Los Angeles · Memorial & Celebration of Life
Memorial and Celebration of Life AV in Los Angeles
Sound, microphones, screens and slideshow playback, set up quietly and tested long before anyone arrives.
A memorial has no second take. The slideshow either plays or it does not. The microphone either carries a quiet voice to the back of the room or it does not. Nobody rehearses, and the people most affected are the least able to troubleshoot.
We handle that part. Sound, microphones, screens, slideshow and video playback, and a technician on site through the service, so that whatever else is difficult about the day, this is not.
What we provide
Sound and microphones
- Speakers sized to the room, indoors or outside
- Lectern, handheld and lavalier microphones
- Levels set for quiet and unsteady voices
- Music cued to the running order
- Coverage for a separate reception area
Screens and playback
- Projector and screen, or flat-panel displays
- Photo montage and tribute video playback
- Your file tested in advance on the playback machine
- The venue’s own screens where they can be used
- Distribution to more than one room where needed
For the equipment on its own, see sound system rental and projector and screen rental.
The slideshow is usually the hard part
It is almost always assembled in a hurry, by someone who is grieving, on whatever software they had. Then it arrives as a file nobody has opened on the machine it will actually play from.
Send it to us early and we will open it, tell you if anything needs converting, and run it on the playback machine before the day. If it needs changing an hour beforehand because one more photograph arrived, that is fine. It usually does.
For people who cannot be there
A service can be streamed privately so family who cannot travel are still part of it, and recorded for those who cannot watch live. Camera and livestream production is coordinated through trusted production partners as part of the package, subject to crew and equipment availability.
A stream depends on the venue’s internet connection, which is the one thing nobody can work around on the day. We ask about it at planning. Where the connection is uncertain we can discuss a backup path and a local recording, so the service is captured either way.
How we work at a service
Equipment arrives and is set up well before guests, not alongside them. Cabling is run and covered. Everything is tested against your actual file and your actual running order. During the service a technician handles the playback and the microphones, and afterwards we strike quietly once people have gone.
We work in funeral homes, places of worship, private estates, clubs and event venues, and we coordinate load-in and access directly with the venue so that it is not one more thing for the family to arrange.
Tell us about the service
The date and the venue are enough to start. We will ask a short list of questions, not a long one.
How quickly can you arrange this?
Short notice is normal for memorials and we plan for it rather than treating it as an exception. Call us and we will tell you honestly whether we can cover your date before you spend time on anything else.
What format should the slideshow be in?
A standard video file or a PDF is safest, and earlier is better. Presentation files that rely on particular fonts, embedded music or animations can behave differently on another machine, which is the last thing anyone wants to discover during a service. Send us whatever you have and we will tell you if it needs converting. We test it on the playback machine well before guests arrive.
Can you use the venue's existing screens or televisions?
Sometimes. It depends on what connections the venue has and where the screens sit. Where it works it saves hiring extra screens; where it does not, we bring our own. Tell us the venue and we will find out rather than guess.
Can the slideshow play in more than one room?
Yes. One source can be distributed over network cable to screens in several rooms, so people seated away from the main room are not left out. How far apart the rooms are affects what we can send to each screen, and we will tell you what that will actually look like.
Do you provide microphones for people speaking?
Yes. A lectern microphone, handheld microphones to pass between family members, and a lavalier for an officiant if that suits better. Speakers at a memorial are often quiet, sometimes crying, and frequently not used to microphones. We set levels for that rather than for a confident speaker.
Can you play music during the service?
Yes. A piece for the entrance, something during a photo montage, a recording that mattered to the person. Send us the music with the running order and we will cue it so nobody has to find a phone and press play.
Will there be someone there during the service?
Yes. A technician stays for the service and handles the playback, the microphones and the cues. Nobody in the family should be operating equipment, and no family member should be the backup plan.
Can the service be streamed for people who cannot attend?
Yes. Camera and livestream production is coordinated through trusted production partners as part of the package, subject to crew and equipment availability. The viewing link can be private so only the people you invite can watch, and a recording can be kept for those who could not be there at all. A stream depends on the venue's internet, which we check at planning rather than on the day.
Where do you work?
We are based in Tarzana and work across Los Angeles, CA — funeral homes, places of worship, private estates, clubs and event venues. Tell us where the service is and we will confirm.
How do we start?
Call or text us, or send the form on this page with the date and the venue. We will ask a short list of questions, not a long one.