How to Make the Best Tribute Videos

We are in the middle of the Hollywood awards season as I write this, and video tributes for lifetime achievements are being conceived, assembled and screened all across Tinseltown.

We have never been busier ourselves here at “Your Story Here” putting together video tributes for retirements, birthdays and anniversaries. So, with the subject top of mind, I want to give you some ideas on how to make your tribute video Hollywood-worthy.

Hollywood at Home
Perhaps the most prestigious of all the Hollywood tribute awards – given for a lifetime of work in the entertainment field - is the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Honorary Award. Since 2009 the award has been presented at a special “Governors' Award” ceremony in November (saving time for the Oscars broadcast).

And this year's winner? Actor James Earl Jones for his “legacy of consistent excellence and uncommon versatility”. And that voice (he had a terrible stutter growing up in Michigan - can you believe that?).

There was a time when the only way a person got a video tribute was to win a Hollywood lifetime achievement award. But if you were Charlie Chaplin or Eli Wallach (both also winners) by the time that happened the thrill of seeing yourself up on the big screen had probably waned somewhat.

Now, with the democratizing effects of widely accessible video camera equipment and inexpensive post production software, being honored with a video tribute is within range for all of the treasured people in our own lives who may be celebrating a retirement maybe, or a birthday or an anniversary.

So, let's get started:

The 9 Elements of the Modern Video Tribute
OK, you are planning a video tribute and your subject is pretty important – but not a screen legend. There are 9 elements you will want to include to make it worthy of even the Kodak (soon to be renamed) Theater.

1. Photographs: Photos are the mainstay of most video tributes, and they should be carefully scanned, cleaned up and captioned. But with the ideas coming below, you will not want to stop there!

2. New video: You will want to shoot video of as many friends and family as you can get hold of. Ask them to tell a laudatory or defining story about your subject (and avoid endless repetitions of well meaning but, let's face it, boring “congratulations”). Ideally, you will shoot the footage yourself, but no matter if you can't get around to everyone. Most people have a Flip video camera, iPhone or better lying around, or worst case you can record them through Skype. Go for humor.

3. Old Video: This is the hallmark of the Hollywood tribute and it should work for you too. Talk to family and friends and see what film they might have of your subject. Home movies have been around a lot longer than you think and beating the bushes could well turn up promising material.

4. Audio: There is always someone who, no matter how hard you try, you just can't get in front of a camera: a parent or an aunt or an uncle maybe – someone out of town. So you are going to have to use audio for your video tribute. We have recorded very good audio over the phone (through the computer). And, matching that in editing with images of the caller (best case, cheek by jowl in photographs with your honoree) is a great way to include them.

5. Sound and Music: Music, obviously, is essential and will define the mood of the tribute. But don't stop there – consider some well placed sound effects. Most video tributes are played at a party or celebration and people are expecting humor. There is no simpler way of getting laughs than by the insertion (or repetition) of the right sound effect at precisely the right moment (barn yard animals seem to work really well, for some reason, but be creative). Be careful not to overdo it – like other humorous elements you get the best results with subtlety.

6. Text: A good tribute video will communicate with its audience on multiple levels. Text can be used to provide variety, but must not be overdone (and be judicious in choosing fonts). Words will help with a mood change and can mark a transition point in the video tribute. Well chosen words, introduced carefully and kept to a minimum, can also contribute humor.

7. Titles: Nothing sets up a video tribute better than a big impact opening constructed with some video editing special effects Jiu-jitsu plus the right music. And nothing rounds out the tribute better than a minute or so of film-style scrolling titles, covering points you couldn't fit in or thanking those who helped put the thing together. If you have some “bloopers” from your interview filming then closing titles is a great time to throw some of those up.

8. Bonus Tracks: You are going to have a lot of footage of friends, family and maybe colleagues providing stories about your subject. If your shooting ratio is anything like mine, you will use less than a tenth of what you record and you will have a ton of great video left over.

That leads me to two pieces of advice: First, warn your interview subjects that you will only be able to use a minute or less from the material that you shoot. Second, not to let all those kind encomiums go to waste, make sure you burn them all to a DVD – maybe as 'bonus tracks' - or save them as “master tapes” to a portable hard drive for your honoree to enjoy later.

But back to the main show. Last thing to include:

9. Voice over: The art of tribute videos is concision and snappy pacing. A good way to get a lot of information across in a short time is narration. Think about it. You can cover whole chunks of a life story in just a few words. And voice over can tie all the elements of the project together.

Chances are you won't be able to afford James Earl Jones for your voice over – he's back in high demand after his Honorary Oscar. But you can hire excellent voice talent at very reasonable rates. Or press gang a friend with dulcet tones to do the job.

And if you need any professional help with video tributes, by all means give us a call here at Your Story Here Tribute Videos.

Top picture credit: Stuart Crawford/Glasgow Film Festival 2010 - graphic elements Your Story Here LLC.