Whether you are an avid traveler or a passionate vlogger who loves sharing engaging details with followers, you might be asking yourself how to edit your travel videos when being on a trip. When traveling to another country, you might face some issues with Internet coverage, which will prevent you from using your favorite web-based software. Besides, you won’t have a powerful PC at hand and will have to rely solely on your laptop or mobile phone. In this article, we will briefly outline the main steps that you may take to edit your videos on the go. Read on if you want to learn how to create high-quality video content when traveling.
How to Produce Engaging Footage
Before going on a trip, make sure to buy an external SSD as it will help you store your footage and speed up post-processing. Thanks to it, you will quickly organize your collections of files.
When traveling, you might not have enough time to come up with a good idea for a story, this is why it’s better to create a script beforehand. There is no need to use complex techniques. Your story should be easy to tell. It’s also important to decide on the type of your video. You can shoot captivating overviews focusing on your surroundings. It will allow you to capture immersive footage when visiting beautiful places. When shooting, pay attention to lighting and colors. If the composition in the frame looks well-balanced, it will allow you to save time on editing your footage at the post-processing stage.
You can also try shooting a video telling about your daily life. For instance, you can capture the trips you take and share travel tips. This way, your followers will feel as if they were exploring a foreign country with you. Using introductory shots, you can make your videos more informative.
Here are some tips that will come in handy for shooting travel footage:
- Use a DSLR camera or a phone with a good camera
- Use at least one source of external lighting
- Use a tripod for better camera stabilization
- Select a picturesque location
- Shoot in RAW
If you don’t have advanced editing skills, it might be a smart idea to shoot timelapse videos. They are quite basic and can be edited even by beginners. In case your skills are more advanced, you can create more conceptual videos requiring careful planning. They allow you to use creative cuts and focus on unusual details to show a location from a new angle.
Tips for Shooting an Easy-to-Edit Travel Video
Unless you want to spend hours trying to edit out unwanted passersby, it’s better to shoot videos in locations where there aren’t many people around. Avoid popular tourist destinations and select an angle point that allows you to capture the best view. It might be a good idea to ask locals for help as they might provide you with helpful suggestions.
If you are going to shoot videos outdoors, it’s better to capture them during a golden hour. When shooting indoors, check whether there is enough light coming from windows. Avoid facing light sources and use camera accessories that will help you take footage of better quality. You may use:
- A selfie stick
- An external mic
- Phone stabilizer or tripod
- A waterproof case
Using such accessories, you can capture high-quality footage that will be easy to edit. Besides, you need to adjust the settings manually to ensure that your footage has the right exposure.
How to Edit Travel Videos Quickly
The easiest way to edit your travel videos is to apply color-grading presets to them. Besides, you may use free and paid software and apps that allow you to crop, rotate, and merge your videos. If you are on a budget, you will easily find free video editing software no watermark that enables you to give your clips a professional feel.
When editing your videos, make sure to:
- Tweak colors
- Edit out boring parts
- Adjust exposure
- Add captions
As 69% of people watch videos without sound in public places, it’s crucial to add text to your clips to make them more informative and improve view time. Dedicated photo-editing programs and apps are lightweight and have all the necessary tools for editing your videos quickly.
If you have high-quality RAW footage with the right exposure levels, you won’t need to spend hours trying to adjust its settings during post-processing. Don’t forget to add audio tracks to your clips to make them more engaging. It should evoke the feelings that you experienced when visiting a particular place. Use music from stock libraries to avoid breaking copyright laws.
When editing your travel video, you need to create the right sequence of shots that will help you bring your main point across. Don’t forget about adding transitions and effects to give your videos a dynamic feel. Using these tips, you can quickly produce an attention-grabbing video that will help your followers learn more about the country you are visiting.
