FAQ

Tears of Joy Video FQA will help answer the most asked questions about our business.

What is a Video Montage Production?
A Video Montage is a professionally produced video featuring your pictures and/or video images brought to life with special effects, unique transitions, tasteful editing set to the music of your choice. It is produced digitally and then delivered to you on your choice of DVD or VHS Tape.

Which photos should I choose to include in my project?
This is also discussed in the Project Planner. You may already know the exact pictures you'd like to include 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.
*Stay away from photos that are too small or out of focus.

What are transitions?
Transitions are the way the slide show moves from one picture to the next. They can be as simple as a fade in/fade out or can be something as dramatic as an animated bat swinging at a ball. The song choice typically dictates which transition effect you'll use. With a slower song, a simple fade in/fade out usually looks the best. For an up tempo song, a little more livelier transitions may go well.

How many photos do I need to make up a 5, 10 or 20 minute production?
*30-50 photos: 5 to 8.
*100 photos: 8 to 12.
*150 photos: 12 to 14
*500 photos: more than an hour
*1000 photos: two hours
What size pictures can I send?
We can work with any size pictures up to 8x10's.

Do you accept customers outside of California?
Yes, we accept customers all over the USA. You can send your pictures through the mail. Then we can do our consultations over the phone toll free. We send you your video by private link for viewing and approval. Then we mail back your pictures with your DVD's

Can I scan the pictures myself and send them to you?
Absolutely! In fact we offer a 10% discount off of any package for pictures that are already scanned. Just scan them and burn them to a CD. However, if you are scanning the photos yourself, please remember 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 to save the images as JPEGS, please follow the instructions in the Project Planner.

Can I send photos to you still in their frames or scrapbooks?
It would be most appreciated if you removed the photos first.

Will you digitally crop my photos?
Each photo will be inspected and cropped if needed. However, photos that need no cropping will work better.

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.
1. Chronologically, for example: baby pictures, childhood pictures, high school, college, dating.
or
2. By theme eg: eating, moving, vacationing, Mother's side of the family, Father's side of the family, cars he has owned, fancy dresses she has worn etc.
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.
How long will each photo appear on the screen?
Between 4-6 seconds, but this can vary depending on the nature of the photos.

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 sending 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 your photos are your most treasured possession. We will treat your photos as if they were our own and return them just as you gave them to us.

How should I protect my photos while they're in transit?
Package your photos well using hard cardboard on all sides to provide a solid shell for your photos. We also recommend you use a plastic Ziploc bag to contain each section of photographs to protect them from any spillage during the delivery process.

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.

Do I have to manually forward the slides?
No, it’s just like a movie you would rent, put it in and it plays from beginning to end.

Can I create sections in a DVD so I can watch selected sections?
Yes, we can create a menu that point to individual sections of the DVD. Then you can watch your favorite part over and over again.

What about music?
Our representative will discuss music selection with you. If you have a specific song in mind, just send us a copy of that song on compact disc.

Can my old black and white photographs be transferred to DVD?
Of course.

Can I add titles, captions and other special effects?
You bet. We can incorporate any descriptive information you send us. For instance, if you have a specific title in mind, write the title on a post it note and stick it to the back of the picture you want titled. If you want us to write the captions, just include a summary of pertinent information (e.g. the date of your wedding, where you went on your vacation, etc).

I have some specific questions that I want answered. How can I go about it?
Go to the contact us page. You can email us directly, call us, or use “snail mail”, whatever your choice.

How long will it take you to complete my project?
This depends upon the type of packages and services you require and the complexity of the project. Video montages are created generally within 2 to 4 weeks. We can also accommodate “rush” jobs in the case of unforeseen events such as funerals. We will ship your completed tribute video within 72 hours of receiving your materials. For all projects, how quickly you can provide us with all of the required source information and materials will reduce completion time.

How do I send in my photos and music?
When you are ready, give us a call and we will arrange for pickup or shipping of your materials. If you are including your own music, it will need to be in CD format.

What if I don't organize my materials? 
Only you know the order you'd like the photos shown. However, if you don't organize them, we can't guarantee any order and will not request changes, if you didn't number them to begin with.

Can’t I create my own DVD Slideshows  at home?
Sure you can. Most new computers today come with a basic digital video production program of some type. However to produce the quality of production that you will receive from us, would take a great investment in time and patience that most people just don’t have today.

What if my DVD doesn't play?
We check all DVD's before they leave here. The DVD's we send out are DVD-R. Make sure that your DVD player accepts that format. Check other DVD players and see if it has problems there. We are willing to exchange it for a DVD+R. On average 98% of all players will play back our DVD’s. Most newer DVD players will support recordable DVD’s . If your DVD does not play we will be more than happy to provide you with a VHS copy of your video montage production.

Can you work from negatives or slides as well as photographs?
Yes. We can work from any type of photographic materials such as prints, negatives or slides. 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, etc.

Can I order additional copies of my video?
Yes. At the time of purchase you can order additional copies of the DVD and if you find you need more, we will keep a copy of your video for up to 6 months. The cost for additional DVD's is just $15.00.

What if I’m not happy with my video?
We at Tears of Joy Video are committed to making a production you will enjoy now and for years to come. We are willing to keep making changes till you are comfortable with the product. If we make mistakes, we are happy to make changes at no charges to you. After so many changes, there may be an extra charge (see pricing), we are happy to continue making changes till it is your vision. As stated, all our DVD’s are guaranteed to work.

Can I add voice messages to the video production? 
Yes. Just provide us with the recording and instructions on how to use the recording. Please record it onto a CD in either MP3 or WAV format. You can also record it on to a video cassett and we can use the sound recording behind your pictures. Contact us for additional information if you would like to do this.

What payment method do you use?
We accept credit cards through PayPal.com or Square, personal checks, and money orders.

What formats do you accept for video?
We can process most any type of video however MiniDV is the preferred format. We also accept VHS, VHSC, HI8, 8mm, and Beta. We also accept video files .mov, .wmv, .avi .mp4

What can I put in a Montage Video?
Any combination of video, pictures, slides; photo negatives can be used along with any 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. Remember that these images in the montage can all have captions of your choosing or design.

Will you shoot custom video for me?
No, but we can recommend a videographer for you.