13 Best Retirement Video Ideas To Honor The Retiree

You want to make a video tribute for a coworker, friend, or family member who is retiring soon, and you’re looking for fun retirement video ideas. Well, you’ve come to the right place! In this article, I’ve listed 13 awesome retirement video ideas and a step-by-step guide on how to create an amazing montage. So, continue reading.

Best Retirement Tribute Video Ideas

1) Group Video Montage Of Thoughtful Messages

The most thoughtful retirement videos are group video montages with all the loved ones of the retiree who share a sweet, thoughtful, or funny message. Without pushing an idea on people on what they need to do or say in the video, you can leave it up to them with what they want to share. It can be a thoughtful message wishing the retiree all the best in the future, thanking him or her for their contributions and hard work to the company, acknowledging their achievements, or saying something funny just to make the retiree laugh. All contributions are good.

You can invite others to join in and record a message on their phone or tablet between 10-60 seconds that you turn into one group video montage that you share with the retiree on their last day of work, during their last meeting in the office, or at their retirement party.

With VidDay, you can easily create a retirement tribute video, and many people can join in to commemorate the retiree. Everyone and anyone can create beautiful retirement tribute videos because you don’t need to download an app, you don’t need editing skills, and VidDay does all the work for you. Sounds great, right?!

If this retirement video is for a coworker, you can ask all coworkers to record a video message for the retiree. Or you can consider making a video with a mix of coworkers, friends, and family. Retirement is a life celebration, so a video with the most important people in their life, both private and work-related, is a great idea. But that is up to you. It depends on the moment you want to share the retirement video and what kind of relationship you have with the retiree.

Example Of A Retirement Group Video

2) Group Video Montage Of Funny Stories

Another fun way to honor the retiree is making a group video montage of funny stories and anecdotes.

Retirement is a major life achievement and often a life celebration. The retiree closes a big chapter in their life and starts a new blank one with a lot of new things to discover. And that is why a retirement video where people share (funny) stories of memorable moments of the retiree’s life is a cool retirement video idea. It’s a fun way to reflect on and celebrate the big moments in the retiree’s life so far.

You ask everyone to share big, funny, laughable, teachable, or embarrassing stories in a video to honor or make fun of the retiree. And also, share why that moment is a memorable moment they’ll never forget. Preferably you want to ask people to create videos that are no longer than 1 minute, so the entire video montage doesn’t become too long and boring to watch.

You can use Vidday to create this video for you. Start here >>

3) Group Video Montage Of 1-Minute Toasts

Retirement is a life celebration. And what is a celebration without champagne?

And you can make a champagne toast on video in a funny way. And here is how it works:

Make sure everyone who joins the retirement video has the same glass of champagne or sparkling wine that looks similar. Ask all participants to do the same action in the video: grab the glass of champagne outside the screen from the right, make a toast by raising the glass and saying a couple of words, and put the glass away outside the screen on the left. If you cut it correctly, it looks like everyone is passing this glass of champagne through the screen.

And as a fun end and start, you can have the first person (for example, you can be the first) that pops the bottle of champagne open and pours the first glass. The second-last person drinks up the entire glass and gives an empty glass to the last person in the video, who is disappointed.

Retirement Video Toast Message Ideas

  • Cheers to your health and happiness. May you have the time of your life in retirement.
  • Here’s to all the adventures in retirement. Make this new chapter in your life the greatest one.
  • Congratulations on your retirement. Cheers to many years of working for your wife now.

You don’t need editing software to create this retirement video idea, you can easily use VidDay.

4) Group Video Montage Of Funny Answers To Same Questions

Many cool birthday videos and retirement videos are created where people answer the same three, five, or more questions about the retiree. It’s a great retirement video idea when people don’t know what to say in a retirement video. And it’s very simple; here is how it works.

You come up with three or five amazing questions that other people need to answer in the video they record on their phone or tablet. You can email these questions along with the video instructions and ask if they can read the question first and then share the answer on the screen.

And the work and the magical part of this video are in the montage because the order of answers can make it into a very funny retirement video. Where you first see the question in the text on the screen, and after that, you see a montage of all the different people who answer this question about the retiree.

Often when you watch all videos, you see a storyline unfold and know how to arrange the videos in a certain sequence. For example, you can group all answers to the same question or do it more randomly to keep getting surprised.

When you want to create a funny retirement video, you can ask funny questions, or when you want to make a thoughtful video, you can ask people to answer sincerely to your questions. Or leave it up to them.

Questions You Can Ask

  • What is the funniest moment you share with the retiree?
  • What is the retiree’s best attribute?
  • Which part of his/her job did he/she dislike the most?
  • How did he/she do to get out of a meeting/ difficult task?
  • What have you learned from the retiree?
  • What is his/ her most famous/ well-used phrase?
  • What is the most annoying thing about the retiree?

This video idea is a bit more time-consuming for you to create. But here is what you can do. You can either cut and edit the video yourself using editing software like iMovie, Final Cut Pro, or Filmora if you have enough time and enjoy doing it. Or you can make things easy for yourself by using VidDay and asking people that join the group video to record one video per question and upload each video separately. This way, you don’t need to cut one video into different videos. And you can easily add text (for example, the question on screen) and use VidDay transitions, etc.

5) Group Video Montage Of Written Words

Another fun retirement video idea is a more silent one. Nobody needs to say anything. It’s all written words on paper with nice music.

