This past year I made a video memory project, showing 1 second a day of video for each day of the year. And I can’t tell you how much I love it, how happy it makes me to watch it and share with my family, because it makes them so happy too! This is too good not to share, and I want you to try it and see for yourself the amazingness!
This project is also quite forgiving if you forget to record a video every day, and it’s so easy to manage with a free app on your phone. I’ve got all the details and tips to help you make your own!
Why You Should Make a 1 Second A Day Year of Memories Video
I attempted to make one in 2018; I took regular videos for the first 4 months of the year, then kind of fell off the wagon and had rare random clips for the rest of the year until December when I had a bit more. But I still put it all together with a song for my girls to see.
And guess what? They thought it was the best thing ever. They wanted to watch it several times right away and have asked to watch it again a few times throughout the whole next year.
That video helped them to understand why it’s important for me to get the video clips, and they indulge me when I occasionally ask them to continue doing something, or to repeat something, when I want to capture it on video.
They have waited with anticipation all year to see this year’s video. I haven’t shown them any of the monthly compilations to not spoil the surprise of the final video.
Why 1 second a day?
You can choose to use 1.5 second clips instead, but either way, this is why they should be short:
- With an entire year of memories to show, keeping the video short prevents your audience from losing interest
- You are showing the highlights and important memories in a quick compilation
- Video size (for both storage and playback loading time) is more manageable for all devices
- You can use just 1 or 2 songs to cover the video. I think the ideal would be to cover the entire video in the length of one song (which avoids having to end and start a new song, and find multiple songs that work together with your video.)
What if I can’t or forget to record a video every day?
Don’t worry, I missed plenty of days, and I have an easy solution for this! You definitely don’t need to give up, or feel too discouraged to start. You WILL miss days, but this project is not about perfection and rules, it’s about memories. Read my tips and process below for how to deal with missed days.
Who will see my video?
The “Our Year in Video” project is a very personal memory keeping project. You may not feel comfortable sharing your video with the world or with your social media acquaintances and that is perfectly okay. You’re not doing this to show off to anybody, to get likes and comments and personal validation. You are doing this for you, and for your family.
My Process
- Shoot video with my phone’s camera (not through the app)
- Try to take extra videos whenever possible, for the days I inevitably miss and for choices
- Use app to select a 1 second clip for each day. I use 1 Second Everyday
- At the end of each month, use app to compile a monthly video
- Backup daily clips and monthly videos regularly
- At the end of the year, use a video editing program on my computer to put together the 12 monthly videos. I use Adobe Premiere Pro.
- Cut out the frames with the app’s logo
- Turn off the audio for the video clips
- Add a song to the entire video
- Add a title card for the year, at the beginning of the video
- Save/export the video for sharing and displaying on other devices
Basic Tips for Making Your 1 Second A Day Video Great
- Shoot your video clips in the highest video resolution you have available to you (check your video settings before recording)
- Helps ensure video quality as technology advances
- Looks better on larger screens like televisions
- Take multiple videos of different content per day whenever possible, to use for the days that you forget, and for selecting your favorite later (choose your best memory, your best looking video, or for variety in the framing and content of your surrounding daily clips)
- Always shoot video in landscape orientation (wider than it is tall)
- Provides consistency
- Looks better on computer screens and tv screens
- Compile your video clips every month, save and backup monthly videos
- A common problem is that videos may be accidently deleted, or lost through app updates, so it’s important to back up often
Video Clip Ideas
Tip: at the beginning of the year, make a list of the special moments you expect to happen, and the specific memories you want to capture.
At the beginning of each month, check your year list, and make a list for that month with all of your ideas and goals for video clips that month. Keep checking back to your list throughout the month for inspiration and reminders.
- Everyday activities
- Ex. Brushing teeth, washing dishes, cooking, eating, reading, watching tv
- Seasonal activities
- Ex. playing in the snow, planting a garden, making a sand castle at the beach, raking leaves
- Holiday traditions
- Ex. writing Valentines cards, Easter egg hunt, carving pumpkins, decorating a Christmas tree
- Special events
- Ex. Weddings, parties, community events
- Milestones and life events
- Ex. birthdays, learning a new skill
- Travel or special experiences
- Ex. family vacations, school field trips, local attractions
- Things that show connection
- Ex. hugs, holding hands, petting animals
I hope I have inspired you to make a 1 second a day video this year! Let me know any questions you have in the comments and I’ll try to answer.
Click here to read my Advanced Tips to take your 1 second a day video to the next level!
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