HOW TO EDIT TRAVEL VIDEOS
5 ESSENTIAL TIPS
In a world where everyone and their ten year old niece is making YouTube videos, how do you make your travel videos stand out and be seen? How can you turn those hours of footage into something engaging and captivating? Whether you’re just getting started or looking to up your game, read on and learn how to edit travel videos that will interest, delight, and inspire your audience.
SHOOT GREAT CONTENT
A great travel video doesn’t start on your timeline.
Before you even hit record, you need to have a solid plan and final outcome in mind. Whether you’re creating cinematic travel videos, or vlog style pieces, getting the right shots to begin with is vital. So, what things do you need to consider?
If you keep all these things in mind when shooting, you’ll have the best possible material when it comes to actually cutting and editing your video.
Getting down low to take those
shots from a different perspective
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Going the Whole Hogg2018-02-21 12:38:212023-03-23 06:46:30How to Shoot Cinematic Video With DSLR CamerasUSE THE BEST EDITING SOFTWARE
Choosing the right editing software, and learning how to use it, is vital to creating great travel videos.
If you’re serious about producing the best content you can, save yourself a lot of time, frustration and wasted effort and invest in Adobe Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro X from the get go. I made the switch to Premiere Pro about a year ago, having tried numerous free and paid editing platforms over the years (Sony Vegas, GoPro Studio, CyberLink PowerDirector, etc.).
The difference is HUGE.
Not only is the actual editing software far superior, it is fast, reliable and efficient. I no longer break down in fits of rage when my software stalls or crashes, losing hours worth of work. I don’t have to painstakingly piece together my video, hoping it will look OK because the software is so slow and lagging that I can’t tell during the edit.
I also don’t need to worry about finding solutions to any problems that do arise – Premiere Pro is so widely used that there are a million tutorials and troubleshooting articles out there. I can resolve an issue in minutes, rather than hours, days, or in one maddening case, weeks.
I’ve learned the hard way that opting for budget-friendly editing programs ultimately leads to wasted time, effort, and money, while producing inferior quality videos. I encourage you not to make the same mistake!
So what happens once you’ve bit the bullet and signed up for pro-level software like Premiere Pro?
Learn how to use it!
Start with the basics, and never stop learning. Your aim should be to constantly build on your knowledge and editing skills, using new techniques to keep your latest videos fresh and interesting. A great way to keep expanding your know-how is through YouTube tutorials. Whether you’re trying to figure out how to create a specific effect, or just broadening your general skill-set, there’s a ton of useful info out there. Soak it all up and you’ll be well on your way to knowing how to edit great travel videos.
Two of my favourite channels are Justin Odisho and Peter McKinnon, both of which have loads of easy to follow tutorials specifically focusing on Premiere Pro editing techniques.
There are loads of great tutorials out there to help you learn how to use Premiere Pro, like this one from Peter McKinnon
CHOOSE AWESOME MUSIC
Music can make or break a video.
Even if all the other elements of your edit are great, cheesy music will turn people off. Conversely, great music can capture your audience’s attention, draw them into your story and maintain their interest throughout. Choosing the right tracks for your travel video should be at the forefront of your editing process. It’s certainly not something to be slapped on your timeline as an afterthought. Opt for music that helps drive your story, the tempo of the tune complementing the mood on screen. Vocals can be distracting, so focus on instrumental tracks instead.
So where can you find this great music?
There are several websites and platforms that offer royalty-free or creative commons license downloads that you can use in your travel videos. Some are free, some are paid. My favourite sites for sourcing free music are Thematic and Soundcloud, and we also use the paid service Artlist.
Thematic has a variety of music that you can use, as long as you credit the artist. You can create ‘projects’, which is handy for saving the tracks you like for future use.
Saving the music you like in Thematic Projects
makes it easy to access as and when you need it
Music on Soundcloud is not automatically cleared for use on YouTube, etc. You need to do your homework and find songs that are free to use. They’ll either be under an appropriate creative commons license or have express permission from the artist.
An alternative option is the YouTube Audio Library. Great paid subscription sites include Artlist, Epidemic Sound, Music Vine and Music Bed.
We personally use Epidemic Sound. We love how you can choose individual stems, as well as the full mix, of a song, and use this feature a lot. Use our link for a 60 day free trial and see what you think!
It can take time to trawl through all the options, listening to endless songs before you find the right one. But when you hear that perfect beat, it’s all worth it.
BEFORE THE EDITING BEGINS YOU NEED TO GET THE BEST SHOTS, RIGHT?
MAKE IT SNAPPY & INNOVATIVE
You’ve shot your footage, chosen the perfect music and imported it into your editing software. Now it’s time to finally make an awesome travel video.
If you want to keep your audience engaged (which you do, obviously) you need to keep your edit snappy and innovative. Your music and visual content should go hand in hand.
First, make it snappy.
Cut your clips to the beat of the track so that what you see and hear is perfectly in sync. Then mix it up so it doesn’t get predictable. Every so often, shift the rhythm of your cuts to the off-beat. If the tempo changes, reflect this in your edit. For example, fast paced cuts to match an epic beat drop, or a slow motion shot during a lull between beats. Your clips should be short and punchy, continually moving the story on. Long, drawn out shots are boring and your audience will quickly lose interest.
Now, it’s time to get innovative.
