Once Upon Us
A video gift for your girlfriend or boyfriend
The best video gift for a girlfriend or boyfriend is about the two of you. There are four common kinds, compared below. Once Upon Us makes the fourth: add photos of the two of you, pick a style, and each photo is redrawn and brought to life as a 5-second scene in a short film that opens with your names. Send it as a private gift link, or print a card with a QR code that opens it.
Example frames in three of the six styles. Your film is drawn from your own photos.
Only needs your photos
No clips to collect from friends and no editing. 3 to 60 photos of the two of you are put in order by date and drawn in one style, so it plays like one film.
A gift link, with your note
When the film is ready, choose "Send as a gift" to get a private link with a note from you. You can preview the page they'll see before you send it.
Or something to unwrap
Every film comes with a printable card: your names, the month and year you got together, and a QR code that opens the film. Steps below.
Want to see the look first? See couple photos turned into a cartoon film or a 3D animated film from your couple photos. For a birthday, see a birthday video for your partner.
Four kinds of video gift, compared
What each one needs from you, roughly how long it takes and when it works best. These are general descriptions, not reviews of any one service.
| Kind of video gift | What you need | Time to make | Cost | Best when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group message video | Short clips recorded by friends and family, collected into one video | Days: you wait for everyone's clips | Free or paid, depending on the service | A birthday or a long-distance surprise where many people want to join in |
| Photo slideshow you edit yourself | Your photos and music, put together in a video editing app | An evening or more, depending on how much you edit | Usually free | You enjoy editing and want full control |
| Template video | A few photos dropped into a ready-made template | Minutes | Free or a small fee | You need something quick; the look is the template's, not yours |
| Animated film of your story (Once Upon Us) | 3 to 60 photos of the two of you | Scenes are usually drawn within 30 minutes of ordering | $24.99 (1 minute) · $49.99 (3 minutes) · $69.99 (5 minutes), one-time. 3 free redraws per scene, full refund within 14 days | An anniversary, a birthday or just because, when you want the gift to be your own story |
Group videos and slideshows show real footage; Once Upon Us is an animated film: AI illustrations of your photos, with music and no voiceover.
How to give a video as a gift
A video lives on a screen, so the giving is the part to plan. Once Upon Us gives you three ways from your private film page.
- When your film is ready, open your private film page.
- To send it, choose "Send as a gift", add a note and send the private link by message or email. Use "Preview the gift page they'll see" first.
- To hand it over, choose "Print a QR card", then "Print it", or save the card image and print it later on heavy paper.
- Scan the printed code with your phone before you wrap it, to make sure it opens your film.
- Your film page is kept for 30 days, so download the film to keep it for good.
How it works
Add your photos
Add 3 to 60 photos of the two of you, from the first date to today. Once Upon Us reads the date each photo was taken and puts your memories in order.
Pick a style and your characters
3D animated, hand-drawn, anime, cartoon, claymation or comic book. We draw the two of you in that style three ways; you pick the pair that looks most like you, and we draw your first scene with them free, before you pay. They star in every scene of your film.
Make it yours
Your names open the film in the look you pick. Add words on screen, choose one of four songs and write your closing line. Then look over your storyboard, pick your film's length and pay once.
Pay once, by length
One-time payment, no subscription. Every scene can be redrawn 3 times.
Made with you, scene by scene. Add your photos, pick your characters and see your first scene free before you pay, then check each scene before it comes to life.
Start our filmQuestions
What is a good video gift for a girlfriend?
One that is about the two of you: your photos together, in order, with her name in the opening and your own words at the end. Once Upon Us turns 3 to 60 of your photos into a short animated film like that.
Can I make it for my boyfriend, husband or wife?
Yes. It works for any partner; the film opens with both of your names.
How do I send a video as a gift?
Send a private gift link with a note, or print a card with a QR code that opens the film. Both come with every Once Upon Us film.
Is it free?
No. A film is a one-time payment, with no subscription: $24.99 for 1 minute, $49.99 for 3 minutes or $69.99 for 5 minutes. You check every scene before it comes to life, and there's a full refund within 14 days if it isn't right.
How does Once Upon Us work?
Add 3 to 60 photos of the two of you and pick a style. We draw the two of you as characters in that style, redraw each photo with them and bring it to life as a 5-second moving scene, put in order by date, with an opening that carries your names, words on screen where you want them, the music you pick and your closing line.
What styles can I pick?
3D animated, hand-drawn, anime, cartoon, claymation and comic book. The whole film is drawn in the style you pick.
Will it look like us?
After you pick a style, we draw the two of you as characters three ways and you choose the one that looks most like you. That pair stars in every scene, so you look the same from start to finish. You check every scene before it comes to life, and if one misses, you redraw it for free.
More ideas
Gift guides
Styles
Updated November 6, 2026