How To Create A Beautiful Travel Video
I used to be intimidated to capture travel content via video. If capturing the perfect shot wasn’t pressure enough, then the daunting task of editing certainly was. Creating a travel video might seem tedious, but it can also be fun! You would be amazed at the kinds of video editing tricks you can do with all of the apps that are available right from your phone!
Whether you want to create a travel video for yourself, your loved ones, or an Instagram post for your followers, this post will introduce you to ways that will help you make memorable travel content. So get ready to jot down all these tips on how to create a beautiful travel video!
Decide the Theme of Your Travel Video
Travel videos come in all kinds of formats. Having an idea beforehand of the kind of video you want to create can help guide you on your path to a great travel video. It will also help you decide what kind of content to capture. For example, do you want to do a vlog aka a “video blog” where you talk directly to the camera? Or just capture your many different views of the place you are visiting? The trend on Instagram is currently fast-cut content that requires minimal narration. However, I don’t feel these types of edits are the best way to show off the true essence of a trip. The cuts are just too quick to see what is actually going on. The whole idea behind a travel video is to share your experience and inspire people to explore. You can add beautiful visuals, stunning sound effects, and voiceovers to make more of an impact. I personally save a few travel videos that I like in a folder on IG or on my iPhone to inspire my own videos. The videos you like can also give you ideas about types of shots to capture, from different angles, pans, and types of content to include in those videos. For example, maybe you want your video to be all landscapes or lots of clips of you and your friends together.
Capture Content, All Kinds of Content
My advice, you can never have too much content, so just capture all kinds. Like I did in my travel video for Marriott Bonvoy last week in Minneapolis. There was a mix of group shots, solo shots, landscapes, activities, clips from our tours, what we ate, pans up and down, and side to side. Capture time lapses, people moving, animals, both slow motion and longer video shots of our activities. Then I was able to put a mixture of different shots together to create the final video. (I even had extra content to create a blooper reel.)
For both photos and videos, natural lighting is usually the best lighting to use when capturing content. Many travel vloggers prefer to shoot early in the morning before the crowds come out. This is definitely my favorite time to shoot and how I am able to get images like this without anyone in them.
Editing
Now that you have recorded it, it is finally time to put everything together! Editing is the core of any video. Some videos can take longer to edit than others. In my experience, once I start to see the initial video come together it motivates me to see it through to the end! I always start with picking out music. This helps decide the pace of the video and how I should edit according to the beat. Usually royalty-free if it is for a brand collaboration. Check out SoundStripe for a vast variety of royalty-free music!
Then when it comes time to edit you can use one or a series of online video editing programs on your computer or your phone. I used to use iMovie on my Apple computer however, I found editing directly on my phone for Instagram stories or reels is much easier. I like the app VideoShop and after using it a few times it gets easier and easier for me to edit videos. You can even play around with different sounds, texts, animations, and transitions. Here are a few more video editing tips to try.
Tell a Story
Adding value to your content is important and the point of creating a video is to either share the highlights of your trip or tell a story, or both! I prefer to focus on the place rather than myself while creating a travel video. Travel videos are supposed to explain the journey, such as location, local surroundings, cuisines, peculiarities, etc. I like to share interesting facts about a place’s history, architecture, and unique things about the people that are from there. Behind the scenes of the things people don’t see can also add watch value to your video! Your video should be able to provide a virtual experience of the place. So, ensure that it is entertaining, informative, and connecting. Also, be considerate of others and avoid filming people without their consent.
When you travel, you can record as much as possible by keeping the main idea of your storyline in mind. The actual development of your story comes into the picture once you begin editing.
Prepare and Check Your Camera Equipment
Consistency is the key when it comes to creating great travel videos. Decide if you are going to film all of your videos horizontal or vertical. You can also change the zoom feature on your iPhone setting to capture wide-angle shots of your surroundings. If you are bringing a camera, make sure to charge batteries beforehand, pack backup batteries, and have your memory cards empty and ready to capture content! You don’t want to be in the middle of capturing an epic shot and have your camera battery die or your SD be full. Think about the elements your gear might face and be prepared. For example, you can use any waterproof camera cover if you are going snorkeling on a boat, or in any situation where it could get wet.
Enjoy the Moment
Another thing I have learned through years of traveling is to not spend so much time trying to capture every second of the trip and forget to be present. I will usually get a few quick shots and then put my phone away. It is really helpful if you are traveling with others and you can all share content at the end of the trip. My friends and I like to create a shared album on iPhone or Dropbox and upload all our videos and photos to those folders.
And just remember, don’t get overwhelmed if your video isn’t perfect. It does not need to be. It is a reflection of your point of view and no one else’s. If you love capturing content, but hate editing, just hire someone else to edit for you! I hope you enjoyed these editing tips! I am always happy to answer questions, just leave a comment below. As always, thank you for stopping by, and make sure to check out more of my travel guides here.
Xoxo,
Laura
