You have a folder full of photos and an event coming up, and you want to turn the photos into a video. Before you choose a song or an opening, it is worth deciding who will make it. Here are the three main ways, what each one gives you, how long it takes, and who it suits. We are an online service, but we will try to be fair: there are cases where another way simply fits better.
How do I make a video from photos on my own?
The first way is to do everything yourself, in editing apps on your phone or computer, or in a tool for making slideshows. The process usually goes like this: you collect the photos, scan the old ones, put them in order, import them into the software, set how many seconds each photo stays on screen, choose transitions, add a song and captions, and export a file.
What is good about it: it is free or cheap, you have complete control, and there is no limit on the number of photos. You can also add video clips from your phone, recorded greetings, and anything else you like.
What is less good: it takes time. Even someone who knows the tools usually spends a few hours, and the first time it can take an evening or two. And the result is almost always a slideshow: each photo stays in place, maybe with a slow zoom, and dissolves into the next. There is no real movement of the people in the photos. If this is exactly what you are wondering about, we wrote about it in detail in a photo slideshow or a growing-up video.
What is an online service for making a video from photos?
With an online service you choose your photos and upload them to a site, and the video is built for you. At GrowingTale, for example, there are two kinds of films. In a growing-up film, the photos flow into one another in continuous motion, so you see a person grow and change before your eyes. In a memories film, each photo gets a few seconds of realistic motion, like a step forward or two people turning toward each other, and then moves on to the next memory.
Before you pay, you see the first 2 animations for free, with no credit card, within a few minutes. After payment, the full film is usually ready within 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the length. You add an opening (a dedication card or a cinematic opening scene), music from the library or your own song, and a closing note, in Hebrew or in English. After that you can change the transitions, the opening, the music, and the ending, and go back to rearrange the photos.
The price is fixed by length: 12 photos for each minute of video, and there is an exact package for any number of photos. For example: 1 minute (12 photos) ₪79.90, 3 minutes (36 photos) ₪219.90, 5 minutes (60 photos) ₪299.90, and 8 minutes (100 photos) ₪419.90. One payment, no subscription. The film downloads in HD, widescreen (16:9), with no watermark.
What is less good: there is a cap of 100 photos per film, the structure is set in advance, and you choose the photos yourself. There is no editor sitting with you over every second.
What do I get from a video studio or a professional editor?
With a video studio, or a freelance editor, you get a personal service. There is usually a call or a meeting, you hand the editor your photos (sometimes the scanning of them, too), and the editor builds the video. A good editor can combine video clips, interviews with family members, greetings, narration, graphics, and a story built just for you.
What is good about it: you do not have to do the work, and someone is thinking about the story and the pace. When there is a lot of material of different kinds, that is a big advantage.
What is less good: it is the most expensive of the three, and the price varies a great deal with the editor and the scope of the work. It takes time: days to weeks, depending on the editor's schedule and how many rounds of corrections you need. And the result depends heavily on the person doing it, so it is worth asking to see earlier work before you commit.
Comparison: on your own, online, or studio
| On your own in an editing app | Online service | Studio or professional editor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time | A few hours of your own work, sometimes more | A free preview within a few minutes, the full film usually 10 to 20 minutes after payment | Days to weeks |
| Cost | Free or cheap | Fixed price by length, starting at ₪79.90 | The highest of the three, varies by editor |
| Control | Complete, down to every detail | You choose photos, order, opening, music, and closing | Through the editor, in rounds of corrections |
| Type of result | Usually a slideshow with transitions, no motion | Continuous motion (growing-up) or realistic motion in each photo (memories) | Depends on the editor, can combine video, interviews, and graphics |
| Who it suits | Those with time who like editing and are happy with a slideshow | Those with photos who want a video with motion and no editing | Those with a lot of varied material, a budget, and time before the event |
When is it better to make it yourself, and when is a studio better?
To keep the comparison fair, here are the cases where we ourselves would recommend another way.
Making it yourself is better when you enjoy editing and have the time, when a simple slideshow with transitions is enough for you, when the budget is zero, or when you have far more than 100 photos and want all of them in a single video.
A studio is better when you have not only photos but also video clips, interviews, or greetings that need to be edited together, when you want someone else to choose and sort for you, when you have a very specific vision that needs an editor, and when there is enough time and budget.
An online service suits you when you have the photos, you want to see motion in them and not only transitions, and you have no free evenings to learn editing software. It also suits you when the event is close and time is short.
How do I decide? 4 questions to help
How much time is there before the event, and how much of it do you want to spend? If time is short, it is better not to start learning software or wait in line for an editor.
What do you have on hand? If you only have photos, all three ways are open. If you also have a lot of video and greetings, doing it yourself or a studio will fit better.
What result do you want to see on the screen? A slideshow with transitions, photos that move, or an edited film with a story and interviews.
What is the budget, and what do you want to control yourself? Some people want to choose every transition, and some only want to choose photos and a song.
Whichever way you choose, the part that takes the most time is choosing the photos. Our article on organizing family photos will help even if you end up making the video yourself or at a studio.
Frequently asked questions
Can I start on my own and switch to another way partway through?
Yes. Most of the work is collecting, scanning, and sorting the photos, and that is not lost. If you need to scan an old album, we have a guide to scanning with your phone.
Will a studio always give a better result?
Not necessarily. The result at a studio depends heavily on the editor, so it is worth seeing their earlier work. For a video made entirely of photos, an online service can give an excellent result in less time.
What if I also have video clips from my phone?
With us, the film is built from photos. If most of your material is video clips that need to be edited together, an editing app or a professional editor will suit you better.
Which photos work best in an online service?
Sharp photos where the faces are clearly visible. Photos from a phone or a camera, scans of old albums, and black-and-white photos all work. Screenshots and very blurry photos work less well.
Can I play the film at an event?
Yes. The film downloads in widescreen HD, and plays from a computer, a TV, a projector, or a USB drive. We also wrote about how to play a video at an event without glitches.
