Memorial and celebration of life videos

A Memorial Video of Their Whole Life, Made From Photos

Choose a photo from each part of their life. Each one gently becomes the next, so the memorial video moves from childhood to their later years in a minute or two, with quiet music, ready to play at the service.

Ready in about 5 to 10 minutes
Quiet music, or a song they loved
An MP4 for a TV, projector or USB stick

Start the memorial video

Who is in the photos?

Video shape

Photos are private and deleted after 30 days.

Growing Up

Together Through Time

A Dog's Life

What Is a Memorial Video?

A memorial video is a short film of photos from a person’s life, played at a funeral, memorial service or celebration of life. This one is made by AI from 2 to 32 photos: each photo slowly turns into the next, so you see them grow from a child into the person everyone in the room knew.

Most memorial videos are slideshows: one photo, a fade, the next photo. Here every transition is a few seconds of gentle movement between two real photos, and every photo you choose still appears exactly as it is. The finished memorial video is usually one to three minutes long, which is about the length of one song.

The same maker is used for birthdays and weddings; you can read how it works on the growing up video maker page.

A memorial video or a slideshow of every photo?

If the family has gathered 200 photos, a slideshow is the right place for all of them; this video takes up to 32. Many families do both: the memorial video plays once, at a set moment in the service, and a longer slideshow loops quietly during the visitation or reception.

Memorial Video Examples

Each of these was made from ordinary family photos. A memorial video is made the same way, from the photos you have.

A whole life, boy to grandfather

The shape most memorial videos take: a childhood photo at the start, a recent one at the end, and the years in between.

Two lives together

Husband and wife side by side from their teens to their later years, each face kept in its own place.

A dog’s life

For a pet who has died: from the day they came home to the last photos.

Square, for sharing

A 1:1 video that suits a Facebook post or the family group chat after the service.

From baby photos onward

When the earliest photo is a baby picture, the video starts there and moves on into adulthood.

Childhood in a few seconds

A handful of photos is enough for a short clip to open a service or a tribute post.

Gathering Photos When Time Is Short

Most families have a day or two between the decision and the service. This is how to get the photos together without spending all of it.

Ask everyone in one message

Post one request in the family group chat or a shared album: “a photo of them from each decade, by tonight.” Relatives often have the photos you have never seen.

Scan old prints with your phone

Lay each print flat by a window in daylight, turn the flash off and fill the screen with the photo. A free scanning app removes glare, but a careful phone photo is usually enough.

One photo for each chapter

Childhood, school, early adult years, wedding, parenthood, grandparenthood. One clear photo per chapter tells the story better than five from the same holiday.

Eight to sixteen is plenty

Eight photos make a video of about 35 seconds, sixteen about a minute and a quarter. You can start with what you have and add photos later; only the new transitions are made again.

Photos that work well in a memorial video

Their face is clear and turned roughly toward the camera.
Waist-up or full-body photos work better than tight close-ups.
In a group photo, crop in so they fill most of the frame.
Black-and-white and faded prints are fine if the face is sharp.
Each photo is at least 600 px on its short side.
Sunglasses, hats pulled low and hands over the face make it harder.

How to Make a Memorial Video

To make a memorial video, upload 2 to 32 photos of them, check that the AI has put them in age order, choose the music and press create. It all happens in your browser, so there is nothing to install and no editing to learn, and the MP4 is usually ready in 5 to 10 minutes.

1. Upload the photos
Add 2 to 32 photos and choose the shape: 16:9 fills a widescreen TV or projector, 9:16 fills a phone, and 1:1 sits in between. Crop each one so the face sits near the middle.
2. Check the order
The AI estimates the age in each photo and puts them youngest first. Old photos can be hard to date, so look it over and drag any photo that is out of place.
3. Choose music and create
Pick “Memorial” as the occasion for a quiet acoustic track, or upload their song. The MP4 is usually ready in 5 to 10 minutes, and we email you when it is.

Playing the Memorial Video at the Service

A few practical things that save worry on the day, from people who have done it.

When to play it

The usual moments are at the start, as people settle, or just before or after the eulogy. At a celebration of life it often plays once everyone is seated, before people share memories.

The file and the screen

You get a standard MP4. Ask the funeral home or venue how they play videos: from a USB stick, their computer, or a TV you connect a laptop to. Any of the three shapes plays on a TV or projector; 16:9 fills a widescreen one edge to edge.

Test it the day before

Play the file on the device you will use. Bring a laptop, its charger and an HDMI cable as a backup, and keep a second copy on a USB stick or in your email.

For family who cannot be there

Each video has an unlisted share link that plays in any browser and previews in WhatsApp and Facebook, so relatives far away can watch it the same day.

How Long Should a Memorial Video Be?

