Quick answer
Starrd's Catch Santa templates turn one photo of your own room into a 10-second vertical video of Santa in it. Photograph your Christmas tree, your fireplace or the plate of cookies and milk you left out, and Santa walks in with a present, crawls out of the fireplace or eats a cookie, then winks at the camera. Put a name in Director's Notes and he says it out loud ('Emma made the nice list!'), or write the exact line you want him to say. For the naughty list, a Sneaky Elf or the Grinch steals the presents and the cookies instead. The room stays exactly as you photographed it. 100 credits (about $5) per video.
Leave the cookies out, snap a photo of the tree, and wake up to proof: Santa Claus was in your living room. One photo of your own room turns into a video of Santa caught on camera, dropping off a present, waving at the lens and saying your kid's name.
Catch Santa at Your Tree
One photo of your tree. Santa walks in, leaves a present and says your kid's name. 10 seconds.
What You Get
- Your real room. Your photo is the first frame, so it's your tree, your sofa and your decorations.
- Santa, in the act. He walks in with a present, kneels at the tree, sets it down and looks right at the camera.
- Your kid's name, out loud. Put it in Director's Notes, or write the exact line you want him to say.
- Five scenes. The tree, the fireplace, the cookies, plus a Sneaky Elf and the Grinch for the naughty list.
- 10 seconds, vertical 9:16, with sound, ready to show at breakfast or post.
Santa Down the Chimney
Photograph the fireplace. A puff of soot puts the fire out, Santa crawls out onto the hearth, leaves a present and ducks back up the chimney.
Santa Down the Chimney
One photo of your fireplace. Santa crawls out, leaves a gift and goes back up. 10 seconds.
Santa Ate the Cookies
Leave out the cookies and milk, photograph the plate, and catch Santa taking a bite, sipping the milk and thanking your kid by name.
Santa Ate the Cookies
One photo of the cookies and milk. Santa eats one, drinks the milk and says thank you. 10 seconds.
The Naughty List
Same photo, different visitor. A Sneaky Elf or the Grinch creeps in, swipes a present or stuffs the cookies in a sack, freezes when he spots the camera and runs.
Catch the Grinch
Tree, fireplace or cookies. The Grinch steals Christmas on your camera. 10 seconds.
Catch the Sneaky Elf
Tree, fireplace or cookies. A sneaky elf raids the presents. 10 seconds.
Make Santa Say Their Name
Director's Notes is where the magic gets personal:
- Just a name: "for Emma" → "Emma made the nice list!"
- Your own line: "Have Santa say: Merry Christmas Mia, be good for Mom" → said word for word (up to 15 words).
- Any language: write the line in Spanish, French or anything else and he says it that way.
Take the photo from across the room, vertical, with some floor in front of the tree or fireplace. Santa needs space to walk in and kneel. Turn the tree lights on: evening light looks the most real.
Picking the Right Photo
| Template | Photograph | Best with |
|---|---|---|
| Catch Santa at Your Tree | Your decorated tree | Presents already underneath, lights on |
| Santa Down the Chimney | Your fireplace, whole opening in shot | Stockings on the mantel |
| Santa Ate the Cookies | The plate of cookies and glass of milk | The tree glowing in the background |
| Sneaky Elf / Grinch | Any of the three | A name in Director's Notes, for the taunt |
Common Mistakes
Shooting too close. A tight crop of the tree leaves Santa nowhere to stand, and he ends up half out of frame. Step back.
Cutting off the fireplace opening. Santa comes out of it at floor level, so the whole opening and a bit of hearth need to be in the photo.
A photo with people in it. Take it of the empty room. The video starts from your photo, so anyone in it is in the scene with Santa.
Too long a line. Over 15 words gets cut. Short and warm lands best: "Merry Christmas, Leo. Be good!"
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