Memorial
Celebration of Life Tribute
A tribute film created to honor and share a life story with family and friends during the service and beyond.
Montages in Motion Presents
A Beautiful Life Deserves a Beautiful Tribute
Memorial films that celebrate who they were, made with care, delivered when you need them.
What it is
A presentation-ready tribute built quickly and carefully from photographs, video, voice, and music that feels like the person being remembered.
Why it works
A tribute should feel like the person.
When a family reaches out to me during one of the hardest weeks of their lives, my job is simple: take this off your plate, and get it right. A memorial video is often playing within days of that first call, at the visitation, during the service, or at a celebration of life. It has to be ready on time, and it has to feel like them.
For 20 years I have made tribute films that do more than display photos. They capture a laugh people will recognize, a song that mattered, the arc of a whole life from childhood to the family they built. Families tell me the video became the moment of the service where grief made room for gratitude. That is the entire point.
Made for
Where this film belongs
Funeral services, visitations, and wakes
Celebrations of life and memorial gatherings
Anniversary remembrances and yahrzeits
Keepsake films for family members near and far
Hospice families preparing in advance, quietly and without pressure
Now screening
A few from the edit
Click a frame to play. Nothing loads or starts until you choose it.
Memorial
Memorial Tribute Film
A respectful memorial tribute weaving photos, voice clips, and music into a meaningful celebration of life.
From 20 years in the edit
What Makes a Memorial Video Meaningful Instead of Mechanical
The mistake most memorial slideshows make is treating a life like a timeline. Photo, photo, photo, fade. A meaningful tribute is organized around who the person was: the fisherman, the grandmother who never missed a game, the man with the terrible and wonderful jokes. I look for the photos that show character, not just chronology, and I sequence them so the room recognizes the person, not just the dates.
Music carries more weight in a memorial film than in any other kind I make. The right song, edited so the emotional peak lands on the right image, gives a grieving room permission to feel. I take that seriously, and I will guide you to choices that honor them without overwhelming the people watching.
Old photographs can still be powerful on screen. The streamlined tributes include basic cropping and tonal adjustments for usable digital images. Significant restoration, scanning and damaged-photo repair are scoped separately or included in an agreed fully custom commission.
“My father passed in March. I had a folder of photos I couldn't even open without losing it. Brandon took them and gave us back something we could actually sit and watch together as a family. It's the only place all of him lives now.”
“We handed over my mom's whole life in a shoebox of scanned pictures and just trusted him with it. What came back made my brother cry, and my brother does not cry.”
What you receive
Made for the screen. Ready for the room.
Essential: approximately 3–4 minutes with up to 50 photographs
Signature: approximately 4–7 minutes with up to 90 photographs and up to 5 short clips (2 minutes total source footage)
Personal sequencing, titles and professional music editing
Appropriately licensed library music for the agreed use; commercial songs require separate rights clearance
One consolidated correction round for Essential and Signature
1080p MP4 delivery; confirm venue requirements and test playback before the service
Target 48–72 hours from complete, usable materials, subject to scheduling confirmation
A clear starting point
Three ways to tell a life.
Published family prices for direct commissions. Funeral homes receive private wholesale pricing and set their own retail prices or bundles.
01 / Memorial tribute
Essential Memorial Tribute
$795
3–4 minutes
Up to 50 photographs
Thoughtful sequencing, professionally edited music and personal titles. A focused film built around the moments that matter.
Ask about this film →02 / Memorial tribute
Signature Memorial Tribute
$1,295
4–7 minutes
Up to 90 photographs + short clips
More room for personality and storytelling, with up to 5 supplied video clips (up to 2 minutes total source footage).
Ask about this film →Custom commission
Fully Custom Memorial Film
From $2,950
Individually scoped
A more expansive life story
For deeper storytelling, extensive archives, restoration, interviews or more involved creative work. Quoted before editing begins.
Ask about this film →Essential and Signature each include one consolidated correction round, appropriately licensed library music for the agreed use, and a 1080p MP4. Digital, usable materials supplied within the package limits. Scanning, significant restoration, new interviews, extra assets and major re-edits are quoted separately.
Investment
Commissioned work, quoted clearly.
Essential Memorial Tribute is $795; Signature Memorial Tribute is $1,295. These are streamlined, clearly scoped packages, separate from fully custom commissions.
Fully custom memorial films start at $2,950 for projects requiring more extensive storytelling, restoration, archives or interviews. Every project has an agreed scope, price and deadline before editing begins. Funeral homes receive private wholesale rates and set their own retail prices.
See complete pricingThe process
Tell me the service date first so I can confirm availability. Send selected digital photographs within the package limits, approved names and dates, and a few notes about the person. Use Google Drive, Dropbox or another agreed method. I edit the film, you gather one consolidated correction list, and I deliver the approved MP4. If your funeral home is coordinating, I can work directly with them.
See how it worksAsked and answered
Questions about memorial films
How quickly can you make a memorial video?
For Essential and Signature tributes, the target is approximately 48–72 hours after receipt of complete, usable materials, subject to scheduling confirmation. We agree on the review and delivery deadlines before work begins. Rush work may be accepted when available; fully custom commissions have separate schedules.
How many photos should we gather for a memorial video?
Essential includes up to 50 photographs in a 3–4 minute film. Signature includes up to 90 photographs and up to 5 short clips (up to 2 minutes total source footage) in a 4–7 minute film. Send selected digital files; no special naming or final sequence is required. Larger archives are quoted separately.
Can you fix old, damaged, or faded photos?
Old photographs can still be powerful on screen. The streamlined tributes include basic cropping and tonal adjustments for usable digital images. Significant restoration, scanning and damaged-photo repair are scoped separately or included in an agreed fully custom commission.
What music should we choose for a memorial video?
Included library music is licensed for the agreed film use. Tell me the mood and whether you plan a service screening, online sharing or livestream. Commercial songs require appropriate rights clearance before use and may add cost or time. A streaming subscription or purchased track alone does not provide those rights.
Can the video be shown at the funeral home?
Yes. I deliver a 1080p MP4 and can coordinate with your funeral director on playback specifications before editing. Download and test the file on the venue’s actual system before the service.
We are spread across the country. Can family members contribute photos remotely?
Yes. Use a shared Google Drive or Dropbox folder, or another agreed method. One person should consolidate the selected files, confirm permission to use them, and collect the review notes. Materials and finished films are not shared publicly without separate permission.
Is it strange to prepare a video before someone passes?
Not at all, and hospice families do this more often than you might expect. Preparing in advance means the film can be made thoughtfully instead of urgently, and sometimes the person it honors gets to see it themselves. I handle these projects with complete discretion and zero pressure.
More general questions live on the master FAQ page.
The next step
Let me carry this part for you
Tell me your service date and a little about them. I will respond personally, and quickly.
Start a Tribute Film