Reel4LifeHow long should a funeral slideshow be?
Updated
In short: three to eight minutes, which is one or two songs and 30 to 60 photos. Keep it shorter if it plays during the service, and save a longer version for the wake.
A funeral slideshow or tribute video should be long enough to show a whole life and short enough to hold the room. For most services that means three to eight minutes.
Length, photos and songs at a glance
| Length | Photos | Songs | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 minutes | 20 to 30 | 1 | A short service, or a film alongside several eulogies |
| 5 minutes | 30 to 50 | 1 to 2 | Most funerals and memorial services |
| 8 minutes | 50 to 80 | 2 | A celebration of life with time set aside for the film |
| 12 minutes | 70 to 120 | 3 | Playing at the wake or reception, or to keep afterwards |
Photo counts assume each photo is on screen for six to ten seconds. Video messages and voice notes take the place of several photos each.
Ask how much time there is
The celebrant, minister or funeral director will know how long the service runs and where a film fits. Chapels and crematoria often book services back to back, so there may be a firm limit. Ask before you start choosing photos.
During the service: shorter is better
People are sitting still, and many are upset. Three to five minutes, usually one song, is enough to move the room without tiring it. If there are several eulogies, lean towards three minutes.
At the wake or reception: longer is fine
A film playing on a screen while people talk can run eight to twelve minutes and repeat. People watch a few minutes, drift away and come back. This is the place for the photos that didn't fit in the service.
How to cut one down
- Keep one or two photos from each stage of life, not ten from one holiday.
- Choose photos where you can see their face over group shots where you can't.
- If people have recorded messages, keep the one story each person tells best, not the whole recording.
- Put everything else in a printed book, which has room for every photo and quote.
Doing it with Reel4Life
Reel4Life makes the film at 3, 5, 8 or 12 minutes from the videos, voice notes, photos and stories that family and friends share, and chooses the strongest moments to fit. You can change the length and make a new version as often as you like, so a short film for the service and a longer one for the wake are both easy. It's free to make and preview; the full HD film and photo book are A$14.99 (about US$10) for the event. See how to make a funeral tribute video or memorial tribute videos.
Questions
How long should a funeral slideshow be?
Three to eight minutes suits most services. Five minutes is a safe choice if you don't know how much time there is: ask the celebrant or funeral director.
How many photos is that?
Roughly six to ten photos a minute when photos play on their own, so 30 to 50 photos for five minutes. Use fewer if there are video messages or voice notes between them.
How many songs do I need?
One song for three to four minutes, two for six to eight. Changing song once is fine; more than that feels restless.
Is ten minutes too long?
During the service, usually yes: attention drifts after about eight minutes. A longer film works well playing quietly at the wake or reception, where people come and go.
What if we have far more photos than will fit?
Choose the photos that show who they were at each stage of life, and put the rest in a printed photo book or on a table at the reception.
Let everyone help
Reel4Life gathers the videos, voice notes, photos and stories for you, then makes the film and a photo book. Free to make and preview.