Pixorial, Inc. » Holiday Ideas

Creating the perfect gift for Mother’s Day

admin — Wed, 07 May 2014 20:46:21 +0000

Mother’s Day is less than a week away and it’s time to run to the store, pick the perfect card, and put together your Mother’s Day memory video with Pixorial. Make this Mother’s Day extra special with a gift she’s definitely not expecting but surely will appreciate.

If you’ve been following along with our #12DaysofMom hopefully you’ve got an album chock full of awesome videos and photos for Mom. If not, don’t fret, there’s still time and it’s super simple to create and share an album for collecting photos and videos.

Even procrastinators can still jump in and create a video masterpiece for Mother’s Day. We started with this post on how to create and share an album with friends and family. If you’re just now getting started, all you need is an album with a few photos or videos that matter to Mom.

Start with an image or video that will set the scene your video’s storyline. How you organize your video will depend on what memories you’ve collected but check out some favorite ideas:

Most recent to oldest
Oldest to most recent
Focus on vacations you’ve taken through the years
Group photos of the same holiday together, making your way through the calendar
Separate the video by each of Mom’s children or grandchildren

Movie Creator is Pixorial’s free video editing tool that’s easy enough for kids to use. It uses a storyboard format to make organizing a video for Mom simple. Check out this post for an in depth look into using Movie Creator, including how to add your photos and video, put in transitions and overlay one of hundreds of music tracks.

Flashback Friday for Mom

admin — Fri, 02 May 2014 19:48:55 +0000

We’ve all got pictures from our childhood that take us back what feels like a million years to a different time. Why not create a flashback video of those images with your favorite photos and videos from the last few decades? It’s the perfect Mother’s Day gift.

To get started, create an album in Pixorial, share it with your family and friends so they can add their throwback photos of Mom, then use Pixorial to create a lookback video of memories! If you have a digital version you can just drag and drop the file into your Pixorial account uploader. Just follow these easy uploading instructions!

It’s fun to take a stroll down memory lane and collecting those photos and videos can be as easy as an email to a few friends.

We put together some ideas of photos and videos you should be looking for,

Any pictures of Mom as a kid (the older the better)
Her high school graduation
Snapshots of her in the “fun” years (before you!)
Baby pictures of you with her (weren’t you the cutest?!)
That picture from your 5th grade dance recital
Video of her dancing at your wedding (Mom can move!)
The picture of Mom when your kids were born

Check out the types of files you can upload here and check in next week for tips on how to create your album into a memorable video for Mom.

For an extra special touch, download our mobile app for Android and iOS and record a personal message for Mom to start your video. Any video taken in the app is automatically added to your library!

Make Mom’s Day Great

admin — Wed, 30 Apr 2014 20:11:29 +0000

Mother’s Day is coming up quick but Pixorial has your gift covered this year. Mom’s favorite thing is, you guessed it, her KIDS! So why not gather the photos and videos from her favorite memories in a Pixorial album. Follow along with Pixorial and we’ll walk you through creating the perfect keepsake video for Mom with your album that shows her just how much she means to you.

Whether it’s for your wife, dropping hints to your own kids, or a gift for own mom, a video is a thoughtful and simple way to show how much the mom in your life means to you. It takes no time at all and Pixorial will be here to walk you through it. The first step is album creation, to help you out with this we’ve put together our Top 5 Tips to get the photos and videos you want;

Upload easily from your computer, Instagram or Facebook right into your account
Email your sister because while you are taking all the credit, she took some great photos
Get the kids involved! Capture video messages from her favorite grandkids
Send the album invite to other loved ones, they’ll be able to find some great retro photos from when we were all a little younger…
Install the Pixorial mobile app to upload all the photos from your phone to your album

Follow along with us on Twitter up until Mother’s Day, May 11th at @Pixorial and #12DaysofMom for daily updates and rapid fire troubleshooting.

This year, let Pixorial help you out with the gift giving! Check out these links for some more inspiration and tips; we’ll be adding new articles through Mother’s Day.

Look for our blog next week where we’ll explain how to combine all those photos and videos together using our simple video editor to create a production Mom will treasure forever.

Videocards: The perfect last-minute Valentine’s Day greeting

admin — Thu, 13 Feb 2014 17:28:57 +0000

Candy. Roses. Jewelry. Stuffed Hello Kitties.

There’s no shortage of ways to say “Happy Valentine’s Day.” But when it comes down to it, nothing beats the simple act of telling someone how much you love them. Videocards are perfect for doing just that. It’s quick and easy and super personalized. Oh and don’t worry…even if you waited until last minute, no one has to know.

Here’s how to create your own card:

Head over to the Pixorial page and log in. (If you’re not a Pixorial user yet, sign up for free access. It’s quick and easy to share video online.
Choose the video you want to send as a Videocard. You can pick one from your library, upload something from your hard drive, or spontaneously record a new message from your webcam.
With the video still highlighted, hit “Send a Videocard” under the Actions menu.
Select a background from our pre-made card designs, and add your own text to the card
Choose the recipient (or add a new contact), and hit send.

It’s that simple. Five minutes, and you’ve got a unique, personalized greeting that you can send to anyone with an email account.

A note to the dudes: OK, these Videocards won’t take the place of a nice diamond necklace. But they will give you the power to send a personal, heartfelt message to your significant other.

