Five Best Graduation Memory Video Makers

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Graduation season is practically around the corner, which means that the time to start thinking about the ways you are going to preserve your memories of one of the most important days of your life is now.

Fortunately, you no longer need a professional photo or video camera to capture the highlights of the graduation day, since most Smartphones enable you to capture footage in high resolution. Even so, you still need a video maker to create a memory video which is the reason why we selected the five best graduation memory video makers that will enable you to make a video you will enjoy watching in the years to come.

The Five Best Graduation Memory Video Makers

None of the video makers listed below require you to have an advanced set of video editing skills, as they all offer a quick and easy way of combining photos and videos. Even though technical aspects of making a graduation memory video with any of these video makers are not complicated, you must have a clear idea of what you want to do. Let’s take a look at the five best graduation memory video makers.

1. Magisto

Price: Free, Pricing plans start at $9.99 per month

Compatibility: Web-based/iOS/Android

In case you don’t have access to video editing software, you can use Magisto and edit all your videos from a web browser. The platform is powered by the AI that analyzes and edits your footage automatically in accordance with the preferences you selected.

Magisto is equipped with a broad range of video templates that enable you to make real estate social media or wedding videos, so you just have to choose the one that best matches the style of your graduation video and then upload the footage.

Moreover, the platform lets you choose for a broad range of editing styles and allows you to upload the music you want to use in the video you’re making. The maximum duration of the videos you can make with Magisto depends on the subscription model you purchase, but you won’t be able to make videos longer than ten minutes even if you opt for the most expensive version of Magisto. 

2. Windows 10 Photos App

Price: Free

Compatibility: Windows 10

PC users can make graduation videos for free even if they have never edited a video before. Windows 10 Photo App features a video editing mode that enables you to make videos automatically. That’s why all you need to do is select the Automatic Video option from the New Video menu and then import the photos or videos you want to include in your graduation video.

The software will then add the music to the video and render a preview of the file it created, so that you can watch it before you export it. Photos App also lets you edit the video further if you are not happy with the results, which enables you to use its video editing tools to add text or perform other video editing tasks. The only downside of making graduation videos automatically is that you won’t be able to control the duration of each shot in the video.

3. Splice

Price: Free, offers in-app purchases

Compatibility: iOS

The videos you record with your iPhone can be edited immediately after you capture them with an app like Splice. All video clips you import into the app can be cropped, trimmed or split into several separate clips. Moreover, choosing the video’s orientation, applying filters or creating text layers are routine operations that are not going to take more than a few moments of your time.

Splice features a huge library of songs and sound effects and it also enables you to record voiceovers or mix several audio tracks. The app can sync your videos to the beat of the music automatically, which can make them more visually dynamic and more entertaining to watch. Sharing all your creations to Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and other social media platforms is easy, while Splice also offers the option to export videos to your Smartphone’s camera roll.

4. iMovie

Price: Free

Compatibility: macOS

There is no need to search for a video editing software if you would just like to create a graduation memory video because iMovie offers all the tools you are going to need to complete this task. In fact, this video editor features a variety of different themes that reduce the amount of work you have to put into the production of a graduation video.

However, themes are not enabled by default and you must click on the Project Settings button once you create a new project or open an existing one. Once the Project Settings window appears on the screen, you will be able to see the Themes menu, so simply click on it to select it and then click on the Change button. Afterward, you can proceed to add the footage to the timeline and add titles or apply transitions between the shots. Click to check how to use iMovie to edit videos.

5. Filmora

Price: Free, start at $49.99 for the annual subscription

Compatibility: Windows, macOS

A modernly designed interface, as well as a broad range of video editing features, make Filmora one of the best video editing software products on the market. Creating a graduation video with Filmora is an easy task even for unskilled video editors since you just have to import the footage into a project and place it on the timeline.

You can then proceed to select one of the title templates, add text overlays or apply visual effects to the footage. Filmora also features the Ken Burns effect that enables you to animate still images and create fake camera movement in the shot.

The editor’s Audio tab grants you access to royalty-free music and sound effects, you can use in all of your projects. With the new Beat Detection feature, you can now edit your graduation video with a music video style.

The free version of Filmora adds a watermark to all videos you create with it, and you must purchase one of the available subscription models if you want to remove it.

Tips and Tricks That Will Help You Make a Better Graduation Memory Video

Having a clear vision of how you want your graduation video to look like will make it easier to create that video. That is why it is so important to plan everything in advance so that you have all you need once you start putting the graduation video together. Here are a few tips and tricks that will help you make a better graduation memory video.

1. Don’t try to do too much

Developing an overly complicated idea may prevent you from completing your project, which is why it is better to opt for a simple idea that can be executed easily. More complex ideas require you to invest a lot of time and effort into the editing process, and you shouldn’t start working on such an idea unless you are absolutely sure you have enough energy to complete it.

2. Find the right music

It is extremely difficult to express the underlying emotion of the video, solely through images. Dedicating attention to the video’s soundtrack is going to make your graduation video more pleasant to watch. However, the music you choose doesn’t necessarily have to be the music you listen to privately, but the music the viewers of your video are going to enjoy listening to.

3. Choose photos and videos carefully

Resisting the temptation to include all the photos and video clips you have at your disposal in your graduation video can be difficult. The footage of the moments you shared with those closest to you is going to make the video more interesting to watch with your friends and family.

4. Be mindful of the video’s duration

Most graduation videos last between ten and fifteen minutes, but the amount of material you are going to need depends on whether you’re using just photos or you want to include videos too. On average you will need between 100 and 150 photos for a fifteen-minute video, although the exact duration of the video depends on the amount of screen time you allocate to each image.

5. Use old photos

Graduation day marks the end of a long journey, which is why it can be a good idea to add some old photos or video clips, from when you were just starting out to your project. However, you are going to need scanning equipment if you want to digitize old photos, but if you’ve never done this before it may be better to ask a professional to help you.

Conclusion

The process of making a video starts with an idea, but in order to materialize your idea, you need to have the right equipment. The graduation memory video makers we included in this article enable you to create a video even if you have no previous experience. Which graduation memory video maker are you going to choose? Leave a comment and let us know.

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

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