Planning Guide for Creating your Video Montage We have put this guide together to make the ordering process as simple and quick as possible. Before you place your order there are a few things you might not have thought about that you would like to include in you video montage. Using this guide we will attempt to guide you through everything you need to do in order to make this video montage exactly how you want it. Steps for Creating your Video Montage

1. What occasion are you planning to use this video montage for? Depending on the occasion you may wish to make the video longer, shorter, have more upbeat music or maybe music that is a little more somber. No video montage is alike and each occasion and personality is different.
2. Watch our sample videos available on our site and check this list to see if your DVD player is compatible to play DVD-R and DVD+R discs (http://www.dvdrhelp.com/dvdplayers). If you’re not sure that your DVD player is compatible simply contact us and we will do our best to help you find out. We can send you a complimentary sample DVD so you can see our work in person and check to see if your DVD player is compatible.
3. How long do you want the slideshow to last? Each photo will remain on the screen for approximately 5-7 seconds. Therefore if you have video montage with 100 pictures it would last around 10 minutes.
4. Be sure to pick good photos. Make sure you pick high quality photos that don’t have a lot of damage to them such as scratches or tears. We can do some work to increase the quality of the photos, but the quality of the photos is one of the keys to having an excellent slideshow. Some things to think about while selecting your pictures is try to make sure the pictures aren’t too dark or it will be difficult to see, some photos that have a lot of white in the picture will be very bright, if the pictures are already grainy or dark they will be even more so when they are blown up on your video screen, landscape style pictures usually work better because of the nature of a video or television screen. We go through each of the photos you submit to optimize them for the video. If you have any questions about a photo you would like to include please do not hesitate to ask us about it. We want this video to include the pictures that you want because it’s YOUR video montage!
5. Choose songs that fit with your personality and also with the mood of the video montage. We have a list of video montage song suggestions for different occasions. You should keep in mind how many pictures you selected in Step 3 because the length of the slideshow is dependent on the number of pictures chosen so you also have to be aware that you may need more or less songs based on the length of the slideshow. Remember there are also introduction, conclusion and any other title slides that you want to include in the video montage that you would need to account for in video montage length. In order to comply with federal copyright law to use the songs you must own the music for personal use. 
6. Now, you need to put the photos in the order you would like them to be in the video montage. You can number the photos by putting a sticky note on the back of the photo with the number on it. We wouldn’t recommend writing on the back of the photo because that could affect the life of your photo. You could lightly write the number on the back of the photo in pencil, but be sure not to press too hard so you don’t damage the photo. If you scan your photos yourself, or have someone else do it for you, you can simply rename the file to the number you would like to use (for example, 001.jpg).
7. If you are including video clips in the video montage be sure to write the exact time the clip occurs on the counter on your VCR or DVD player and the length of the clip so we will be able to easily find the clip to include in your video montage. Place a sticky note on the tape or DVD with the clip information as well as the number where the video clip goes in the video montage. (For example, you want the clip to go after picture 25, place number 26 on your video, the next picture would be numbered 27).
8. Think about whether there is a special message you would like to convey to your audience before, during or after the video montage. Is there a special quote, scripture, or letter you would like to include?
9. Now that you’ve done the hard part, fill out our simple order form and prepare your materials for shipping. Once you’ve filled out the order form you can submit it online or print it out and fax or mail it to us. Once we have received the order form, we will contact you about your order. You can pay be check, money order or credit card. We accept credit card payments via PayPal. We will send you an invoice via e-mail or you can pay through PayPal on our website. If you pay by check or money order you can include that when you ship your materials to us.
10. Prepare your materials for shipping: We recommend that you send your materials to us using an insured, trackable method such as UPS. That way you always know where your photos are and you can tell when we have received it. Be sure to package the materials so that your photos won’t get damaged and so that they will stay in order. We recommend that you pack your photos in ziplock bags so in case the box were to get wet the photos would be protected from damage. If you would like a shipping kit including the box, ziplock bags, and other packaging materials conveniently prepared we can send them to you for $15.00 with free shipping to you (Shipping costs to send the package to us is not included). All you have to do is package your materials and ship them back to us.
11. Ship to:

Golden Strip Video Productions
516 South Bennetts Bridge Road
Simpsonville, South Carolina 29681

12. Once we receive your package and payment we will begin working immediately. It usually takes us about two weeks to complete a project. If you need your video montage completed quicker, please call us first to check availability. There is an additional charge of $50.00 for a rush order that will guarantee the video in three days. We can also ship the video montage back to you via an overnight method which is also an additional charge.
13. Once your video montage is complete we will package up your materials and return them to you via UPS Ground.