Kids Say the Darndnest Things: How to make a Great Father’s Day Video

admin — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 20:26:29 +0000

Want to create an outside-the-box surprise for the father of your children? Here’s a great idea, courtesy of NPR: interview your kids about what makes a great dad, then combine the best answers for a wonderful video. Ready? Let’s get started. 1.) Start by interviewing your kids about their dad, and capturing their responses with your phone. Get creative with your questions and watch the fun responses flow. Within minutes you’ll have plenty of great footage. 2.) Next, it’s time to upload those interview clips to Pixorial, where you’ll turn them into an awesome movie. To do that, download the Pixorial app on iOS and Android. Then select the clips you want to upload. They’ll quickly appear in your Pixorial library, where you can use your computer to transform them. (By the way, the other cool thing about uploading videos from your phone is that they’re now safe forever; no worries about losing those memories to a stolen or broken device). 3.) Log into your Pixorial account and click on “Create Movie.” 4.) Use Movie Creator to add your interview clips, along with credits, transitions, and even background music. (If you’ve never used this video transformation tool, it’s super-easy; here’s how.) 5.) All done? Finalize and share everywhere: not only with the lucky dad, but with your family and friends via email, Twitter, and Facebook. Dad will love it. Guaranteed!

Rescue your memories with this special Thanksgiving offer

admin — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 08:59:18 +0000

Happy Thanksgiving from Pixorial! If you’re going home for the holidays, it’s the perfect time to grab that box of dusty old videotapes and film reels that have been laying around for ages. Send Pixorial your vintage media and we’ll convert it to digital, so you can see those wonderful memories once again.

THANKSGIVING SPECIAL Convert one vintage videotape or film reel, and get one at no charge – plus, this includes your return shipping!

This is a great way to rescue all those memories that are locked away on an old tape or film reel. See yourself opening Christmas presents when you were five. Watch your parents or grandparents in their youth. Now you can free all those moments and put them in a safe, share-anywhere format. We’ve made it super-simple to take advantage of this Thanksgiving promotion: 1.) Log In to your Pixorial account 2.) Click on Account –> Settings –> Redeem Promo or Gift Card 3.) Enter “TURKEYDAY2012″ 4.) Use these instructions to ship your media. Don’t have a Pixorial account yet? Use this link; your promo code will be entered automatically. From all of us here at Pixorial, wishing you the best of holidays!

(The obligatory fine print): Offer valid 11/21/12 through 11/26/12 only. Maximum promotion value: conversion of up to 4 hours of videotape or up to 100 feet of film, plus return shipping costs. Only available to U.S. residents. Visit this link for more information.

The Three C’s: How to Tell Your Dad He’s Awesome

admin — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 07:38:10 +0000

Don’t look now, but Father’s Day is this weekend. If you’d like to do something fun and unexpected for your dad, here are three quick and easy ideas: Contest: Head over to our Superdad sweepstakes and share a story about your father. That’s all it takes to enter. If you win, you’ll receive a Viewsonic tablet for your dad – along with free Pixorial for both you and pops. Card: Our Videocards are tailor-made for occasions like this. Use your webcam to record a Father’s Day greeting, then use one of our custom templates to create a unique message. It’ll be waiting for him in his inbox within seconds. To make a Videocard, highlight a video in your Pixorial library, then hit “Send Videocard” on the right side of the screen. Conversion: Conversion is the process of taking old media like VHS, 8mm, or film reels, and putting them in digital format. The great thing about this process is that all those memories that were trapped in those old formats will be sharable just about anywhere. Here’s a great example of conversion, courtesy of Pixorial’s very own Terry, a software expert and video freak: FathersDay2012c2.mov Terry digitized that old media using our conversion process, then added customized text with our easy-to-use editing tools. Digitizing old film is the best way to liberate those memories and ensure they don’t fall victim to the ravages of aging. So collect all those old movies, send ‘em in, and let dad know he’s got a nice surprise on the way. So there you have it – three simple ways that video – and the power of memories – can help you surprise and delight your dad this Father’s Day.

Do You Have a Superdad? Check Out Our Father’s Day Contest!

admin — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 10:56:58 +0000

The Avengers and the X-Men have got nothing on the everyday heroes known as “Superdads.” In honor of their special day, we’ve created a contest that does not – repeat, does not – feature a BBQ or a set of powertools! No…this contest is way cooler. All you have to do is share a story about the Superdad in your life. Let us know what makes him so great. Share a fond memory from your childhood, or a downright goofy moment that you’ll never forget. If you win, (a winner will be chosen at random), you’ll receive a Viewsonic Viewpad Tablet for your dad, plus free memberships to our video sharing service for both of you. Why the Viewpad? We hand-picked it because it’s perfect for watching all those videos you’ll be sharing – not to mention the front and rear-facing cameras that are perfect for capturing new moments. Time is ticking on this contest; as you might expect, it ends just before Father’s Day. Ready to enter? Click here!

11 Days ‘Til Mother’s Day

admin — Tue, 01 May 2012 10:37:57 +0000

Did you know that Mother’s Day is just 11 days away? No need to panic. OK…maybe panic a little. Because, well, this is a big deal. According to the LA Times, Mother’s Day is the second-highest gift-giving day of the year. So of course, this means that retailers and online shopping sites are vying for your attention with the items that they think you should buy. But what, exactly, is the best gift for mom? Here’s a little hint. Moms love talking about their kids, looking at pictures and reliving their favorite family memories. So this year, instead of buying chocolates or flowers, why not give the gift of memories? There are a few ways to tell your mom “I love you” with video. Dads, get your kids involved with these fun ideas!

Create a Videocard – upload a new video or use an existing one
Create a digital video masterpiece or custom DVD – use Pixorial’s editing tool, Producer, to bring together your favorite moments
Share a link to a video on Facebook or in an email

Chocolates and flowers are nice, no doubt…but they just don’t last. This holiday, get your mom something that she can enjoy for years to come! Here is a quick video example and what you can do with Pixorial.

Mother’s Day