A memorial video that plays once during a service is usually one to four minutes long, about the length of one or two songs. Each transition here is about 5 seconds, so the length follows the number of photos; the second version adds a short pause on every photo.

Memorial video length by number of photos
Photos	Continuous version	Version with pauses
8 photos	about 35 seconds	about 47 seconds
16 photos	about 1 min 15 s	about 1 min 40 s
24 photos	about 1 min 55 s	about 2 min 30 s
32 photos	about 2 min 35 s	about 3 min 25 s

If the service has a long gap to fill, play the memorial video once and let a slideshow of the remaining photos loop after it, rather than making one very long video.

Choosing Music for a Memorial Video

Choose “Memorial” as the occasion and the video starts with a quiet acoustic track. You can switch to another of the 13 tracks, upload a song as an MP3 or WAV file (up to 25 MB), or have no music at all if there will be live music or a hymn in the room.

Families often choose a song the person loved, a hymn from their church, or a piece of music from their wedding. The music is fitted to the length of the video, and you can change it after the video is made without making the transitions again.

Ready the Same Evening, Even for Tomorrow

After you press create, the memorial video is usually ready in 5 to 10 minutes. There is no editor to book and nothing to ship, so it can be made the night before the service. We email you when it is done.

If one transition does not look right, redo just that one. You can also add a photo someone found at the last minute, and only the transitions next to it are made again. Download the MP4 to keep it: the photos and the video are deleted from our servers after 30 days.

A Memorial Video for a Pet

Losing a dog or a cat is losing a member of the family. Choose “Pet” when you start and the video follows them from the first photos as a puppy or kitten to the last ones, moving the way an animal moves. Six to ten photos usually tell their story well, and the result is easy to share with everyone who loved them.

Memorial Video Pricing

You pay once for each video. There is no subscription to cancel later.

First Taste

Try it

See the result before you go all in: one short video from 5 photos.

$4.90/ video

Photos

Up to 5 photos

Up to 5 photos
4 transitions
Redo any 2 segments
Private and secure storage
No watermark
One per customer

Standard

Premium

Best results

Our best engine, for the most lifelike faces and the sharpest motion.

$19.90/ video

Photos

Up to 8 photos
7 transitions
Redo any 5 segments
Closer likeness to every photo
Sharper, smoother motion
No watermark

Memorial Video Questions

What families ask while they are putting one together.

How long should a memorial video be?

One to four minutes suits most services: long enough to tell the story, short enough to watch together. Here 8 photos make about 35 seconds, 16 photos about a minute and a quarter and 32 photos about two and a half minutes, plus a second version that pauses on each photo.

How many photos do I need for a memorial video?

Two is the minimum and 32 the maximum. Eight to sixteen photos, one from each stage of life, is a good place to start. If you have many more, choose the clearest one for each decade and keep the rest for a slideshow.

Can I make a memorial video tonight for a service tomorrow?

Yes. Once you press create, the video is usually ready in 5 to 10 minutes, and we email you when it is done. Download the MP4 the same evening, test it on the screen you will use, and keep a second copy on a USB stick in case.

What song should I use for a memorial video?

A song they loved, a hymn from their church, or quiet instrumental music. Choosing “Memorial” starts you on a quiet acoustic track; you can pick another of the 13 tracks, upload your own MP3 or WAV, or use no music.

Can I use old, scanned or black-and-white photos?

Yes. Scans and phone photos of prints work, as do black-and-white photos, as long as the face is sharp and the photo is at least 600 px on its short side. Old photos are harder to date, so check the order before you create the video.

Will the funeral home be able to play it?

The video is a standard MP4, the format funeral homes, venues, laptops and smart TVs play. Ask the venue whether they want it on a USB stick, by email or from your own laptop. Every shape plays on a TV or projector; 16:9 simply fills a widescreen.

Is there a free memorial video maker?

This one is not free. You pay once per video, with no subscription: First Taste is $4.90 for a short video from up to 5 photos (once per customer), Standard starts at $9.90 and Premium at $19.90. If you are not happy with it, you get a full refund within 30 days.

Can a memorial video show a husband and wife together?

Yes. Choose “Two people” and use photos where both of them appear, from when they met to their later years. Each face is kept in its own place, so the two never blend into one. Wedding and anniversary photos are often the easiest to find.

Can I make a memorial video for a pet?

Yes. Choose “Pet” for a dog, cat or any other animal. The video moves from their first photos as a puppy or kitten to their last ones with natural animal movement. Six to ten clear photos, with their face toward the camera, are usually enough to tell their story.

Are the photos kept private?

Yes. Your photos are used only to make your video. They are never shown publicly, never used to train models and never sold, and they are deleted automatically after 30 days together with the video. The share link is unlisted and is not indexed by search engines.

When you have the photos together

Upload them above. The memorial video is usually ready in 5 to 10 minutes.