Story says Every big moment is a story with a before and an after. My job is to make the after land.
Big moments: baby news, graduations, retirements and saying goodbye
Some news deserves more than a text. Some goodbyes need more than a card. These pages cover the big moments, from the loud ones to the quiet ones.
The happy pages are allowed to be silly. The memorial pages are not, and they are written slowly and gently, because that is how people read them.
Birthdays
- 40th Birthday Surprise Video Ideas (and How Not to Get Caught)Good 40th birthday surprise video ideas: a secret group message video, a fake documentary about turning 40, a letter from their 20-year-old self, or a surprise guest clip. Collect everything in a private chat they're not in, and play it early in the party.
- 50th Birthday Video Ideas: Half a Century, Zero Boring SlideshowsThe best 50th birthday video ideas pick one frame for five decades: a decade-by-decade timeline, 50 reasons we love you, messages from every chapter of their life, or a trailer for the next 50. Keep it 2 to 4 minutes for a party, under a minute for a phone.
- Funny Birthday Video Ideas for a Friend (Who Deserves a Little Roast)The funniest birthday videos for a friend take one real habit and blow it up into something huge: a breaking news report, a movie trailer, a nature documentary. Pick one idea, keep it under a minute, and end on one sincere line.
- Group video gift vs animated video gift: which one to pick, honestlyPick a group video (like Tribute or VidDay) when many people want to be in it and you have a week or more to collect clips. Pick an animated video gift when one person is giving it, time is short, or the story matters more than the faces.
Small business
- Animated fundraising video for a nonprofit or school: one story, one askA good animated fundraising video tells one story, shows what a specific gift does ("a small gift buys a week of lunches"), and ends with one clear ask and a link. Keep it 30 to 60 seconds for your donation page, 15 to 20 for social. Drawing also protects the people you help.
- Animated thank you video for customers: gratitude with no sales pitchAn animated thank you video for customers works best at a real moment: a first order, a milestone, a review, or the end of the year. Keep it 10 to 20 seconds, thank them for something specific, and resist adding a sales pitch. Send it by email, after checkout or as a post.
- Animated video for a cafe or bakery: warm, drawn, smelling of cinnamonAn animated video for a cafe, bakery or restaurant works best as a short, drawn film of 10 to 20 seconds with one message: today's bake, a seasonal special, your opening hours or a new menu. Play it on a counter screen, in the window and on social, in wide, tall and square.
- Grand opening video announcement: the countdown, the day, the doorsA grand opening video announcement should say what is opening, where, and exactly when, in 10 to 20 seconds, with one reason to come on the day. The best openings use three short films: a teaser two weeks before, a reminder a few days before, and a "we are open" film on the day.
- Work anniversary video for an employee: years 1 to 25, no gold watchA work anniversary video for an employee should name the milestone, thank them for one or two specific things they did, and look ahead. Keep it 15 seconds for a first year and 30 to 60 seconds for 10 years or more, and show it at a team meeting or send it that morning.
Big moments
- Animated pregnancy announcement video: tell them in 20 secondsAn animated pregnancy announcement is a short drawn film, usually 10 to 20 seconds, that builds to one line: a baby is coming, and when. Pick one idea, keep the due date for the last frame, and send it to the people you would have called first.
- Celebration of life video ideas: gentle ways to remember them wellA celebration of life video is a short tribute that shows who someone was: their favorite places, sayings, people and small habits. Keep it to a few minutes, choose one thread that feels like them, and let friends and family add a line each.
- Engagement announcement video ideas: say "we said yes" in styleA good engagement announcement video is 10 to 20 seconds long, tells one small story about the two of you, and ends on a clear line like "We're getting married!" Tell family in person first, then send the film, and save the date and venue for the save the date.
- Funny pregnancy announcement video ideas that get a real laughThe funniest pregnancy announcement videos use one joke with a clear reveal: a fake job ad, a "promotion" for the grandparents, or a pet being told it has been demoted. Keep it 10 to 20 seconds, land the news in the last line, and make the joke on you, never on anyone else.
- Gender reveal video animation: all the suspense, none of the smokeA gender reveal animation is a short drawn video that builds suspense and then reveals boy or girl, usually in 15 to 30 seconds. Let a friend make it from the sealed result so you can be surprised too, and play it on a big screen or a video call with everyone watching.
- Graduation video message ideas: words worth a cap tossA great graduation video message is 20 to 60 seconds, names one thing the graduate did well, remembers one moment from the journey, and ends with a wish for what comes next. Parents can be proud and soppy, siblings can be cheeky, grandparents can be both.
- How long should a memorial video be? A calm guide to timingMost memorial videos shown during a service are 3 to 6 minutes, about the length of one or two songs. A short tribute to share online works well at 1 to 3 minutes, while a video looping quietly at a reception can run longer. Ask the venue how much time you have.
- Pet memorial video: a gentle way to say goodbye to a best friendA pet memorial video is a short tribute, often one to three minutes, that remembers an animal through their routines, favorite spots and the love they gave. Choose a few simple moments, add a line or two of words, and make it together with the family, children too.
- Retirement video ideas for a coworker who deserves a proper send-offThe best retirement video for a coworker is short, 1 to 3 minutes, and built around one idea: their famous habits, a thank-you from each colleague, or a playful "job ad" for their replacement. Collect one line per person and end with a warm wish for what comes next.
