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VHS to DVD
Photo to DVD Questions
Back to VHS to DVD FAQ
What criteria should I use when selecting the photos to include in my DVD Scrapbook, family history or other project?
A DVD Scrapbook is kind of like a slide show for the 21st century. They can be used for a variety of purposes ranging from surprise gifts, invitations and greetings, right through to very special memorials. It's your favorite slides, photos and paper memorabilia creatively combined with music, titles and special effect transitions. Each picture appears on the screen for around 5 seconds before dissolving into the next ie: one photo fades down as the next fades up.
What are special effect transitions?
These are the way we move from picture to picture so that the effect is not jerky or cut like a slideshow. Transitions add an element of movement and life to your production. Our transitions range from the basic dissolves and wipes, to 3D transitions eg: one photo rolls up into the shape of a balloon and floats away over the top of the new photo. At DVD Memories we have a toolbox filled with hundreds of quality special effects for transitions – our skill is in choosing the ones that will enhance your project rather than overwhelm it.
What criteria should I use when selecting the photos to include in my collage, life story or other project?
It will probably be very apparent to you what photos/slides you should include, but here are some additional tips:
• Choose the most meaningful pictures
• Choose the pictures that show character and personality
• Choose photos that are candid
• Choose a mix of close-ups as well as photos that have groups and action in them
• Choose photos to reveal the most important stages of life eg: important moments, significant events like first day at school, graduation, wedding etc
• 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 (or will need dramatic cropping). 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.
• Avoid photos that are too similar
• Avoid out of focus photos
• Avoid selecting too many photos without people in them
How many photos do I need to make up a 5, 10 or 20 minute production?
• 50 photos result approximately in a 5 to 7 minute production.
• 100 photos result approximately in a 10 to 12 minute production.
• 150 photos can be 15 to 22 minutes long.
• 500 photos…more than an hour
• 1000 photos…two hours
What size pictures can I send?
We can work with any size picture (eg: photo or piece of memorabilia like a wedding invitation).
Can I scan the pictures myself and send them to you?
If you know what you are doing, you can definitely do this. But we need to stress that if you do not scan them correctly, we will need to charge you to resize them. If you are scanning them, you need to crop and size them to fit 720 horizontal x 480 vertical pixels. 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, give them an identifying name or number and call us for instructions for uploading via the internet. We are unable to accept photos via email.
Should the photos I send be vertical or horizontal?
Horizontal photos (also known as landscape) will look the best on your TV screen. Vertical photos will have black space (borders) around them when shown, and the entire image may not fit on the screen. Too many vertical photos, especially when placed one after the other, will not give you the best experience, so it is best to limit them. Vertical photos can make good first and last shots, as the titles can be run on the side border.
The photos that I want to use are firmly stuck in the album. What should I do?
Rather than further damage them by trying to remove them, you should send us the entire album, putting a numbered sticky note beside each of the images you would like us to use. We will then either scan the photos or use our professional video gear to capture the image. You will need to advise us of the weight of your package as we may need to charge you extra for freight to return the album/s to you.
Can I send photos to you still in their frames?
No, we do not accept photos still in their frames. The glass can shatter in transit, ruining the photo, and we would hate for that to happen.
Will you digitally crop my photos?
We do not normally crop the scanned photos or make any enhancements to them, but if it would really improve the image and you'd like it done, it is definitely one of the services we offer for a small additional fee. We can crop an image to focus more closely on the action, or even crop someone out!
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 eg: birth, toddler years, childhood, teen, dating, work, marriage, children OR 1930's, 1940's, 1950's
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
How long will each photo appear on the screen?
Each photo will appear for between 3-6 seconds, 6 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 sending my photos, how do I know you will return my photos in the same condition as you received them?
We can totally 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 rooms). Due to the shipping process being totally outside our control, we do need to ask you to sign a waiver on our order form that absolves us of any responsibility for your materials during the shipping process.
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.
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