FAQs

I feel overwhelmed! I have so many pictures and videos; I don’t know where to begin!

Relax!  We can help you figure it out.  We’ll narrow down the scope so you are not feeling completely overwhelmed by every picture or video ever taken.  We’ll talk about where your media is and how you can get it into one manageable place. We’ll even guide you through organizing it in a way that will make the uploading process as simple as dragging and dropping.

Can you give me the details of each stage of the process?

  • It all begins with a consultation where we discuss what you are looking for – an annual highlight film, a film capturing a holiday/birthday party/any other event, a film for a wedding or bar mitzvah. If you’re not sure, we can guide you in the right direction based on the kind/amount of media you have.
  • Next, you will want to decide which of our film options best suits your needs in terms of your budget and footage.
  • Once you decide on the scope and type of project, we will give you detailed instructions on how to upload your media.
  • Based on your delivery date and our editing calendar, we will provide you with a deadline for your footage. Projects submitted after the agreed upon deadline may be subject to a 20% rush fee.
  • Once you have finished uploading your media, we will import and analyze the footage and provide you with a quote for your approval.
  • After the quote is approved, you will receive a client form and customer agreement to e-sign. You will also receive an invoice for a 50% deposit for your project.
  • We ask you to fill out a client form so we can get more details about the people who feature in your pictures and videos – their names, birthdays, likes/dislikes, musical taste etc.
  • Within 2-5 weeks of all of your media being uploaded and your deposit payment received, we present you with a rough cut of the film on a password protected site. The film will be available to view for 2 weeks online.
  • From the rough cut, you can request basic editing changes – swap this picture, cut down on that video, etc. See below for more details about what basic editing changes are.  You must get your changes into us within 2 weeks.
  • Once we have your changes, we will present you with a final cut for your approval. At this stage, you can only request tweaking of the changes we have implemented from the rough cut.  Any additional changes can be accommodated at a rate of $150/hour.
  • Once the final project is agreed, the remaining 50% of the project fee (and any additional editing or footage fees) is due.
  • After receiving the final payment, we deliver the final film across 3 platforms… DVD, digital file and access to your personal Family Theater on our website.
  • Our standard shipping is USPS 2 Day Priority. Expedited shipping costs will be added to your balance invoice.

How long does the whole process take?

Once we have your contract, deposit, uploaded media and client form, it can take anywhere from 3-6 weeks for the final film.  Some of that is dependent on you; we sometimes need clarification about who is who in a picture or video and a timely response can keep the process on track.  The sooner you get your rough cut edits back to us, the sooner we can send you the final cut.

What types of editing changes are included in the project fee?

Your quoted price includes one round of basic editing changes. These changes may include: adding or removing certain pictures or videos (or moving them around within the film), changes of titles or texts, or any other specific changes that are reasonable.  Creating new titles, changing fonts, changing songs, or any other major changes may be subject to our hourly editing fee of $150/hour. Any other services that we may render on your behalf and at your request after delivery of the rough cut would be billed and charged separately.

Where do you get your music from?

We work closely with specialized music libraries that license music for films that are not Hollywood blockbusters.  The musicians represented in these libraries are incredibly talented and they have a vast repertoire from which we choose.  We work very hard to pair music for your film that is special and unique to your story. No exceptions are made to use music for which we do not have the correct license.

What forms of payment do you accept?

We accept payment via online bank transfer and all major credit cards (we charge 3% extra for credit card payments).  At our discretion, we may also accept cash or other forms of payment in respect of our services.

What happens if I do not pay on time?

We try to work with our customers and we hope this never becomes a problem.  However, in the unlikely event that a costumer fails to make his or her required payments, a 1.5% monthly finance charge will go into effect for late payments.

Is there any particular type of content that I am not allowed to submit to you as part of my project?

As a general matter, we are happy to work with most pictures, videos and other multimedia material that you submit to us.  However, as you can appreciate, we must be mindful of our legal obligations and the rights of others, so you may not submit to us any content that falls into any of the following categories:

  • Content that infringes upon a third party’s privacy.
  • Content that is deemed to be pornographic in any way. If you have any questions at all regarding application of this category of prohibited material as it relates to children, please contact us.
  • Content that defames any religion, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, age or disability.
  • Content that constitutes the confidential or proprietary information of any third party.
  • Content that you do not have the right to use, share or edit that infringes on any patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright, right of publicity or other proprietary right of any third party.