When you prepare for a long trip and decide to take some trip videos on the journey, you may worried about the frames, the lighting, the long shots, the short shots, how to piece the story together and how to coach us in order to get the right message out in a relevant way.
A few professional tips for taking a better Trip video will help you get started:
1. Think about your location
Choosing a concrete building in a ramshackle street next to a construction site is not going to inspire people. You want maximum impact.
We filmed at various locations on one of Australia’s most famous beaches – famous because it reaches the living room of thousands of homes nightly via Australia’s much loved TV drama, Home and Away.
We chose different places to film: the quieter Pittwater area, the lighthouse on the cliff, the beach, at the ocean pool and a restaurant. Each location told the story of a short break.
Also watch what is in the background. We had to change directions several times as Home and Away was filming in the background (and very easily distracting me!)
2. Think about background noise
We had to constantly survey the area for any lawnmowers, overhead planes or passing trucks. We also had to be prepared to retake several times when a baby hiding in a capsule starting crying right at the end of a long tip that we were nailing.
3. Take long and short shots
The story needs to be told from different angles. Close ups and far away shots of you doing the travel activities that fit the location.
We hiked through the bush, took beach walks, stared in open wonder at the lighthouse and views, and walked along the beach. Each of these activities and locations long shots were grabbed of us and then closer up when we shared our tips.
4. Tell the background story
How can you incorporate your travel story into the piece?
Can you ask a passer-by to stand in the backdrop taking in the views, laughing or talking? Can you film one of you taking photographs and goofy tourist shots?
Try to capture the random conversations you have with your travelling partner about what you are experiencing and how you feel.
5. Capture the light
The hardest thing about photography or filming video is the light. You need to get it just right. Evenly spread and not too dark or too harsh. Early or late in the day is optimal.
Walk around, look at the sun, get in the right position, and test how it looks in the camera. At one stage the guys were using a light reflector to pop the light in the right spot on our face.
6. Know your grabs
We understood this term by the end of the day. We had to redo so much of what we were saying to make sure we were getting the grab in there. The grab is the most pertinent message – the thing you want to drive home the most and are going to get viewers to take action.
7. Short and sweet
In today’s world our attention spans are small. You need to make your videos short and sweet.
Everything you want to include in the travel story needs to be done to maximum effect. Get straight to the heart of the message and cull out all the excess baggage. The best way to do it is to use your grabs.
What do you most want to say and deliver it short and sweet?
8. Don’t be a presenter
This was the hardest thing for us to learn.
By the end of the day we had warmed up to the filming and got a better feel for what we had to do. It certainly became easier when we threw the bikini and board shorts on for a play in the surf. We felt more at ease and natural then so the chatty side of us came out.
We spoke with the guys about this a lot. When cameras are shoved in people’s faces they change quite quickly. You suddenly feel like you have to be that getaway reporter and present the information when really all you have to do is chat just like you would to a friend.
9. Have it planned out before hand
We were lucky that the production crew knew where to go and how to show the story. They knew the brief and how to fill it. We did have to write our tips out before hand to help them create the shots.
Having our tips written out helped us to be better prepared for what to say. The problem for us is that writing things down is a lot easier (well for me anyway) then to communicate it verbally.
Mike and Cam were so brilliant at helping us get to the heart of our message and chat about it on the camera.
10. Get feedback
I know it’s embarrassing filming yourself and then putting it together into a video format. But, this is why you are doing it right? To be the next you tube sensation.
Find someone who can give you feedback. Maybe get someone to travel with you or a friend you’ve just met in your accommodation to join you. Get them to tell you how you look from the outside. A fresh pair of eyes might be able to see a better frame, or tell you how to say something a better way.
We learned so much from Mike and Cam, the experts from opening ourselves up to be guided by their expertise.
11. Remember to smile and let your personality come through
Play with what you are doing. Throw in a joke, be relaxed, laugh and smile often.
I know it’s far easier said than done, and I am miles from perfecting it. Just keep practicing and think less of the script and just be yourself. Why not?
Related for you--how to edit trip video more smoothly
No matter what kind of editor you are chosen for your editing job, you may encounter such many problems like no audios, no video images or can’t be imported issues. The thing you should make clear is that every editor has it’s best compatible format or codec, for Adobe Premiere, the best compatible format or codec is MPEG-2, for Final Cut Pro, the best compatible format or codec is Apple ProRes(Apple ProRes Codec Types), for Avid, the best compatible format or codec is Avid DNxHD(*.mov).
There if you make the video you recorded into the best compatible format or codec for the editor you have chosen, the edit job will be easier or more smoothly. Pavtube Video Converter / Mac Version are high recommend here for you. It is a professional video tool can be convert all the camera video into the editor best compatible format or codec. Just free download and edit your trip video more smoothly.
Key Features of Pavtube Video Converter.
A few professional tips for taking a better Trip video will help you get started:
1. Think about your location
Choosing a concrete building in a ramshackle street next to a construction site is not going to inspire people. You want maximum impact.
We filmed at various locations on one of Australia’s most famous beaches – famous because it reaches the living room of thousands of homes nightly via Australia’s much loved TV drama, Home and Away.
