The Free Preview: What You See, How to Decide and What to Change Before Paying

How to do it, step by step

1. Choose a film type. On the "A new film" screen, choose between "Growing-up film" and "Memories film", then click "On to the photos →". Not sure which one fits? See the guide Growing-up film or memories film. Before you start, sign in with a Google account or with a code sent to your email.

2. Upload only the preview photos. For a growing-up film, upload 3 photos (two transitions). For a memories film, upload 2 photos. Once you have seen the result, you can add as many photos as you like, and you don't need to buy a package to upload the rest. When the photos are in place, click "Create the preview" at the bottom of the screen. You can name the film in the "A name for the film" field.

   

   Growing-up film3 photos, 2 transitions

   

   Transition 1

   

   Transition 2

   

   Memories film2 photos, 2 animations

   Animation 1

   Animation 2

   Illustration

3. Choose representative photos. The preview shows how the site handles these particular photos, so don't pick only your best one. Choose photos of similar quality to the rest: if most of the photos in your film are old, include an old one in the preview.

4. Wait. The result arrives within a few minutes, and you will also get an email when the preview is ready.

5. Watch it twice. Once straight through, the way your family will see it. Then a second time, slowly, with the questions in the table below.

   What to check	A good sign	If it isn't so
   The right person	The film follows the person you wanted	A photo with several people can cause confusion. Swap it for a clearer one
   The flow	The transition is smooth, with no jump	Try another version, or change the order of the photos
   The motion	It looks natural and fits the moment	Try another version
   The faces	They resemble the original photo	A small deviation is possible. If something looks wrong, try again or swap the photo

   

6. Use the retry. Before you pay, each animation gets one retry. It is worth using if something bothered you, and decide after that.

7. Decide. Liked it? Continue to the full film and choose a package. Didn't like it? You don't pay. After you pay, you get extra tries, as many as there are photos in your package (more in the guide A transition you didn't like).

How to use what you learned

The preview is a test, so ask yourself two questions: what did I like, and what would I like to be different? If you liked the motion but not the photo, swap the photo. If the photo is good and the motion less so, try another version.

Still undecided? Show the preview to someone in the family before you decide. Someone who doesn't know the photos will see at once whether the sequence flows or jumps. Before you pay, also check that you chose the right film type and that the photos are in the order you want, because the order sets the story. After you pay, the full film is usually ready within 10 to 20 minutes, and you download it in HD quality, in a 16:9 format and without a watermark.

What to avoid

• Judging the whole film by one blurry or dark photo. It doesn't represent the rest.
• Uploading screenshots, collages or photos with a lot of text.
• Watching the preview only on a phone with the sound off, and missing the audio that accompanies the film.
• Waiting for faces that are identical in every detail. We aim to preserve the likeness, but we can't promise it.

Frequently asked questions