Like any frog or piece of art, travel videos can be reduced to their components so that we may understand how they effectively operate. They’re basically the better versions of photographs when it comes to storytelling because it indulges two of our senses, our sense of sight and hearing. These type of videos are truly powerful because they are able to capture moments in a way wherein viewers can view different scenes and hear different sounds without having to leave the comfort of their own seats. This also a great way to document memories while traveling so you have something to look back to in the future.
The backbone of any travel video which is essential throughout creating one, is having the right gear. What’s great about it is you actually only need 2 things: a camera and a laptop. Let me break it down for you as to why each of these are important. The camera is what captures these moments and can range from using a smartphone to a professional DSLR with different lenses. You need one in order to capture content to be used in your video. The laptop on the other hand will be used for editing the videos capture separately and making them into one masterpiece. Other optional gear such as tripods, microphones, external flash and the like can also be used to enhance the quality of your videos.
For my travel video, I decided to use my iPhone SE because it was very convenient to bring around as I was shooting throughout the day. Despite it being a smartphone the camera quality was really good and apple actually has new features for more cinematographic effects such as slow-motion and time lapse conveniently placed on the phone. The laptop I used was a Macbook Pro which was also really easy to use because it already had a video editing software that came with it — iMovie.
The act of shooting videos acts as the muscle in your video and it would definitely be pointless without it. The content of your travel video is solely up to you and this is why creating videos like these are a great way of expressing oneself through art. You have full power over what will show up on your videos depending on what you shoot. Having various angles and doing still shots are a great way of making your video interesting. You should always have a good source of light be it natural or artificial so the subjects on your videos can be clearly seen.
Fortunately, I had an upcoming trip to Whistler, BC and I wanted to make use of the beautiful sceneries there for the content of my video. Although I also included other elements in my videos such as the the people I was with, the food I ate and other activities I had done such as riding the gondola up the mountain top. Sadly, I was unable to bring a tripod so I had be extra careful while filming because I didn’t want my videos to end up shaky. Since I filmed during the day, lighting was not a problem and all my videos came out well-lit.
Editing acts as the skin to tie in your bones(gear) and muscles(shooting) so you can create your travel video. Various editing softwares can be used like iMovie, Adobe Premier, Final Cut Pro, Windows Movie Maker and many more. The software you use depends on the editor’s expertise and knowledge in editing. A beginner would probably use user friendly programs like iMovie but a professional might use Adobe Premier. Technical skills are important when editing but remember that you can simply access the internet if you want to learn how to do something on your own with your chosen editing software. Adding music to your videos help you set a certain theme or mood for you video.
As mentioned earlier, I used the software iMovie on my Macbook Pro. I used basic tools such a split clip, transitions and title texts. But I also researched more on other techniques such as the speed editor, image stabilization and many more. I wanted to make a cinematographic type of travel video so timing the video content to the beat of music would make or break my video. Luckily, after an entire day of editing I was able to finish editing my travel video.
After we’ve gone through the process of knowing the parts of the travel video as well as how they’re made, we have our final product:
Cheers and happy travels!
