After nearly an entire year of being cooped up at home, we bet you can’t wait to get back out there to see the wonders of the world. Despite being under COVID-19 lockdown right now, there is nothing wrong with planning your next adventure.
As you wait for the time to come to pick up your travel bag and whip out your camera to record stunning views, here is what you can be thinking about for your debut escapade.
Planning your trip
First, you’ll want to start by making a plan. You need to decide where you want to go, what you need to bring and what you should prepare for on your trip.
Where to go
Generally speaking, you’ll want to have some kind of plan about where you want to go and what you want to do when you get there. Think about what you want to get shots of: are you hoping to get scenic views of the Taj Mahal, or do you want to be down in the streets getting close-ups of everyday people? Think about the video you want to create and make sure to visit the places that will enhance that video.
However, some of the best experiences happen by chance and thus result in some of your best photos and videos. So, don’t be afraid to get a little lost and just take some time to really take everything in around you. It could very well change the entire course of your video, and that’s okay.
What to bring
You’ll want to cater your pack to the specific places you are going, but here are a few essentials you should bring no matter where you travel:
- Copies of important documents – Take photos of your passport and make hard copies of your driver’s license and any other important documents you need for your trip. Email copies to yourself too.
- Multiple debit/credit cards – You never know when one might not work, or another might get stolen.
- Spare cash – An extra stash of cash split up in different places can make sure you can stay on your feet in desperate situations.
- Camera (of course!) – If you plan on making travel videos, you’ll want to invest in a decent camera. Whether you use a GoPro, mirrorless, or DSLR camera, be sure not to forget it!
- Laptop – Depending on how long you’ll be traveling, it doesn’t hurt to bring your laptop along to start editing and processing your video (see below) while you’re on the road. It also gives you a place to store your photos and videos to free up your camera to get more.
- Journal – You won’t be able to remember everything, so keeping a journal will help with that! It can also help you as you develop your video down the road.
How to prepare
Before you take off on your incredible trip, make sure you take time to prepare yourself:
- Brush up on your history – It helps you understand the people and culture if you learn a little bit about the place you are going. Doesn’t hurt to learn a few phrases in their native language as well.
- Get vaccinated – Many countries have different vaccination requirements, so make sure you know what they are and get them done. You don’t want to get sick overseas.
- Purchase travel insurance – For just a few dollars a month, you can protect yourself from any mishaps that might happen on your travels.
- Don’t expect everything to go right – Always remember that no matter how much planning you do, not everything will go how you would like. But take advantage of that. It makes for some great stories.
Making your travel videos
Once you know where you are going and have all your plans set, you can start thinking about the best way to produce your stunning travel videos.
There are a few techniques to consider when shooting your video, and you’ll want to think about the best editing and processing programs for you. Then you’ll have to decide where to publish your finished product.
How to get the best shots
Sometimes you’ll plan your shots; other times, things just happen around you that will make good footage for your film. Traveling can be very spontaneous, so you will want to have your camera on you at all times. And while some shots you can’t necessarily plan, you can do a few different things to make sure your film has some diversity.
- Film horizontally – This is one of the most important tips. No matter where you publish your video, 9 times out of 10, it will look better as most people will end up watching it on a horizontal widescreen of some kind.
- Try to find new angles – Don’t just point and shoot. Get low; get high. Look for a new angle that might make something look more interesting than if you were standing eye level with it.
- Make use of golden hour – That time of the day when the sun is close to the horizon and gives everything a beautiful orange and gold tone. It’s the best lighting you could ask for.
- Get a variety of shots – Wide landscape shots are beautiful but mix it up with some close-ups to really bring in that emotional touch and to keep your video moving.
- Utilize motion (or make your own) – Video needs the motion to keep viewers engaged. If you are filming something that doesn’t move, consider shooting a time-lapse, or make use of panning left, right, up, or down.
How to process photos and videos
If you are new to the whole travel video community, don’t worry about not knowing what programs to use.
If you are doing a slideshow type video with lots of photos, we recommend using Movavi Photo Editor or Ribbet.
- Movavi Photo Editor provides great tools for editing photos, creating graphic designs, and making photo collages.
- With Ribbet, you can edit photos on the go with its mobile software option.
For videos, consider using Animoto or ClipChamp.
- Animoto is an online editing software that comes with easy-to-use templates that don’t require any downloading.
- ClipChamp is used by many well-known companies like Google and Microsoft and even comes with a video compressor and converter to make publishing your work much simpler.
Where you can publish your work
Once you’ve edited your videos together, you have to decide the best platform to publish them on. There are a few different options:
- YouTube – This is the most common place for videos, which means they could easily get lost. On the other hand, many websites and blog sites embed YouTube videos easily.
- Vimeo Travel – This is a specific community that you can not only publish your travel videos but watch others to get some inspiration and connect with other filmmakers.
- Personal website – If you have your own blog site, you can always upload straight to your website and promote it on social media.
Now you have all you need to prepare for your next filmmaking travel adventure, and you’ll be on your way to making incredible films. Good luck!
