Planning Tutorial
This page is designed for in-depth details about implementing and offering the Reflections by Photos Alive DVD Program at your funeral home.

Have Necessary Equipment & Supplies
Before beginning with us, you will want to ensure you have all the required equipment and supplies needed to participate in our program and make your own DVD's.  Visit our What You Need page for a full list of supplies, equipment and system requirements.
Internet Explorer 7 or higher
Our site is built on the IE7 engine for processing orders and uploading images.  If you do not know which version of IE you have, across the top of your browser, click 'Help', then 'About Internet Explorer'.  If it says Internet Explorer 7 or higher, you are fine.  If not, you will need to upgrade by going to the Microsoft Website here  Click 'Download' then save the file to your desktop.  When finished, run the file you downloaded and Internet Explorer will be upgraded.
Get Flash 9 or 10
Adobe Flash is required to view our site properly as well as upload your scanned images.  If you can view our video samples, Flash is installed and working fine, if not, you need to Get Flash here.

Screen Resolution
1024 by 768 is the recommended screen resolution.  To check and/or change your current screen resolution,

  • right click on the desktop and choose 'Properties'
  • Click the 'Settings' tab at the far right or the 'Properties' window
  • At the bottom left is a Slide Bar under 'Screen Resolution'
  • It should be at 1024 by 768 or better
  • Slide it to the desired resolution and click 'OK'
  • The screen will go blank for a moment then come back with your new settings
Become A Member
Next you will want to become a member of our program.  There is no cost or obligation, it just allows us to gather the required information to produce your videos when you need them.  You can view our Membership Information page for all the details or contact us to become a member.
Get Tools & Tutorials
Once you receive a user ID and password, you will need to login and navigate to our 'Reflections Tools' area.  There you will have access to all tools and tutorials required to make a Reflections DVD at your location.  We provide all the software and training you will need at no cost.
Training & Test
Immediately after becoming a member, we will want to process a test order to verify all settings are correct.  This will take approximately one hour to complete.  Expect a full test of the systems from initial scan to final burn.  We will also take this opportunity to answer any questions you have.
Take The Order
Once you are verified, you can begin taking orders.  We have created a hard-copy order form that can be printed and used in the field.  After all the media is collected, the information on this order form can later be entered in our on-line ordering system.  You can view a sample of our on-line system Here.
Gather Media
We have many options available to you, it will be to your discretion which options you will make available to your clients. From collecting photos and music to getting the closing text for the end of the video, it will be your responsibility to collect all the production elements to submit to us.  There are only three possible elements you will need: a completed order form, photos (hard-copy or digital) and music. 
Process Media
After the required media is collected, it will have to be organized and input into your computer.  Photos will need scanned into one location (directory).  If digital and print photos are mixed, they will have to be properly noted in the scan.  If you provided the customer with the option to use his/her own music, it will have to be extracted from the original CD for later uploading.  We provide the software, tutorials and training on the best ways to scan, combine print and digital images and grab audio from CD's.
Logon To Reflections by Photos Alive
When all the media has been digitized and is located in one directory for upload, it is time to login to our server.  After login, click 'Place A New Order'.
Complete On-Line Order Form
After login, there are only two steps, complete the on-line orderform where you transfer the information taken in the field to our server.
Upload Media
Then upload the media.  It is a one-click process and because all media should be in one directory, you will just select all the files and click upload.
Download Finished Production
Once we have received the order, a confirmation email will be sent to you.  We will begin processing the order and contact you when the finished DVD and labels are ready for download.  After they are ready, just login to the server and select 'Get Finished Project'.  Download the two files (DVD file and artwork) to your customer directory.
Burn & Package
Once the download is complete, you will be ready to burn the project to DVD and print the artwork.  We provide the software to burn your DVD and all print material is in .PDF format for one-click printing.

Timetable
An estimated timetable (based on averages) from taking the initial order to burning the final DVD:

Estimated Time For A Funeral Director:
* Intake orderform - 5 minutes
* Scanning Media  - 10 minutes
* Placing the order - 5 minutes
* Print materials/labels & begin DVD burn - 5 minutes

Unattended Timetable:
* Upload Media - 15 minutes
* Create video project - 8 to 14 hours
* Download Project - 30 minutes
* Burn DVD - 15 minutes

You can expect to spend approximately 25 minutes in actual hours offering the Reflections Video Service.  There is an additional 9 to 15 hours of unattended project time.  All orders should be placed a minimum of 24 hours before required due time.

Become A Member
There is no cost or obligation.  We just need some basic information so we can process your order when you place it. 		Features
Find out what makes us better.  From initial set-up to DVD packaging, discover why Reflections is the right choice for your funeral home. 		Planning Tutorial
An overview of what you can expect and what you need to know to offer a Reflections production to your clients.