WANT TO VLOG YOUR HOLIDAY? HERE'S HOW TO GET STARTED & NOT FEEL SILLY
Why Should I Vlog (video log) My Holiday?
Pictures say a thousand words but from someone who has filmed (as of writing this post) the last 540 days of my life - video is so much more memorable and so much more magical to revisit.
Vlogging your holiday can be as simple as filming small moments right up to a 10 minute moving picture book. The great thing about vlogging is you can decide how much to film and the best bit is you don't need to share it anywhere, your vlog is still a vlog even if it doesn't end up on YouTube.
Okay You've Convinced Me But I May Feel Silly Talking to A Camera
Trust us you will feel silly, we have been doing this for a while now and I swear it took a couple of hundred days to get over the awkward feeling of talking to a camera. We are not here to tell you that you won't feel silly but instead to give you some tips on how to get over it:
Walk and Talk: One it shows movement in your video but two it will allow you to walk and talk right past all those people who you think are looking at you. When in reality they are not looking at you but instead staring at the Colosseum.
Have someone standing with you or in front of you: It's hard to explain but having someone involved in your silliness goes a long way. Also having them walk in front of you is perfect as it blocks any sort of potential eye contact that may make you feel awkward.
Practice, Practice, Practice: We didn't get over the awkwardness by having our camera switched off and in our pockets every day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZG1vCPUEayY
What Should I Film?
You should film the moments you want to remember: This can be in front of that iconic monument or it simply can be everyone laughing and tasting the best pizza you have ever had.
Film yourself in the moment: You can always find footage of times square beautifully shot on the most expensive camera in the world but you can't find footage of you in times square taking it all in for the first time.
What Should I Say?
First of all we do recommend you talk in your videos, mostly so the final product is not a 3 minute music video but also so you can share your thoughts about how you feel.
Talk about how you are feeling: This is where video trumps photos as you can describe the ambiance, what you feel and how that mountain just took your breathe away.
Talk about what you are doing: Here you are building a story, filling in the gaps that the video may miss out, like that squirrel which just ran behind a tree and out of your shot.
Show your findings: There's no greater feeling than returning home from a trip and then inspiring a friend or family member to go there based on your recommendation. People love to know where you stayed and where that incredible gelato was purchased from.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Lx7t3kA6Uo
Edit Your Video
Let's be honest, as awesome as you think your footage is - not everyone wants to see a 2 hour cut of your incredible vlog throughout Europe. This same rule applies to the most memorable day of your life - your wedding day - and is why 5 minute cuts of weddings became popular because they are easily consumed, easily shared and will more than likely have you coming back to watch than your 2 hour feature length film.
If you are looking for a quick and easy to use software to put your travels together on the plane ride home, give Filmora a try. It's perfect for beginner vloggers and also includes beautiful effects and transitions to bring your video to the next level. As a bonus, if you want to practice at home before you vlog in front of the Eiffel tower you can use their advanced editing options to greenscreen you right into Paris.
You May Not Need A New Camera
The amount of emails, WhatsApp messages from friends and general advice requested about buying a camera for a upcoming holiday is understandable but not required. My first reply is simple, what phone do you currently use? Their response is usually the latest Samsung or iPhone product.
I'm not here to sell you the latest iPhone (Apple does a grand job of doing it themselves) but with a 12 megapixel back and 5 megapixel front facing camera as well as 4K video recording and super slow motion at 1080p - the best camera to buy is the one you already have in your pocket.
Okay you want some Camera recommendations for Vlogging
Okay, okay for reasons which you don't have to explain you still want some camera recommendations. We have personally used both the Canon G7X and Sony RX100II. Both are fantastic devices for vlogging and one is half the price.
If you still don't want to use your phone but also don't want to spend $1000 bucks on a new camera you will probably use this one trip then we cannot recommend the G7X enough. As a bonus it has a flip up screen so you know if you are in focus.
New Blog Series About Filming & Vlogging
I might just start putting together a new series about filming and vlogging so if you have any questions for part 2, leave them below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BxaSSwRzeg
This post was brought to you by Filmora, however as always our opinion is, our own.
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