Creating a Loving Video™ - The Headshot

The headshot is used in the opening and closing sequences of the video and is also used for the label and cover art. This is the first picture of the deceased that will be displayed in the video. We ask that the picture we are to use as the first picture be uploaded as the first picture. We will choose a picture to use if the first picture uploaded cannot be used in the opening and closing sequences of the video.

The picture should be high in quality. We can copy just the head from the picture so the picture can contain other elements. However, the image of the head itself should be at least 350 pixels wide, and 400 is better. In addition, the top of the head should be at least 20 pixels from the edge of the photo. The pictures shown below will illustrate what we need to make a good headshot, and will show the difficulties we encounter when the headshot does not meet the size requirements noted above.

The thumbnail shown at the left is 200 pixels wide and 317 high. The head itself, measured from the outside of one ear to the outside of the other is about 130 pixels wide. The pictue is in focus and the colors are bright.

However, the head shot has to be enlarged to before it can be used. The image below shows the way the this head shot will looked when placed above a background within a video. The head shot will not look good on either the DVD label or the DVD case.

The same head shot, but with dimensions of 587 pixels wide and 933 high produced the second version of the head in the clouds.

This head shot is cropped at the top of the head. It is impossible to feather the head shot nicely into the background image. The full size version of the image was used when making the next version of the head in the clounds. You will notice that there is a sharp line at the top of the head, which is not pleasing. The same line will occur on the DVD label and cover.

We understand that the family ultimately are the ones who choose the head shot. Where possible, please scan it at a high enough resolution to provide us with an image in which the head is about 400 pixels wide. Also, where possible, please make sure the top of the head is a good distance from the top of the picture.