Once you’ve mastered cutting to the beat and creating a snappy pace, get innovative with other effects. For inspiration, look to other travel videos out there that you enjoy watching. Use these as learning tools. Pick a sequence or effect that you like and figure out how to re-create this in your own video edits. Keep it simple at first, developing your skills one at a time.
Set yourself achievable goals. Don’t expect to be editing something like JR Alli’s Egypt video straight off the bat. Some of the videos I love and have learned different techniques from are Because We Camp’s Thailand and Porto videos, Nico’s Seoul Cinematic and Guilin videos, and pretty much all of Brandon Li’s short films. Ultimately, your goal should be to combine various effects to create your own unique style – a style that will keep your audience coming back and wanting more.
JOIN OUR VIDEO COMMUNITY
DON’T FORGET THE SFX
If you really want to engage your viewer, drawing them into the heart of the destination you’re portraying on screen, then sound effects (SFX) are crucial.
So often this is the one element of otherwise great travel videos that’s missing. The absence of the right SFX can leave the audience feeling disconnected from what they’re seeing.
When we travel, all our senses are heightened, excited by new smells, tastes, sights and sounds. By incorporating real life sounds into your travel videos, you can convey those sensations and heighten the emotional response of your audience.
Great sound editing can be used to wonderfully dramatic effect, like in the Egypt or Porto videos mentioned above. As a viewer you feel like you’re there, experiencing every moment alongside the filmmaker.
That’s how powerful SFX are. But you’ve got to get them right.
You want your sound editing to be crisp and clear, enhancing your visual content, not distracting from it.
The best way to achieve this is by using a directional mic at the point of filming. Something like the Rode VideoMic Pro will capture the exact audio you want to focus on, and none of the annoying background noise.
Alternatively, you can find SFX that match your clips. Download them and line them up with the footage on your timeline. YouTube has an entire sound effects library, or you can search on sites like Freesound or Zapsplat. It can be fun playing around with different sounds. Layer them on top of one another and create the perfect atmosphere that’ll really bring your video to life.
The list of free sound effects in the
Youtube Audio Library is pretty extensive
HOW TO EDIT TRAVEL VIDEOS
5 ESSENTIAL TIPS
We hope you’ve found these tips useful for learning how to edit great travel videos of your own. You can connect with us on YouTube where we’d love to check out your work!
*Some of the links in this post are affiliate links – if you purchase a product or service via these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps offset the cost of running this blog and keeps us travelling so that we can continue to produce great content for you. We greatly appreciate your support!*
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Any questions about how to edit travel videos? Want to take the discussion further? Maybe you have some great editing tips of your own? Whatever’s on your mind, get in touch with us in the comments below.
Superb post love your editing tricks.
Sure, I’d be happy to share my thoughts on the article you linked about how to edit travel videos. I really enjoyed reading this article, as it offers practical advice on how to create engaging and memorable travel videos. The emphasis on storytelling and capturing the essence of a destination is spot on – travel videos are all about transporting the viewer to a different time and place, and creating a sense of wonder and excitement. One aspect I particularly appreciated was the article’s focus on pacing and rhythm in editing. This can be a tricky aspect to get right,… Read more »
This is a great article for anyone wanting to get into travel videography! The tips are essential for anyone wanting to create amazing travel videos.
Thanks for the blog
Superb! i really love your editing tricks. you did an amazing job.
Superb post love your editing tricks.
This a really superb post, love all the information that you told about editing. I am also an travel vlogger and this article seems perfect for me.
there is a lot of video editing app available in the market which is easy to video edit with just a few click. but if you want to create a professional video that impacts human nature then you need expert opinion and professional software like abode which has the capability to create any type of video for your travel vlog, event and etc.
I agree that you should have access to an audio library. I need to get a video production specialist to help me out. We have a lot of corporate videos that needs to be edited.
Very useful article. You did wonderful job
You Didn’t miss a single point relating to video editing for traveling. I am so excited to edit my traveling videos. Thanks a lot sir!
You’re welcome, good luck with your edits! Cheers, Kim
Your work is really appreciating, every point is clearly explained about Python Course. It will help me a lot. Thankyou so much to share this wonderful blog.
Thank you for explaining how to edit travel videos. I would imagine that it would be a good idea to use some kind of software programing when editing any kind of film. A software program would make a film look much better.
Anyone interested in beginning their career in travel videography should read this essay! The advice is crucial for anyone who wants to make outstanding trip videos.
hi
This is superb blog site. I find many informative messages from this site. Thank’s a lot for sharing.
Thank you! We’re very glad you have found our blog useful. Cheers, Kim
Hey, im kind of new to this, i have made surf and skatboarding films, but i want to Expand my repertoar and make travel film/ guids, but i dont want to do it Vlog style. Do you have any recomadations on how to narrate and tell a good story outside the Vlog format, its hard to find good inspiration for that, when it Sems that most «travle» content is made in that format or in hyper cinematic style like d.eks jr Ali ( which is awsm). If you have any tips or pointer i would be very thankful!!/ by the… Read more »
Hey Are Ole! Narrating over a video is something I’ve never done, but I’ve certainly come across other videos I’ve enjoyed watching that use this storytelling technique (plenty bad ones too : /). The ones that work for me personally combine good editing techniques (snappy pace, a mixture of cuts and editing effects) with relevant and interesting narration that work with the images on screen to tell the story. I think it’s still good to have a clear idea of what you want to film right from the start, but it can be easier to create the actual story afterwards… Read more »