How to Make a Video Obituary

When someone close to you passes on, a video obituary is a meaningful way to pay tribute to the life of the deceased. Even though you have to do some research and pull out all those old photos, making a video obituary helps you recall good memories even while you're grieving for your lost loved one.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Start searching for photos. More than likely, you will have more than you can use, so filter the photos, prioritize them and put them in an order that makes sense to you. Most people choose to put the photos in chronological order, but you might have your own organization that makes more sense to you
2. Scan the photos into your computer. If the photos are digital, you can skip this step. Be sure to save them into a place you will remember. Making a new folder on your desktop is a good idea because it's easy to find and you can file it away with your other photos when you're done with the project.
3. Use a retouching program, like PhotoShop or software that came with your camera, to reduce noise, eliminate red-eye and crop to a reasonable size. Be sure to save often.
4. Upload you photos using a DVD burning program. Experiment with different transition options, and add text when appropriate. Many programs allow you to add background music as well. Favorite songs of the deceased, religious songs, or calming music are all appropriate.
5. Add words. Include the deceased dates of birth and death and other important dates like wedding day, confirmation, or graduation dates. If you want to add a real personal touch, include a favorite poem, joke, quote or short story of the deceased. Depending on your software, you might be able to put text directly on top of the photo, on the side or bottom like a caption, or on a separate screen.
6. Burn the DVD onto a disc, and pass it on to the funeral director so that it can be played at the deceased person's visitation or wake.