When looking at ways to personalize the funeral or memorial service, the one thing you should not forget is the funeral Tribute Video.

The Tribute Video is one of the most powerful healing tools for friends and family. When the Tribute Video is done right, you can create an unbelievably memorable experience for everyone involved. Use photos spanning the loved one’s life and sync them to music to make them come alive.

Create Powerful Tribute Videos With Tribute Center

To make the most powerful Tribute Videos, it all starts with the software. Frazer Consultants’ all-in-one suite Tribute Center allows you to create tribute DVDs and funeral stationery at a click of a button.

The Tribute Center DVD module will allow your funeral home to create the most amazing Tribute Videos you have ever imagined. Start with Tribute Center’s Hollywood-style intros that take you through clouds, over mountaintops, alongside white sandy beaches, or on a serene journey through the forest.

You set the healing experience that you want to take the family on right from the beginning. The power of this funeral software is unbelievable.

But don’t just take our word for it. Here’s what just one funeral professional had to say about Tribute Center’s video capabilities:

Hi Matt,

I wanted to write a brief message to let you know how awesome the response from the families we serve has been with the Life Tribute DVD’s. I buried a friend of mine last Tuesday, and his wife said the tribute was beyond what she could have ever imagined and it helped the whole family in so many ways to bear the loss of someone so young. In a world as it is today, we always hear the negative, so please know that myself and my staff appreciate the goodness you have brought to our profession. We look forward to new themes and would “love” one of mountain life since the Colorado Rockies are in our backyard just as a thought. Thanks again for a great product!

Best regards,
Kirk Ellis

Ellis Family Services
Funeral and Memorial Care
Littleton, CO

Selecting Photos for Your Tribute Video

The next step is to help the family select the most meaningful photos to include in the Tribute Video. Encourage the family to select photos that span the loved one’s life. All the way back to the most innocent and cute baby pictures, to the goofy and sometimes downright funny college photos.

What If I Don’t Have Many Photos?

Unfortunately, it’s quite common for funeral homes to encounter families who don’t have enough photos on their own to produce a decent DVD. Don’t worry, you’re not out of options! Consider the following five “no-photo” solutions for creating great Tribute Videos without family photos:

• Collect images from your online obituaries.
• Pull images from social networking sites.
• Scan in other meaningful items, like ticket stubs.
• Use stock imagery of favorite places or things.
• Include written memories or condolences.

What If the Photos Aren’t Good Quality?

If families do have photos, but they aren’t the best quality, don’t worry! Tribute Center has automatic photo touch-ups.

Tribute Center also automatically identifies low-resolution photos so that the creator has more control over the final quality of the DVD Tribute Video. The auto-detection feature helps funeral professionals avoid the inclusion of low resolution, grainy, electronic images.

If a photo is less than 720px x 480px (DVD quality), the software highlights the photo so you can delete it and import a higher resolution image.

Add Motion Effects and Transitions

Once the photos are selected, now it’s your job to bring the photos to life with the perfect motion effects. This means panning the photos from top to bottom, from left to right, and zooming in or zooming out.

When adding motion effects, remember that less motion is always better than more motion. You want to keep it soft and subtle. Only add motion where it makes sense and don’t overdo it.

Choose the length of time for each photo to display. Depending on the number of photographs you’re including, you might want to display each photo from 10 to 25 seconds.

Be sure to allow enough time for the photo to be seen and appreciated. Use the fade in/fade out feature to create transitions between photos.

If you are going to show the Tribute Video during visitation, you can play the slideshow in a continuous loop. If the Tribute Video will be played during a funeral service, it can be played just once.

Choosing Music for Your Tribute Video

When choosing funeral music for the Tribute Video, choose a song that best reflects the loved one’s life. In most cases, the family will already have a few choices they have been thinking about.

If you need some inspiration, we’ve compiled this list of the top funeral songs used in Tribute Videos.

One of the benefits of using a software like Tribute Center is that it automatically syncs your music to your photos. This ensures that the pace is good and provides a polished finished piece.

Adding the Finishing Touches

Nothing is worse than watching a Tribute Video at a funeral only to discover that you spelled their name wrong. Luckily, Tribute Center offers a live preview of your Tribute Video, so you’ll be able to watch it and make adjustments before you finalize it.

The last step of creating a Tribute Video is putting it on a medium that can be shared and remembered for years to come. The Tribute Center software allows you to burn the DVD at one click of a button. Then, you can select from more than 500 themes to customize the DVD menu and packaging.

Also, you are able to share it on your website with another click of a button. This allows friends and family to come to your website to watch the Tribute Video at any time.

Client families will be amazed by their Tribute Videos and remember that their funeral director was able to provide them with a keepsake that they can treasure forever.

And, if you ever need help, no matter what your user level is, Frazer Consultants is available to assist you every step of the way. You can contact our support team 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Start making your own Tribute Videos by downloading Tribute Center today!