You can ask people to record a short video while they hold up a sign with a word or a couple of words. They can hold up a sign with a message for the retiree individually, and you create one video montage of all video messages. Or you can create one retirement video with one message where everyone joins in. Each person holds up a sign with a small part of the entire message for the entire video.

Example of Farewell Video In Written Words

6) Video Montage Of Bucket List Ideas

Create a retirement bucket list video to give the retiree inspiration for his or her bucket list. Everyone that joins the retirement video shares one bucket list idea or multiple bucket list ideas that the retiree can tick off in their retirement.

You can easily create this with Vidday and ask people to upload their phone-recorded video on this platform so you can create it into one montage.

What a lot of people underestimate is that retirement is a major lifestyle change that comes with a lot of struggles. Many retirees don’t know what to do with all their free time and lose the motivation to make their retirement the time of their life. Therefore getting a retirement video filled with inspiration and ideas is both fun and very practical for the retiree.

It can work as a great reminder that now is the time to do all the things they’ve wanted to do. The retiree can watch the video over and over again during difficult times or whenever they need some inspiration when they don’t know what to do with their time.

7) Video Of Career Highlights

A lot of people like to honor the retiree with a presentation of their career highlights and showcase it on their last day of work or during one of their last meetings in the office. Or even at their office retirement party.

If you’re looking for a fun retirement video idea for a true legend in the office, this could be it. You can create a video with a collection of videos and photos of the past and add text to showcase the retiree’s career highlights. Add some music, and you’re done.

Next to their career highlights, can you add their best qualities in text and other accomplishments and share all the reasons the retiree is such a true legend. Maybe ask the boss or another person to be a voice-over in the video. And to add to that, you can also ask a couple of people who played a huge part in the retiree’s career successes and the lessons they’ve learned from him/her.

8) Photo Slideshow Video

To keep things simple and easy but also fun, create a nice slide show video filled with fun photos of the retiree’s life and career and add a bit of music. You can ask people to upload their best and favorite photos of the retiree via VidDay and easily create a photo slideshow video.

9) Music Video Clip

Another fun retirement video idea is to create a music video. You can pick out the retiree’s favorite song or a popular song to dance to or sing along with. You can consider coming together with all people and recording a music video with each other from one place, for example, the office. Or ask people to record their own videos while they sing and dance to the same song. And you create one music video with all submitted videos.

The best way to do that is to ask everyone to record themselves singing or dancing to the entire song so you can pick out the best parts for the entire montage. And don’t forget to put on some fun costumes and use cool props for that extra spark.

For example, a couple of years, everyone from around the world danced to the same song: happy. You can watch the video as a source of inspiration for your retirement music video clip. You can use this song or the retiree’s favorite song. Or a popular song in the office/ within the family.

Example Of Retirement Music Video Clip

https://youtu.be/V41fqY6B2Bs

10) Flashmob Video

Doing flashmobs was a big hit a couple of years ago. But you can still do this to celebrate someone’s retirement. It will definitely make their entire day, maybe a year.

You can consider doing a flashmob live for the eyes of the retiree and have someone record it to have a flashmob video of the live moment. Or record a flashmob video where you start with someone dancing and as the song goes on more and more people tune in the screen to dance and sing to the same song.

Below is an example of a retiree getting the surprise of her life with a flashmob on the last day of work:

You can find choreography instruction videos on all sorts of songs so that you don’t have to come up with the choreography yourself. Just share with all the flashmob participants and ask them to rehearse before they record their video.

11) Retirement Movie Trailer

Transform your retirement video into a blockbuster trailer just like in the movie theaters. This takes a bit more work to make but if you want to get creative and put on a Steven Spielberg hat, why not?! You come up with a fun concept, make a script and start filming. Perhaps you know a professional videographer that will love to help you with this project. Also, to get you moving you can check out the video below that shows you how to make a blockbuster movie trailer.

12) Funny Made-Up Story

When you’ve collected photos and videos of the retiree you can make up a story or exaggerate intensely to make a funny retirement video such as this example below.

Example Of Funny Corporate Retirement Slideshow

13) Roast Video

A roast video is the ultimate payback for a retiree that has a great sense of humor, loves to prank others, and knows how to take a hit. And it’s a great idea when you want to show it at a (virtual) retirement party so the retiree has the opportunity to have the last word and respond to the video.

You can ask 4-5 different people to make a roast video and edit it into one video with the funniest roast at the end. Also, this video is easy to create with VidDay.

How To Create A Retirement Video: Step-By-Step Guide

You make a retirement video by collecting video messages from the retiree’s colleagues, friends, and family. People can record a video on a phone or tablet and share funny stories, well wishes, bucket list ideas, career highlights, say thanks, sing a song, dance, or answer questions. You can use editing software or an easy online video maker to edit the video and add photos, text, music, and transitions.

When you consider doing a group video montage I highly recommend using VidDay. It saves you a lot of time and frustration figuring out how to edit a video. And here is how simple it works:

  • Step 1: Choose A Video Idea
  • Step 2: Create a VidDay account and set up an event page for the retirement video.
  • Step 3: Invite family, friends, or coworkers to join in by sharing the link via email, text, social media, WhatsApp, etc.
  • Step 4: Everyone records a video on their phone or tablet and submits their video and photos by clicking on the link.
  • Step 5: When all videos are uploaded you can rearrange the order, and add transitions, text, and photos.
  • Step 6: VidDay does its magic and makes a beautiful montage while you enjoy a glass of beer or wine.

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Kirsten Veldman

Since 2017, my husband and I have been location-independent retirees. With hundreds of articles written, I'm passionate about helping other retirees!

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