Essential Guide to Shooting & Editing Awesome Travel Videos

The travel industry is constantly growing, and in 2022, people are traveling more often than before. So, why not make a movie about it?

You will obviously be taking many pictures and videos, so why not make it into a professional travel video? 

Travel shooting involves a lot of movement and variation. Without a gimbal or tripod, this will be nearly impossible. Unless you have good camera accessories, the footage can be very shaky and blurred.

So, bring out your wide-angle and zoom lenses to capture the footage in a style that adds to the story you are trying to tell and make your footage as cinematic as possible.

But, what accessories should you use, and how will you edit the videos together?

Don’t worry. Learn more about shooting and editing a perfect travel video from the guide below.

What Type of Content Should You Shoot?

Include both landscapes and human subjects to make your video unique. You can even use some Slo-mo footage. For Slow-mo footage, capture the essence of human emotions, such as laughter, joy, and beautiful smiles, at 120FPS.

Shoot everything, since the more you shoot, the more footage you have at your disposal. You may feel a particular shot isn’t good; keep it anyway. You can later decide to reject it during the editing part.

Find out how to create a travel blog and make money on it

Editing the Videos – The Most Important Part

Editing is one of the most vital parts of any video and has to be done professionally. If you are an editor yourself, you have nothing to worry about. You can easily use a video cutter to discard the unwanted parts from your travel video.

Let’s Talk About Hardware

The first thing that comes to anyone’s mind when shooting is a camera, but that is not all! The better hardware you use, the better the video quality of the video.

You may think hardware is not the whole picture and that most of the work done is in post-processing using an online editor or video trimmer – you are not absolutely wrong. But you cannot expect exceptional post-processing output if the source footage is not good in the first place. 

That is why we highly emphasize the importance of using quality hardware and other accessories that go along with the said hardware. Following is the list of hardware equipment that you will need to shoot a good travel video:

• Camera: It is obvious that you need a camera to shoot. However, not all cameras are the same. Some cameras may not even be suitable for your shot. Our recommendation would be to buy a mirrorless camera with long battery life.
• Lenses: A 50 mm prime lens is a must, but one lens is not enough, especially if you are planning to shoot rich cinematic scenes. Get a 24 – 105 mm f4 zoom lens and a 16 – 35 or even wider lens. Use these lenses depending on the shot you want for the subject.
• Gimbals and Tripods: To shoot cinematic scenes, gimbals, and tripods are mandatory. Even with optical stabilization, there might be a bit of shake here and there, especially when capturing fast-moving scenes. External stabilization such as gimbals and tripods will do the trick.
• Microphone: Carrying a microphone can be a hassle. It’s an extra inventory that you will have to pack, but it will make much difference to your travel video. Attach it to the top of the camera, and it will pick up ambient sounds from far away. The sound will add an extra layer of effect to your footage.

Check this packing list for summer vacations

A Guide To Shoot and Edit A Travel Video

Shooting a video is an art, and art requires a unique style, without which a video will never be ready. Everything from storytelling to the lighting of a scene to the editing of the footage using a video trimmer matter equally, and one cannot be complete without the other. So, try to understand the following points before you begin your shooting:

Introduction and Storytelling

The whole point of shooting videos and making a video is to tell an interesting story. Every story has an introduction, the subject matter, and an ending. Start with beautiful wide shots to showcase the beautiful landscapes and people, and then you can begin with why you are here and what your experience is. The introduction is everything, so channel your inner creativity here.

Pre-Visualization

Visualizing every aspect of your video before shooting it will help the end result turn out perfect. How you are going to shoot each shot, its location, the style of the shot, and the lens that you are going to use, among other things, will create an outline of everything you are going to do and help you execute it well.

Some Creative Shots

The entire purpose of making a video is to impress your audience and keep them engaged. Put yourself in your audience’s shoes. If you are going to watch a travel video, think about what it will show and what sort of scenes you would want to see in such a video, and implement those ideas in your video. If you need a fresh set of ideas for the video, watch some travel videos made by other creators and see what they do and the kind of footage they take.

Try and Make It Fun

Do you know that the average attention period of a person is 8 seconds? Just 8 seconds into any scene, they could lose focus. So, get creative and shoot scenes that are inspiring, fun to watch, and full of laughter. Combine these three with beautiful landscapes, and you have got your magic video.

Editing and Post Production

You have the footage and all your shots, it’s time you begin editing. There are various software, including video trimmers and editors, that you can use to edit your footage. However, some of them can cost you a lot of money, and it takes a lot of time to get the work done. If you are not very sure about it or don’t want to spend your precious time, you can hire professional video editors to help you with the editing stage.

Conclusion

The first thing you need is your hardware and once the hardware is ready, use your videoing and editing skills to make the footage ready. For shooting, pre-visualize everything before you begin shooting. Begin recording the way you thought of it.

Don’t forget to take some Slo-mo and creative shots. If you have read the guide entirely, you know everything you need to make your video. All you need to do now is make the plan and execute it in your vision.

Here is how to plan a perfect trip