Free Video Proof?  What's the catch?
None.  We want to show you what we can do with your images and we hope that once you have seen the proof, you'll want to take full advantage of our services.  If, after viewing the proof you don't want to go any further, that's fine too - you can download a copy of the proof and it's yours to keep.

If I like the proof and want to order, what's the procedure?
Your proof will be made available for online viewing and you will receive an email with the details of how you can view it.  Also included in the email will be information on how you can order a full DVD or VHS copy of your video.  Once we receive your order acknowledgement, we will contact you to discuss your order options.  We will require a deposit equal to half the estimate value of your video.  We accept cash, cheque, Visa, Mastercard and PayPal payments.  When we receive your deposit, we will complete all of the work required for your video or screensaver and prepare a final full proof for you to view online.  Once you are happy with the proof, we will produce the video and make the a copy available online for viewing in a special folder that we will create within your Image Account.  There will also be a link to your invoice with your payment options and you will need to pay any outstanding balance before we ship the DVD or VHS copy to you.

How long will it take?
Once you give us the go ahead to create the full proof and we have received all of the necessary images from you, we will have your full proof ready within 48 hours.  The final disc or tape copy will be shipped within 24 hours of us receiving your approval of the full proof.

Will my original pictures be safe?
Absolutely. We will scan the photos and then work with the scanned output, not your originals.  Once your project has been completed, we will return your photos, securely packaged by courier or registered mail.

How can I be certain the DVD will work in my player?
We use high quality Hewlett Packard DVD+RW discs to ensure maximum compatibility with home DVD players and computer DVD-ROM devices.  Once a DVD+RW disc has been recorded, its characteristics comply with the specifications for DVD-ROM, ensuring compatibility across all platforms.  If you own an older model DVD player, you can check your player's compatibility here.   Even if a player is not indicated explicitly as being DVD+RW compatible, it is very likely it will still play the disc because it uses the standardized DVD-VIDEO format.  If your player cannot play the video we produce for you, we will prepare it in a format that is compatible with your DVD player.  You can also choose to have your video produced on VHS video tape.

Can I order additional copies of my video?
Yes.  Additional DVD copies can be ordered for $9.95 and additional VHS video tapes can be ordered for $12.95. 

Can I Choose the picture and transition effects?
You certainly can, but here is a word of caution for up and coming 'videographers' - less is usually more when it comes to video effects.  We've seen examples of videos that had so many dizzying special effects that it almost caused motion sickness among the audience members.  A simple panning effect can really bring your photos to life.  Take a look at some of the video effect samples.  You're free to choose whatever you like, it's your video - in the end, we won't produce the final video until your completely satisfied with the proof.

How will my animated video be packaged?
Videos are produced on DVD disc or VHS video tape for viewing on your television; screensavers and Archive CDs are created on CD. All discs and tapes are professionally-labeled and packaged in professionally-labeled cases.  Screensavers can also be downloaded for automatic installation on your computer.

How big will the photos be on my TV?
Videos will automatically display at full screen - whether your screen size is 13 inches or 60.  We produce videos using the NTSC format with a screen aspect ratio of 4:3 - the standard television aspect ratio.

How many photos can be in my video?
You are only limited by the 4.7 GB storage capacity of the DVD disc and the 2 hour SP recording length on VHS video tapes.  Your video can run from a few minutes to a few hours in length.

Is background music included?
Yes, and it is recommended as it really helps bring your memories back to life.  You can provide your own music, or we can purchase and download the song(s) for you.  We will incur a small licensing fee that we will add to your invoice (usually about a dollar per song).  If you are not sure about which type of music to use, we can produce the proof and then you can decide whether or not you like the music we selected before final production.

Some of my pictures aren't in great shape.  Can I still use them?
Most likely you can.  The quality of your video can only be as good as the quality of your photos.  Minor retouching (red-eye removal, brightening, sharpening) is included as part of your purchase.  We can perform more detailed editing for a nominal fee which you will be aware of before you o.k. the project.  There is no risk to your original photos.

What format do my photos have to be in for you to be able to use them?
We like to say that if you can view, we can use it.  There really is no limit to what we can do.  The only stipulation is that if you are using our online Image Account service, your photos must be in BMP, GIF, JPG, JPEG, or PNG format to be uploaded to our servers.  Other than that, you can provide us with your prints, negatives, slides, a CD or DVD, memory stick, floppy drive, ZIP drive, whatever. We work with a wide variety of image formats including JPEG, GIF, BMP, PNG, TIFF, PSD, PSP, PCD, and WMF; and we can also create photos from your old videos.

If you have any additional questions, please contact us.