Jackie Marek is the creative director of The Montage Maven. She grew up in Westchester, she is a mother of two, and she has a gift for turning a family's photos into a story the whole room remembers. Ask our friends and they will tell you: Jackie is the maven.
What a maven is
Maven is a Yiddish word. It means someone who truly knows their stuff. When you want something done right, you go to the maven.
That is what our friends have called Jackie for years. Once you see her at work, you understand why.
It started at a Bat Mitzvah
Like many of our families, Jackie spent years as a guest at Bar and Bat Mitzvahs. Every party had a montage. And every time, she noticed things.
"I would think, 'I would change the music' or 'That transition isn't in the right place,'" Jackie says. "I was critical of what I saw and felt I had an eye for the business."
She put that eye to the test with the montage for her niece's Bat Mitzvah. Back then, most montages were plain slide shows set to the usual songs. Jackie wanted hers to be fun, creative and full of her niece's personality.
So she designed the whole film around something her niece loved: the instant messaging that teens were just discovering. Everybody loved it. Relatives asked for one of their own. Then their friends did. Those referrals grew into The Montage Maven.
Music can make or break a montage
"Music can make or break a montage," Jackie says, "and I make an effort to keep up with the current trends in music."
The same goes for the look of the film. The edit styles and effects that kids want change every year, and our montages change with them. Nothing feels like last year's slide show.
Families choose their own songs. Jackie helps them settle on a mood first, then the tracks that fit it. Our Mitzvah montage song guide is a good place to start.
From concept to the big screen
Before montages, Jackie worked as a production manager in the garment industry. "I was responsible from concept to end product," she says, "and that experience has served me well."
It shows in how she works today. Jackie gets to know each family from the very first conversation. She learns who the guest of honor really is: the sports, the friends, the inside jokes. Then she shapes the story with our creative team of editors.
And before any film goes out, Jackie reviews it herself.
Every film is one of a kind
"Typically, they have a theme in mind and I take it from there," Jackie says. She helps families choose the photos and home video clips that tell the story best.
Her favorite advice? Don't try to fit everyone in. "There's no need to get every single family member into the montage," she says. "Remember your guests are there to honor you and your child. They aren't looking to see themselves on the screen."
Bar and Bat Mitzvah montages are still the heart of what she does. Today Jackie and our team also create montages for milestone birthdays and anniversaries, weddings and engagements, and sports highlight reels.
Easy for families, wherever they live
The Montage Maven is located in Westchester, NY, and serves families nationwide through our fully remote platform.
Each family gets a private portal. You upload your photos and music there, follow the montage as it comes together, then review, approve and pay in the same place. No long email chains, and no trips to a studio.
Say hello to Jackie
Planning a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, a big birthday or a wedding? Send us a note about your celebration, and Jackie and the team will be in touch. You can also see what our families say on our reviews page.