- What to say in a memorial video: gentle words you can borrowIn a memorial video, say who they were to you, share one small memory, and end with thanks or a goodbye. Short, plain words are enough. "You taught me to be patient. I will miss our Sunday calls. Thank you for everything" is a complete message.
- A film for a funeral, a memorial, or a goodbyeA memorial film should be the emptiest film anybody makes. It counts nothing, it celebrates nothing, and it says only what the people left behind wrote.
- A film for a team, a choir, or a season that just endedA voluntary organisation has the same communication problem as a company and none of the staff. That is exactly the case a template is for.
- A film for somebody leaving, or somebody who has been there for yearsA retirement speech is hard to write and harder to listen to. Counting the years is easier to write, easier to watch, and says the same thing.
- A new person in the family: christenings, naming ceremonies, and the announcementA baby announcement is the one occasion film where the deadline is not a date. It is the moment the parents decide they are ready to tell everybody.
Love & weddings
- Animated Wedding Invitation Video: All the Details, None of the Paper CutsAn animated wedding invitation video is a 20 to 30 second drawn film that invites guests and gives the key facts: names, date, time, venue, and how to RSVP. Give each fact its own moment on screen and end on a still card people can screenshot.
- Anniversary Video Ideas for Your Husband That Make Him Laugh, Then Go QuietThe best anniversary video for your husband is short, specific and a little funny: his habits, one shared memory, and a sincere last line. Try a sports commentary of your marriage, a fake award show, or a thank-you list, in 20 to 60 seconds.
- Anniversary Video Ideas for Your Wife: Proof You Were Paying AttentionThe best anniversary video for your wife shows you noticed the small things: her laugh, her habits, the moments you both remember. Try a list of things you love, a replay of your first date, or a letter in your own voice, 20 to 60 seconds long.
- Funny Save the Date Video Ideas That Get Watched Twice (and Forwarded)The best funny save the date videos have one joke, a quick setup, and then the date shown clearly. Try a fake movie trailer, a weather forecast, a pet announcing it, or a mock breaking news report. Keep it under 20 seconds.
- How We Met Animation for a Wedding: Your Love Story, Drawn and ToldA how we met animation tells your love story as a short drawn film: where you met, one funny or tender turning point, and the proposal. Pick three moments, write one or two sentences for each, and keep it between 20 and 90 seconds.
- Parents' 50th Anniversary Video Ideas: Fifty Golden Years, One Short FilmFor your parents' 50th anniversary, make a short film that walks through five decades, one scene each, with a line from every child and grandchild, and end on a thank-you. Keep it between 1 and 3 minutes, and play it once everyone is seated.
- Save the Date Animation Video: Your Date, Drawn and Impossible to MissA save the date animation video is a short drawn film, usually 10 to 20 seconds, that shows your names, the date and the city. Send it 6 to 12 months before the wedding, keep it simple, and save the details for the invitation.
- The big days: weddings, confirmations, and the films that go with themA wedding, a confirmation and an engagement have one thing in common that no other occasion has: two people or two families have to agree on the wording before it goes out.
Holidays
- Christmas Video Greeting Ideas, Plus Exactly What to Say in ThemA good Christmas video greeting is one idea and one or two lines: who it is from, a warm wish, and one small true detail. Below are ideas by style and copyable things to say for parents, grandparents, friends, partners, far-away family and coworkers.
- New Year Video Greeting Ideas That Beat Another Fireworks GIFA great New Year video greeting is short and looks forward: one line about the year behind, one wish for the year ahead, and your name. Send it between December 30 and January 2, keep it under 20 seconds, and swap the fireworks for one idea that is yours.
- Video Card vs Paper Card: An Honest Comparison (Paper Wins Sometimes)Send a paper card when it should be kept, held or displayed, or when the person does not use a smartphone. Send a video card when speed, distance, sound or a big list matters. For the people who matter most, sending both is often the best answer.
Parents & kids
- A first day of school video for kids: a pep talk with a backpack onA good first day of school video for kids is a 20 to 60 second pep talk: it shows what the day will look like, names one fun thing to look forward to, and ends with when you will see them again. Play it at breakfast, not at the school gate.
- A grandparent video message for grandkids: be the favorite, from afarA great grandparent video message for grandkids is short, uses their name, and tells them one real thing: a memory, a joke, a question to answer back. Twenty seconds to a minute is plenty. Your voice matters more than how the video looks.
- A moving house story video for kids: the teddy rides in the front seatA video story for kids about moving house explains the move in pictures: why you are moving, what comes along (all their toys, the cat, the family), what is new, and a goodbye to the old home. Keep it short and let a favorite toy be the hero.
- A new baby video for a big sibling: explain it before the crying startsA video to explain a new baby to a toddler should be short, simple and about the big sibling, not the baby: who is coming, what babies do (sleep, cry, poop), and what stays the same. End with their new job title: big sister or big brother.
- A tooth fairy video message (with a very professional tooth inspection)A tooth fairy video message is a short, sparkly film "from" the tooth fairy: she thanks your child by name, says something specific about the tooth, and leaves a tiny bit of advice. Keep it under 30 seconds and have it waiting in the morning.
Questions people ask
Is an animated film appropriate for a memorial?
It can be. A calm, drawn film with a few true lines is often easier to watch than a slideshow of photos. The page on what to say in a memorial video helps with the words.
Who sees the film?
Only the people you send it to. Nine never posts anything for you.
Your idea, ready to go“A happy film announcing that our family is getting a little bigger next spring.”
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