A Must-Read for DIY Enthusiasts! A Comprehensive Guide to the Structure, Length, and Number of Photos for Profile Movies

2020.03.01 published

The Essential Profile Movie for Your Wedding Reception ♡

One of the performances you'd want to include during the middle of the reception, while the bride and groom are away from the main area, is the screening of a profile movie!

The profile movie that looks back at the couple's upbringing and their journey from meeting to marriage is one of the performances that family and friends look forward to.

@wedding_ichi_hawaii

There are three ways to prepare a profile movie.

You can order it from the venue, hire a video production company, or create it yourself.

If you have time before the wedding and are confident in using a computer, many couples choose to try making it themselves.

This article explains the basic things you should know when creating a wedding profile movie ＊

☑ Structure of the profile movie

☑ Tips for thinking about comments

☑ Recommended background music

We will cover the basics of making a profile movie! If you're planning to make it yourself, please check it out.

What is the structure of a profile movie?

A profile movie is structured with an introduction, a conclusion, and three main parts.

① Introduction

② Groom's upbringing

③ Bride's upbringing

④ Couple's story

⑤ Conclusion

In the introduction, you can stylishly display the couple's names over some image footage, express a message to guests like "Thank you for coming," edit a stop-motion style video, or do a countdown, among various other performances.

In the parts featuring the groom's upbringing, the bride's upbringing, and the couple's story, you will look back at their lives through a slideshow of nostalgic photos.

Old printed photos should be scanned and digitized for use.

Choosing photos that include as many guests as possible, such as family, friends, and colleagues who will be attending on the day, is a key to making it exciting! ♡

And finally, you conclude with a message of thanks like "We will appreciate your support from here on" or something that leaves a hint of anticipation for the next performance like "The re-entry is soon!"

Here is an example of a profile movie made in this structure.

It’s quite interesting to see the mix of not just photos but also videos.

What is the length and the number of photos for the profile movie?

The usual length for a profile movie is about 5 to 6 minutes. If it’s 8 to 10 minutes, it gives an impression of being “worth watching,” but if it's longer than that, some guests might find it boring.

For the photos used, it’s common to have about 15 to 20 for the groom's upbringing, bride's upbringing, and the couple's story, respectively.

The time each photo is displayed should be about 6 to 10 seconds. While you may feel it could seem long after editing and viewing it repeatedly, first-time viewers will likely find it just the right length.

@keiko_marry

Tips for Thinking About Comments for the Profile Movie

Once you've selected the main part photos, you need to think about comments to put on each.

A common mistake is to add comments that merely describe the photo.

(For example, on a Coming-of-Age Day photo, "Coming-of-Age Day! I finally turned 20.")

Instead, it’s recommended to include something about your personality, thoughts, or circumstances at the time that can’t be seen just from the photo.

■ Examples of comments

☑ In my junior high days, I had a rebellious phase and often clashed with my father.

☑ It was around this time that I started aiming for my current job as a 〇〇.

☑ My club mates were like family as we saw each other seven days a week.

and so on.

When adding comments to the photos, make sure the text is large enough and has a duration that allows guests to read everything comfortably.

If the text is too small to read, or the photo changes before guests can finish reading the comment, the impact will be diminished.

Remember that there will be guests sitting at the far ends of a large venue or older guests present.

It's a good idea to have someone else review the edited film at some point. Of course, mutually checking each other’s work is also a good practice.

What is the Recommended Background Music for the Profile Movie?

Background music plays an important role in the profile movie. It’s standard to choose three different songs for the main parts.

☑ A song by your favorite artist

☑ A song that holds memories with family and friends

☑ Lullaby tunes that are easy to focus on the text

☑ Songs with moving lyrics that evoke tears

and so on, choose according to the mood of the movie ♩.

➡ 9 Recommended Songs for Profile Movies to Convey Your Background and Meeting Emotionally ♩*

Start Creating the Profile Movie Early!

We discussed important points about hand-making the profile movie, which is an essential performance at the wedding reception.

Creating a profile movie often gets pushed back, but it actually requires a lot of effort.

It’s best to start early, a few months in advance! ♡

Nowadays, there are profile movie production companies you can order from starting around 30,000 yen, so for those who find it challenging to create it themselves, using a service is also a viable option ♩.

➡ See more ideas for profile movies at marry