You’ve planned your trip, secured your gear, generated a shot list, and sketched out the story you want to tell. Now you’re back home with a head full of memories, and a pocket full of SD cards with loads of footage. This is where the fun really starts.
Every adventure needs a stunning travel video. Editing travel videos is the last and perhaps most important step in the creative process. While some people dread the editing process, I find that it’s the time when I can really let my creativity come to the fore.
Rather than editing travel videos through a third-party service, I like to sit down and create my own story from the footage I’ve taken. To keep myself on task and ensure I create something I’ll really want to share, I always try to keep these important things in mind while editing.
Tell the story
First and foremost, I want to be sure that I tell the story of the trip. Whether my travel was to a fun-packed beach adventure or a strenuous back-country expedition, I want to capture the spirit as well as the simple narrative.
Outsource holiday video editing services can have a hard time capturing the spirit of what I’ve experienced, so it’s up to me to spin the narrative structure to really tell the story of my adventure. When in doubt, I’ll go with what feels right to me.
Keep it short
A travel video is not a film, nor a documentary. As a rule of thumb, I try to keep my travel videos somewhere between two to three minutes, erring on the lower end. It can be hard for me to look at all the footage I’ve shot and try to boil it down to a shorter length, but I’ve found that the shorter the length, the more impact my video will have.
Since I’m editing travel videos myself, and not with the aid of outsourcing holiday video editing services, my decisions will be personal, and they’ll have a better chance of striking a resonant chord with my viewers.
Choose some killer music
I always try to build my travel videos around a song or cut that really captures the mood of the trip. Finding that music is an essential first step, and I’ll shape the video around the beats and phrasing of the music.
Use the flow of the music to build your action sequences, montages, and to time your cuts. Be original and personal. You’re looking to create something that’s truly yours, not the work of anonymous outsources holiday video editing services.
One other quick note on music – be sure you have the rights to the tunes you use. You’ll find a variety of sources online for free music with rights clearances.
Be picky about the details
Your artistic vision and personal experience is a big part of your creation. It’s what will set it apart from some footage churned together by outsourcing holiday video editing services. But your vision can be derailed by lack of attention to details. Take the time to color correct and match your footage, and be picky about audio levels as well.
Also, don’t get carried away with the possibilities that editing travel videos presents to you, and throw in unnecessary and distracting transitions and effects. Take the time to check out some other travel videos and see what works well. Always learn from the best, I say!
Author bio
Helen Clark has over 5 years of experience in writing and creating video films. She has been associated with a host of sites related to video films and has the expertise to work both on an editorial and advisory level. She intends to educate and keep audience abreast of the latest trends in the world of videography and filmmaking. Presently, she is associated with Video Caddy—a video editing service company that is engaged in video editing and animation.
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