.jpg)
Are you trying to brainstorm an amazing gift idea for a loved one who’s had to cancel a celebration over the next few months? Are travel restrictions or strict visitation rules at nursing homes or care facilities keeping you from being with family over the upcoming Mother’s Day holiday? Look no further – a video montage is the perfect group gift idea. And here’s how you can go about putting together a surprise video for Mother’s Day, milestone birthday, or other celebration.
We’re living in a crazy time, a global pandemic that requires us to remain distanced from our loved ones in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. And that sucks. As someone who had to cancel my own birthday celebrations as a result, I get it. I also had a client cancel her mom’s 80th birthday party that the family had been planning for over six months.
Fortunately, though, she had also been planning a video gift – a montage of good wishes from all of her mom’s friends + family. She messaged me the week of the party to let me know that the video we made together had made her mother cry. “Thank goodness we had it!”
Step 1 Gather Videos + Photos from friends + family
When working with a client on a video gift, I set up a Dropbox file request, which allows friends + family from all over the world to submit their files directly to me. File requests are easy to access from both computers and phones without needing to download any additional apps. Plus, the files all end up in one place instead of spreading out over many emails or message threads.
Step 2 Edit
If you’re working with a video editor like me, this is the easy part. Just sit back + relax until your video is compiled! If not, this is the step where you sort through all the submissions and chose what to include in the final video. I always try to include as much of each person’s original message as possible, but I hop from person to person in order to create a cohesive story through the whole video. You can also add music (but be mindful that if you’re posting the video to social media, you’ll need to use a licensed track or it could get taken down).
.png)
Step 3 Deliver your surprise video gift!
Once your video is ready, you can deliver your gift! You can send the file as an attachment in an email, or mail it on a USB drive. Another option is to upload the video to YouTube as an unlisted video, then include the link in a card sent via mail. If the link is too long + complicated to write or type, simply create a custom bit.ly link that will be easier for the recipient to remember. I also offer video albums – they look just like a photo album, but when you open it, there is a screen that automatically plays your video. This means the recipient can keep your gift out on their coffee table or nightstand + watch it easily whenever they like! Find more details on the video album here.
Sending videos to the people you care about is a great way to stay connected even when you might be physically distant. Reach out today for help creating your own video montage – the perfect group gift idea!
