it easy to share with family and friends.

You don’t pay until your tribute movie is finalized.

That’s it! Now you have an incredible tribute movie to show at your big event. Whether it’s a birthday party, a bar or bat mitzvah, an engagement dinner, a retirement celebration, or a memorial service, showing a tribute movie will let everyone know how special your loved one is to you.

Wiebke summarizes, “Clients always tell me that their tribute movies have a huge emotional impact on everyone at the event. People are often moved to tears, and they invariably come up to the host afterward to say how much they loved the tribute movie.”

A tribute movie makes your celebration extra special.

At VideoTov, we’re dedicated to helping you show that special someone how much you care. Let us help you create a professional tribute video that will be the highlight of your next big occasion. Click here to get started.