To remove the black bars from your photo, click “Change Photo” and then click “Edit Your Current Photo“. Then drag the outside corners of the photo sizer box inside the black lines on your photo. When you have the box where you would like, click the blue “Done” button. Be sure to save your work by clicking the purple “Save My Work” disc icon from the toolbar menu or clicking the pink “Save and Next” button on the lower right side of your account. Once you have done this, click “Preview” and your image should be there, just the way you cropped it.

There are many ways you can approach your video. A few have chosen to hire a professional to create more elaborate videos. Others have experience with video editing and all the video tools and have done some amazing videos as well. The vast majority of videos, including our co-founder’s, were home grown and shot by non professionals. At Mitzvites we tend to prefer the videos that are simple, fun and personal. If you can stick to that rule, your guests will love it.

Some of the best videos we’ve seen are simply Mom or Dad holding a smartphone or a tablet and just videoing their child in one or a few takes. Our Co Founder, Will Bernstein, did just that with his daughter. He filmed her with his tablet, uploaded his video with zero editing and was done. Simple and fun. The guests all loved it and wanted to find out how they could do their invitations the same way. That one simple video spawned Mitzvites.

If you’d like to have a little extra fun with your video, choose the invitation design on Mitzvites before you start. Notice if the event information is on the left or right and where the location of the “RSVP Here” button is. Then, your child can point your guests to where the important information is located on their Mitzvite. By pointing to the Event Information section and showing your guests where to RSVP, your Mitzvite just became a whole lot more personal and informative.

Think simple and your video will be great. If you want to go pro, fantastic, and we can’t wait to see it, but we believe that your child is unique from any other child and letting them express themselves and their personality in a way that makes them feel comfortable on video is what Mitzvites was created for.

When using a Smartphone or Tablet to make your video…
Be sure to turn your phone or tablet SIDEWAYS (landscape) when you are shooting your video. Videos displayed on Mitzvites (or YouTube, Vimeo or any other site for that matter) are designed to be displayed in the widescreen format to maximize the amount of space your subject occupies on the screen.  If you hold your phone or tablet vertically, there will be black bars displayed on the left and right side of your video and your subject will not be featured as prominently as they would in landscape mode.