When a family member or close friend has died and you have been asked to create the funeral presentation, you probably want to spend no more time on it than necessary. In this article we share tips to help you create a good funeral presentation as quickly as possible.
One note before we start: we assume the venue where the funeral takes place does not have its own system in which the presentation has to be built. Some funeral venues and crematoria work with their own software in which the entire service is put together. That software is just as easy to use as our tool; this article is for venues without a system of their own.
Here are the top three fastest ways to make a funeral presentation.
Number 3: video
A funeral presentation often consists of a fixed photo (or a few photos) while someone is speaking, and a slideshow during the music. That slideshow can be made as a video, one for each song. Use an app such as CapCut, or professional editing software such as Adobe Premiere Pro.
A video can be a real visual spectacle, because you have full control over exactly what appears on screen. Everything can be fine-tuned: different transitions and beautiful effects that match the music. This can be one of the most beautiful methods, but without a background in video editing it is also by far the most time-consuming. In consultation with the venue, they can then switch between a fixed photo and the various videos during the musical moments.
Would you like to make things really easy for the venue? Combine the videos and the photos in a single PowerPoint presentation. The venue can then play the entire service with a few clicks, without any risk of something going wrong or the wrong video being started.
Number 2: PowerPoint
PowerPoint has been around for a long time, and for good reason: it is the most widely used presentation programme there is, and almost everyone knows it. Especially if you have some experience with PowerPoint, creating a funeral presentation is very doable. A speaker slide is set to advance on a click, and if the music needs to play under a slideshow, you set it to "Play Across Slides" so it keeps playing while the photos appear.
There is one small challenge here: each photo needs to stay on screen for a set amount of time so that the slideshow and the music finish together. You can read more about that calculation in our tips for choosing funeral music. As a result, an extra check is needed to make sure the timing is right. And if it is not, adjusting it takes extra time.
In PowerPoint you have full control over what is shown at every moment of the service, although you are limited to the transitions and formatting options PowerPoint offers. The big advantage: the entire funeral presentation fits in a single PowerPoint file, which makes it very easy for the venue to play.
Number 1: Funeral-ppt.com
At funeral-ppt.com you can now create a ready-to-play PowerPoint presentation online, fully automated. It is essentially the approach from number 2, but everything that would normally need to be set up by hand is taken care of for you. That makes it without doubt the fastest way to create a funeral presentation.
You add the fixed memorial photo, choose the background and then build the entire running order in very little time. Photos are automatically converted to the right file formats (PowerPoint does not accept HEIC by default), automatically spread across the music and very easy to crop. And where PowerPoint is not suited to building a presentation on a phone or tablet, funeral-ppt.com works fully on mobile devices. Even without a laptop or a PowerPoint licence, you can create the perfect funeral presentation in a short amount of time.
More than 200 funeral services have already shown that it saves an experienced funeral director at least 1 to 1.5 hours per service. Working together with others is easy too, and the venue or crematorium will be pleasantly surprised to receive an instruction document with the exact click cues at delivery.
Feel free to try it: building your presentation and a trial version are free.
How you get there does not matter
However much effort making a funeral presentation takes, it is undoubtedly worth it. The goal is a dignified and beautiful presentation that honours the life of the person who has died. How you get there is ultimately not important. But if you are short on time, or do not have the technical knowledge to build everything yourself, then funeral-ppt.com is the perfect place to start.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make the photos and the music end at the same time in PowerPoint?
Divide the length of the song by the number of photos and allow for the duration of the transitions. Each slide then gets that calculated display time. Always check the result by playing the whole presentation through once. You can read more about this calculation in our article about choosing funeral music. With our tool this is not needed: the timing is calculated automatically.
Can I combine videos and photos in one presentation?
Yes. You can include edited videos alongside the photos in a single PowerPoint file. The venue then plays the entire service with a few clicks, without any risk of the wrong video being started. In our tool you simply add a video as a separate block in the running order.
What if the funeral venue or crematorium has its own system?
Some venues work with their own software, in which the entire service has to be built. Always check this with the funeral director or the venue beforehand; if the venue has its own system, that is the one to use.
Can I create a funeral presentation on a phone or tablet?
In PowerPoint that is hardly possible, but funeral-ppt.com works fully on mobile devices. You do not need a laptop or a PowerPoint licence, so you can build the presentation wherever suits you, together with others if you wish.
What does funeral-ppt.com cost?
Building the running order and downloading a watermarked trial version are free. You only pay for the final version without a watermark. You can find the current prices on the pricing page.
How much time should I allow for the whole preparation?
Allow at least 36 hours for gathering the photos, choosing the music and building the presentation, and start at least three days before the funeral. That leaves room for checking the file and for the changes that almost always come up. You can read more in our article about the timeline of a funeral presentation.