Learn the art of crafting captivating travel videos with our beginner’s guide. From shooting to editing, we’ve got you covered!

Are you longing to create captivating travel videos that will mesmerize your audience on YouTube or Instagram? Unsure of where to begin or how to transform your travel footage into stunning visual stories? Look no further, as we are here to guide you through the process. In this comprehensive article, we will walk you through all the essential steps you need to take in order to produce and edit your very own travel video.

Embarking on the journey of creating travel videos may initially seem daunting, given the multitude of important aspects to consider when showcasing a location within a single video. However, fear not! With a solid grasp of the fundamentals, you can swiftly become a master of editing and share your remarkable creations online. This article is specifically tailored to provide novice videographers with valuable tips and insights on how to craft outstanding travel videos.

Whether you aspire to inspire others with breathtaking landscapes, immerse viewers in vibrant cultures, or document unforgettable adventures, this guide will equip you with the necessary knowledge to bring your vision to life. From conceptualization to final production, we will explore various techniques, creative strategies, and practical advice to help you capture the essence of your travel experiences in an engaging and visually captivating manner.

Discover the secrets to selecting the perfect shots, incorporating cinematic techniques, and harnessing the power of storytelling to create a compelling narrative that resonates with your audience. Learn the art of post-production editing, where you can transform raw footage into a seamless and polished masterpiece, using cutting-edge software tools and techniques. Additionally, we will delve into the realm of audio design, sharing tips on selecting the right music, capturing crisp soundscapes, and implementing audio enhancements to elevate your videos to new heights.

So, whether you’re a seasoned traveler looking to enhance your storytelling skills or a beginner eager to embark on your video-making journey, this article will serve as your trusted companion. Let’s dive in and unlock the immense potential that lies within your travel footage, empowering you to create awe-inspiring videos that leave an indelible mark on your viewers’ hearts and minds.

How To Make a Travel Video for Beginners

You Need to Have a Goal.

Before you start a video, you need to ask yourself why you are making this video. This rule follows all types of videos that you make. In addition to this, you need to question yourself about getting into the field of travel videographers. A lot of travelers hire another person who can shoot and edit their videos. You can use multiple youtube video editors that you can find online to edit your videos easily. Before you commit yourself to the steep learning curve, you must know that editing and creating the video takes hours and hours of practice. You will be learning about editing videos from videos, blogs, and guides while practicing your learning at the same time. Many people have this misconception that video editing and creation only require you to pinpoint the camera to the subject. But if you want to shoot like a professional, you need to buckle up to learn videography.

Having a clear goal is an invaluable tip for beginners venturing into the world of travel video production. Here’s why:

1. Focus and Direction: A goal acts as a guiding force, providing focus and direction to your video project. It helps you determine what you want to achieve with your video, whether it’s inspiring viewers to visit a specific destination, sharing personal experiences, showcasing cultural aspects, or promoting a particular aspect of travel. Defining your goal ensures that every shot, scene, and edit serves a purpose, resulting in a more coherent and engaging video.
2. Storytelling: A goal serves as the foundation for storytelling in your travel video. It helps shape the narrative and structure of your content, allowing you to convey a compelling story that resonates with your audience. By establishing a clear objective, you can weave together the sights, sounds, and emotions of your travel experiences into a cohesive and captivating tale.
3. Audience Engagement: Understanding your goal enables you to connect with your target audience more effectively. By identifying the interests and preferences of your viewers, you can tailor your video content to meet their expectations. Whether you aim to educate, entertain, or inspire, a well-defined goal ensures that your video aligns with the desires and needs of your intended audience, resulting in higher engagement and a more loyal following.
4. Planning and Organization: Setting a goal prompts you to plan and organize your video production process in a systematic manner. It encourages you to research your destination, identify key points of interest, and outline a storyboard or shot list. This level of preparation increases the likelihood of capturing compelling footage and streamlines the editing process, saving you time and effort.
5. Measurement of Success: Having a goal allows you to measure the success of your travel video. By defining specific metrics or indicators, such as views, likes, comments, or audience feedback, you can assess whether your video effectively achieves its intended purpose. This feedback loop is invaluable for honing your skills, understanding what works well, and continuously improving your future video productions.

