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Want to transform your travel memories into videos so you can keep them alive for many years? Brilliant idea! Let us share some travel video tips with you and show how to make a vacation video.
Let’s see how to prepare for the shooting, what equipment to choose and eventually how to make a travel video that’ll really stand out!
Before falling asleep in the airplane (which is hopefully taking you to your dream destination), you need to plan a couple of things. You’ve probably already thought through your itinerary and know which places you want to see first, what time of the day is the best to visit them and how much you’re going to spend there.
However, when shooting a travel video, there are some more things to consider. How crowded will the place be? Will the weather and lighting be good enough to shoot? Do you need any permission to shoot there?
Say, you’re going to make a calm, slightly mysterious video of a sunrise over Angor Vat. Well, trust us, if there’s any mystery left, it will be blown away by hundreds of other tourists shivering of cold and waiting for the sun to rise. Wanna take your own shots of the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling? Let us warn you that shooting there is strictly prohibited. You get the point. If you’re going to make a video somewhere, make more thorough research than usual.
Apart from that, it’s better to have the idea of the video you’re going to make before turning the camera on. You want to make the video interesting, not just for you but for everyone. Whether you’re making it for your family archives or planning to post it on your YouTube channel, there is no excuse for making a boring video. Simply throwing together some beautiful shots and nice music is not enough – you need to tell a story. By sharing your unique personal experience, you’ll hold the viewers’ attention till the very end. So try to prepare a bit and think about how you want your video to turn out.
Preparing a scenario and choosing a certain kind of video should help. Here are some common types of holiday videos to consider.
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This is the easiest type of travel video. Carry your camera with you for the whole day and capture everything that grabs your attention. Imagine like you’re filming your travel diary. It’s not just about pretty views – keep filming whatever you see: funny signs, interesting faces, your meal in a restaurant…
Keep it personal, don’t be afraid to talk about your thoughts, ideas and emotions. There are thousands and thousands of videos about Barcelona. No one wants to watch another film about the Sagrada Familia narrated by an unemotional voice. A vlog where you’re stuck in the line to the church or checking out an interesting concert nearby would be much more interesting.
For vlogs, you don’t usually need a detailed word-by-word scenario. Still, it’s better to make a plan for the day, so you won’t have to talk to your camera for hours after you’ve missed the bus and got stuck at the station.
Know a lot about how to find a cheap guesthouse in Southeast Asia? Or protect yourself from pickpockets in South America? Or take a road trip through Europe? Video is the best way to share your knowledge!
The key to making these videos is structure. Write down everything you want to share and then break it into separate tips or bullets and explain each of them.
Some travelers do a whole lot of investigation before a trip. They read and watch everything about their destination they can find on the internet – articles, reports, forums, movies, documentaries… And when the internet supply is exhausted, they dig into old printed guides and even fiction.
If you are one of these travel geeks, you probably know how hard it is to stop yourself from talking about what you’ve learned all the time. A short travel movie is the best way to share your knowledge. Again, you want to structure all the information, pick the most interesting facts and tell it all to the camera as if you were telling it to a friend.
How does Instagram change the way we travel? Is it okay to pay a woman from a “long neck” tribe to take a photo with her? Can wearing a kimono on your first day in Tokyo be considered cultural appropriation?
Travelling is fun, but there’s much more to it. Tons of unanswered questions and controversial issues are waiting for us outside the hotel doors. Take it as a chance to make your own travel documentary feature!
For this kind of video, you will definitely need a detailed scenario. Even if the topic touches you personally and you want to make an emotional connection, it’s still better to create a draft of your narrative before turning the camera on. This will help you make a convincing and understandable video, as you will deliver your point of view in a clear and unbiased way.
By the way, if you need some more help with preparing the script for your video, we have a whole article on that, don’t hesitate to steal some tips from it!
The key to making a good video (or basically anything else) is getting inspired by other peoples’ works. Here are some awesome videos from YouTube for you to watch.
So you have the idea and the scenario. Your plane has just landed at your destination. It’s time to press that record button on your camera!
Or just your phone, if it records videos of acceptable quality. It’s a good option for beginners; if you’re not ready to invest in a new camera or carry around an extra piece of equipment, a smartphone will do just fine.
As long as making travel videos is not your main source of income, it’s better to choose a lightweight, budget camera. After all, worrying about a $3000 camera is the last thing you want to do on vacation. Try cheaper budget options like the Canon EOS M or Nikon D3500 to start with. The main thing to check for in reviews is video quality. If you’re not going to make movies for a big screen, then Full HD should be enough.
Another good option for traveling is an action camera. It’s good for those who are going on an active vacation (snowboarding, skiing, surfing, etc.). The lenses in action cameras are wide-angle: they catch the maximum amount of space and the minimum of details. So if you’re not planning to shoot macro, consider taking a GoPro or similar.
You might also need a mic, as the sound recorded on cameras is usually not very good. For vlogs, you can get by with your phone and the mic on your headphones but, if you’re going to do interviews, make sure you have a simple clip-on mic.
Another accessory you might need is a tripod or other stabilizer. These devices will help you minimize any shakiness in your videos.
Editing a video about your travel is a great cure for the post-vacation blues. So it’s a great idea to start the montage right after you arrive home and have unpacked your bags.
Your main goal for your video should be to fully reflect your own impressions. So nothing distracts you from your goal, choose a simple editing program with an intuitive interface and without unnecessary functions that will only make your life more difficult. Movavi Video Editor will help you trim your footage, pick the most beautiful and impressive moments and bring it all together for an engaging movie. Using the software, you’ll be able to stabilize shaky footage (comes in handy when you don’t use a tripod), apply an audio track, add color correction and visual effects. By the way, in our Movavi Effects Store, you can find a special Travel Blog Pack.
Movavi Effects Store subscription gives you unlimited access to all our effect packs for a year. Something to experiment with!
When you have a hell lot of great footage, it’s always tempting to use it all. Try to be sensible: no one will watch an hour-long travel chronicle. Most likely, never. So try to keep your video just as short as you can make it while maintaining all the best parts of your story. If there’s actually that much to tell, it’s best to divide your material into a few chapters.
The last step is the music. If you want to enhance your video with an appropriate soundtrack, it’s best to look for copyright-free tracks. This is essential if you are going to post it on the internet. You can find a huge variety of license-free tracks in special libraries, for example, here.
Good luck, and we look forward to seeing your awesome travel videos!