We chose different places to film: the quieter Pittwater area, the lighthouse on the cliff, the beach, at the ocean pool and a restaurant. Each location told the story of a short break.
Also watch what is in the background. We had to change directions several times as Home and Away was filming in the background (and very easily distracting me!)
2. Think about background noise
We had to constantly survey the area for any lawnmowers, overhead planes or passing trucks. We also had to be prepared to retake several times when a baby hiding in a capsule starting crying right at the end of a long tip that we were nailing.
3. Take long and short shots
The story needs to be told from different angles. Close ups and far away shots of you doing the travel activities that fit the location.
We hiked through the bush, took beach walks, stared in open wonder at the lighthouse and views, and walked along the beach. Each of these activities and locations long shots were grabbed of us and then closer up when we shared our tips.
4. Tell the background story
How can you incorporate your travel story into the piece?
Can you ask a passer-by to stand in the backdrop taking in the views, laughing or talking? Can you film one of you taking photographs and goofy tourist shots?
Try to capture the random conversations you have with your travelling partner about what you are experiencing and how you feel.
5. Capture the light
The hardest thing about photography or filming video is the light. You need to get it just right. Evenly spread and not too dark or too harsh. Early or late in the day is optimal.
Walk around, look at the sun, get in the right position, and test how it looks in the camera. At one stage the guys were using a light reflector to pop the light in the right spot on our face.
6. Know your grabs
We understood this term by the end of the day. We had to redo so much of what we were saying to make sure we were getting the grab in there. The grab is the most pertinent message – the thing you want to drive home the most and are going to get viewers to take action.
7. Short and sweet
In today’s world our attention spans are small. You need to make your videos short and sweet.
Everything you want to include in the travel story needs to be done to maximum effect. Get straight to the heart of the message and cull out all the excess baggage. The best way to do it is to use your grabs.
What do you most want to say and deliver it short and sweet?
8. Don’t be a presenter
This was the hardest thing for us to learn.
By the end of the day we had warmed up to the filming and got a better feel for what we had to do. It certainly became easier when we threw the bikini and board shorts on for a play in the surf. We felt more at ease and natural then so the chatty side of us came out.
We spoke with the guys about this a lot. When cameras are shoved in people’s faces they change quite quickly. You suddenly feel like you have to be that getaway reporter and present the information when really all you have to do is chat just like you would to a friend.
9. Have it planned out before hand
We were lucky that the production crew knew where to go and how to show the story. They knew the brief and how to fill it. We did have to write our tips out before hand to help them create the shots.
Having our tips written out helped us to be better prepared for what to say. The problem for us is that writing things down is a lot easier (well for me anyway) then to communicate it verbally.
Mike and Cam were so brilliant at helping us get to the heart of our message and chat about it on the camera.
10. Get feedback
I know it’s embarrassing filming yourself and then putting it together into a video format. But, this is why you are doing it right? To be the next you tube sensation.
Find someone who can give you feedback. Maybe get someone to travel with you or a friend you’ve just met in your accommodation to join you. Get them to tell you how you look from the outside. A fresh pair of eyes might be able to see a better frame, or tell you how to say something a better way.
We learned so much from Mike and Cam, the experts from opening ourselves up to be guided by their expertise.
11. Remember to smile and let your personality come through
Play with what you are doing. Throw in a joke, be relaxed, laugh and smile often.
I know it’s far easier said than done, and I am miles from perfecting it. Just keep practicing and think less of the script and just be yourself. Why not?
Related for you--how to edit trip video more smoothly
No matter what kind of editor you are chosen for your editing job, you may encounter such many problems like no audios, no video images or can’t be imported issues. The thing you should make clear is that every editor has it’s best compatible format or codec, for Adobe Premiere, the best compatible format or codec is MPEG-2, for Final Cut Pro, the best compatible format or codec is Apple ProRes(Apple ProRes Codec Types), for Avid, the best compatible format or codec is Avid DNxHD(*.mov).
There if you make the video you recorded into the best compatible format or codec for the editor you have chosen, the edit job will be easier or more smoothly. Pavtube Video Converter / Mac Version are high recommend here for you. It is a professional video tool can be convert all the camera video into the editor best compatible format or codec. Just free download and edit your trip video more smoothly.
Key Features of Pavtube Video Converter.
- Convert almost all HD/SD audio/video formats: All types of audios and videos (e.g. SD/HD/Tivo/DRV/Camcorder HD footages, etc) to almost any audio and video formats.
- hange default settings: You can change the parameters such as video size, bitrate, frame rate, and channels for your video file according to your need to get the best output effect.
- Batch conversion: Handle multiple videos and realize batch conversion to save your time and energy.
- Merging & splitting: Merge several video clips into one bigger file and splitting one video file into several clips according to the clip quantity, duration time and file size.
- Create new output format: Adjust profile parameters, rename and save it for future use.
- Supported OS: Windows XP/2003/Vista/Windows 7/Windows 8/Windows 8.1/Windows 10
- Supported OS: Mac OS X 10.11 El Capitan, Mac OS X 10.10 Yosemite, 10.9 Mavericks, 10.8 Mountain Lion, 10.7 Lion, 10.6 Snow Leopard, 10.5 Leopard