In summary, establishing a clear goal from the outset of your travel video project provides focus, direction, and purpose. It enhances your storytelling abilities, engages your audience, facilitates planning and organization, and enables you to evaluate your video’s success. So, as a beginner, remember to set a goal that aligns with your vision and aspirations, and let it guide you throughout the captivating journey of creating your travel video.

Basic Equipment is All You Need

Getting the highest tech available in the market for shooting videos can eventually drain your savings. Every six months, you will find one new camera coming up in the market, which has a better feature and can record at a much better framerate with higher pixel density. So when you are starting fresh, you don’t need to go for the highest equipment. You can buy a basic setup and start making videos from it. Moreover, videography is the field whose basic equipment will cost you a lot, especially cameras and lenses. At the start of video making, everything is flexible, and you don’t have to go out of your budget to get the best product. A gimble, DSLR, and microphone for capturing audio are all you need. Likewise, you will find these in good high-end mobile phones. Many YouTubers and Instagram influencers capture their photos and record their videos using mobile. So, regarding gear and equipment, you need to set a budget and work your way.

“Basic equipment is all you need” is a fantastic tip for beginners diving into the world of travel video production. Here’s why:

1. Accessibility: Emphasizing the use of basic equipment highlights that you don’t need expensive or high-end gear to create compelling travel videos. It reassures beginners that they can start with the tools they already have, such as a smartphone or a simple camera, without the need for a significant financial investment. This accessibility removes barriers and encourages aspiring videographers to unleash their creativity and begin their video-making journey.
2. Focus on Skills: By emphasizing the importance of basic equipment, the focus shifts towards developing fundamental skills rather than relying solely on advanced gear. This tip encourages beginners to concentrate on composition, storytelling, and capturing interesting moments, rather than becoming overly concerned with technical specifications. It empowers them to experiment, learn, and refine their videography skills without feeling limited by their equipment.
3. Versatility and Adaptability: Basic equipment is often lightweight, portable, and versatile, making it ideal for travel video production. Whether you’re exploring a bustling city, hiking through remote landscapes, or immersing yourself in local cultures, lightweight gear allows for easier maneuverability and flexibility. It enables beginners to capture spontaneous moments and adapt to various shooting conditions, enhancing the authenticity and dynamism of their videos.
4. Learning Curve: Starting with basic equipment provides beginners with a gradual learning curve. It allows them to understand the fundamentals of composition, lighting, and storytelling before delving into the complexities of more advanced equipment. By focusing on the essentials, beginners can build a solid foundation of skills, gradually improving their techniques and understanding of videography principles.
5. Creative Limitations: Limiting the equipment to its basic form encourages beginners to think creatively and work with what they have. When faced with limitations, creativity flourishes as individuals find innovative solutions and explore unique angles or perspectives. This emphasis on creative problem-solving pushes beginners to think outside the box and develop their own distinct style, resulting in more visually engaging and imaginative travel videos.
6. Scalability: Basic equipment allows beginners to gauge their interest and commitment to travel video production without making significant financial investments upfront. As their skills evolve and passion grows, they can gradually upgrade their gear based on their specific needs and preferences. Starting with the basics enables beginners to experiment and understand their equipment requirements better, ensuring more informed decisions when it comes to future gear purchases.

In summary, the “basic equipment is all you need” tip empowers beginners by emphasizing accessibility, skill development, versatility, and creative thinking. By focusing on fundamental techniques rather than advanced gear, beginners can embark on their travel video-making journey with confidence, resourcefulness, and a focus on honing their skills. So grab your basic equipment and let your creativity soar as you capture and share your incredible travel experiences with the world.

Keep it steady

Even if you hold a camera straight and hold your breath still, you won’t get that steadiness you are trying to put in your videos. You can use a tripod, or a gimbal to make your videos shot like a professional.

“Keep it steady” is an excellent tip for beginners venturing into travel video production.

