Among the many preparations for a bar or bat mitzvah, there is usually one that causes more stress than the others—the montage.
Pressed for time or lacking the necessary tech savvy needed to produce a high-quality product, all the details that go into assembling the perfect montage can often prove to be daunting, especially when there are so many other things that need to get done for the big day.
Luckily, Shai Rosenberg of Montage For You is here to help you cross that one thing off your list by creating a top-quality montage that will enhance your simcha or event, wow your guests, and leave you with a memento that will last a lifetime.
“Having a montage at your simcha is a really great way to share memories at your event and be able to look back and have something to rewatch, too. It’s a great way to make a memory of the simcha,” said Shai.
But montages aren’t just for bar and bat mitzvahs. They are a great way to cap off school years, memorialize summer programs and even celebrate birthdays and engagements. Just about any event you can think of could be made even better with a montage by Montage For You.
Shai explained why it’s the perfect addition to the festivities: “It really enhances a simcha. At a bar mitzvah, for example, the guests can see your baby boy grow up right before their eyes.” But it’s so much more than showing a bunch of pictures and videos. It’s also a great way to include family and friends who can’t make it to the event since “they can see the montage online, and watch along with everyone else at the event.”
In fact, for those who can’t make it, a montage provides an excellent opportunity to include clips wishing mazal tov and other messages of love and support—allowing even those who live far away to be present at the simcha.
Once you start planning your simcha or event, some months in advance, make sure to spend a few minutes each day going through pictures and videos to decide which ones you’d like to use. Make sure to keep them in the order you wish to show them and make sure that order is clearly indicated.
Beginning this process a few months ahead of time will also leave you plenty of time to reach out to friends and family who can’t make it to the event, and allow them to record messages and send them back. Of course, if you decide at the last minute to include a montage in your simcha, any and all photos can be made into a professional-looking video.
When you first speak with Shai, you will discuss with him approximately how long you’d like the montage to run. Typical montages run anywhere from three to seven minutes and can include anywhere from 90 to 200 pictures. Sometimes they can run longer, but since each simcha and event is unique, the choice is yours. Make sure you are keeping a tab on how many pictures you have based on how long you want it to be. Each picture takes about two seconds to show, and short videos can always be a wonderful addition. Shai will be there every step of the way to guide you on how many pictures to select and how much time you need for any other video and media you want to incorporate in your production.
He can also show you all kinds of special effects and themes that can be worked into the production. Special effects can include anything from unique transitions between pictures to including clips and sounds from your favorite movies or sports. Themes might be from favorite movies like the “Harry Potter” or “Star Wars” franchises. Other themes that come up a lot are sports teams, Disney characters and fairy tales.
Shai’s pro tip: “Make sure to include pictures with several people in them, whether of family or friends, since everyone loves it when they see themselves on the big screen.”
Special Sections are a clever way to organize all the images and videos. For instance, Montage For You can include a section called “You’ve Got Talent,” which might feature a video of the bar/bat mitzvah child singing when they were younger. Selfies, camp pictures, special talents and even messages from siblings, relatives and friends might be something a client wishes to include in a different Special Section.
Once you have selected all the images and media you wish to use, you can simply place them in a folder on your computer and Shai can send you a Google Drive folder to upload the images all at once.
After about two weeks, you can expect to see a draft of the montage and let Shai know what changes, if any, need to be made.
Once a final draft is approved, it can either be uploaded to a Google drive or posted for you on a YouTube channel—ready to be shown at your event at the click of a link.
Best of all, you can rest easy knowing that there is one less thing you have to worry about.
To learn more about Montage For You or hire Shai for your next event montage, email him at [email protected] or text/WhatsApp him at (201)-771-1452.
