Life Story Video — Old Photos Come to Life

About this design

PERSONALISED, SO NOT INSTANT: your film is made for you after you buy. Fill in the boxes, send us your photos by Etsy message, and we send your film within 3 working days of receiving all your photos. The instant download is a short how-to PDF; your film comes later.

How it works

1. Order on EtsyChoose the photo package and colour option.
2. Send your photos and detailsFollow the instructions in your setup PDF.
3. We make your filmYour photos are animated and assembled into a personal life story.
4. Receive and shareEnjoy the finished video with family and friends.

Their life story, brought to life

• Send us their photos, from baby pictures to last year's party. Each photo comes to life, then flows straight into the next: they get up and walk, turn or dance, and the years pass around them as the scene changes. It is not a slideshow with fades. The film opens with their name and the occasion, ends with your message, and has gentle music all the way through.
• Made for big birthdays, anniversaries, Mother's Day and Father's Day, retirements, Christmas and family get-togethers. For a memorial, write "In loving memory" on the opening card.

Choose how many photos

• 6 photos: a film of about 40 seconds
• 12 photos: about 1¼ minutes
• 24 photos: about 2½ minutes
• 36 photos: about 3½ minutes
• Fewer photos is fine. Got more than 36? Message us before you buy.

Black and white photos

• Pick from the Black and white drop-down:
• Keep black and white: black and white photos stay black and white, and the film turns to colour when it reaches your colour photos.
• Bring into colour: each black and white photo starts as it is, then warms into colour as it comes to life.
• Colour photos always stay in colour. If none of your photos are black and white, pick either.

What to write in the boxes

• Opening card: their name and the occasion, for example "Margaret, Happy 70th Birthday" or "In loving memory of Margaret".
• End card: your message, for example "With love, from all the family". Leave it empty and we will use that.
• Words always go on their own cards, never over a face.

Your photos

After you buy, send your photos in Etsy messages, in the order you would like them, or ask us to put them oldest to newest. Old printed photos are fine: lay each one flat and take a clear, straight photo of it with your phone in good light. Photos work best when faces are clear and not tiny. Small groups work best.

If a photo won't come to life well

Some old photos are too small, blurred or damaged to move well. If one still does not look right after we have tried it, we show it still with a slow, gentle zoom and tell you when we send your film.

Please read before you buy

• Your film is made with AI. AI brings each photo to life and makes the moments in between, so how they move, what they wear on the way and the places they pass through are made up, and faces can look a little different while they move. To fill an upright phone screen, AI also extends the edges of photos that are a different shape. We check every part of every film by eye before we send it. If something looks wrong, message us within 7 days and we will fix it free of charge.
• To bring them to life, your photos are sent to the AI video service we use. They are only used to make your film: never posted or shared, and we delete our copies 14 days after we send your film. Please only send photos you have the right to share.

What you receive

• Your film as an upright MP4 video with music, made for phones (it also plays on a computer, tablet or TV)
• A download link, sent to you by Etsy message
• Play it at the party, send it by WhatsApp or email, or share it with family. It is yours to keep for personal use.

Good to know

• One film per order.
• Digital only. Nothing physical is posted.
• Message us before buying if you are unsure about anything.
• The animation is made with AI tools and checked and finished by us.

Questions

Are the photos animated?

Yes. The product is an animated film made from the old photos you provide.

Can I keep black-and-white photos?

Choose Keep B&W or Bring into colour on Etsy.

Is anything posted to me?

No. This is a personalised digital video.