Here’s why it’s important:

1. Visual Quality: A steady camera ensures smoother footage, resulting in higher visual quality. Shaky or unstable shots can be distracting and diminish the overall viewing experience. By keeping the camera steady, beginners can capture clear, professional-looking videos that engage and impress their audience.
2. Cinematic Appeal: Smooth, steady shots contribute to the cinematic appeal of travel videos. Whether panning across a breathtaking landscape, capturing a bustling street scene, or filming dynamic action sequences, stability enhances the storytelling and visual impact. Viewers are more likely to be immersed in the video when the camera movements are fluid and controlled.
3. Professionalism: Stable footage adds a level of professionalism to your travel videos, even as a beginner. It demonstrates a deliberate and intentional approach to videography, showcasing your dedication to delivering high-quality content. This attention to detail can help you stand out and build credibility in the competitive world of online video production.
4. Focus on the Subject: A steady camera allows the audience to focus on the subject of the video, whether it’s a landmark, a person, or a specific detail. When the camera is constantly moving or shaking, it can be challenging for viewers to concentrate on the intended focal point. Keeping the camera steady ensures that the subject remains the center of attention, enhancing the storytelling and overall impact of your travel videos.
5. Editing Ease: Stable footage is easier to work with during the editing process. When the camera is steady, it’s simpler to cut between shots, apply transitions, and create a cohesive visual flow. This saves time and effort during post-production, allowing beginners to focus on enhancing their videos rather than correcting shaky footage.
6. Versatility: Steady shots offer greater versatility during the editing phase. They can be seamlessly combined with other footage, whether it’s incorporating slow-motion effects, overlaying text or graphics, or applying various creative edits. Steady footage provides a solid foundation for experimenting with different editing techniques, giving beginners more options to enhance their travel videos creatively.

To achieve steady shots, beginners can utilize a tripod, a handheld stabilizer, or even find stable surfaces to rest their camera on. Additionally, practicing proper handheld techniques, such as holding the camera close to your body or using both hands, can significantly improve stability.

In summary, “keep it steady” is a valuable tip for beginners as it contributes to the overall visual quality, cinematic appeal, and professionalism of travel videos. By focusing on stability, beginners can captivate their audience, emphasize the subject of their videos, streamline the editing process, and explore various creative possibilities. So, grab your gear, stabilize your shots, and embark on your journey to create stunning and immersive travel videos that leave a lasting impression.

Embrace your creativity

Do not follow the idea of capturing the perfect moment for your video based on the likes of others or some travel influencers you might follow. Find your angles, shots, and script. It may seem not easy initially, but you will get used to it with time. Videography is an art, and you must treat it like one, be more creative with the setup, scenery, backdrop, and shots you are taking. Moreover, don’t be afraid of editing, and don’t overdo it. It might take some time, but eventually, you will find your creativity and your set of templates, which you will use in each of your videos to highlight yourself or the channel.

 

Just keep practicing

This is one of the oldest things that all of us know: If you want to be good at something, you need to practice it repeatedly.

Photographers spend days waiting to get the best shot, and sometimes it can take months.

The real thing is never to feel bad if you cannot capture the moment as you have imagined.

Just keep on practicing, and eventually, things will start to show up.

There are thousands of videos online and blogs and forms that show you how to shoot a video properly and edit it to make it better.

Be annoying with your camera, and always click pictures to carve your skillset.

You can make a video giving a virtual tour of your town or take an interview with one of your family members.

Find ways that allow you to spend more time with your camera shooting than editing.

Editing will take time.

When you are editing a video, don’t rush it.

Take your time and edit the raw video with tools that you are familiar with.

When you are recording, some of the important things can be easily missed, as there is a lot that needs to be covered.

That’s where the editing will help you find out and put the missing thing into the video.

Moreover, you can watch several tutorials online to find out about all the different tools you can use to edit your videos in a better way.

Go for 60 FPS

Yes, we know human eyes can see 24 frames per second, but 60 frames per second are the best option for a smoother experience.

In most of the travel videos, you will find some action going on.

Either you are on a speed boat or jumping off the cliff wearing a parachute.

For all these experiences to feel real, you need to shoot videos at a double frame rate, i.e., 60 fps.

On the other hand, don’t go overkill by shooting in 4k.

Yes, it is helpful in the post-processing, but you won’t be able to use the full potential of the 4k raw footage until you have excellent computing power that can edit that video without getting stuck during the task.

You can use video creek to edit your videos at 60 fps.

Conclusion

There you go; these are some of the tips you need to follow if you want to start your travel video blog.

Becoming famous for shooting and traveling is a long path, but in the end, it all comes down to how you can present it.

And that’s the difference between a good travel blogger and an amateur.