Tips on how to Create Epic Journey Movies with Your Cellphone

Have you ever ever thought to your self, “I want I might create a cool journey video…” However it appears, properly, intimidating?

I do know that utilizing a DSLR digicam could be powerful (simply try my Newbie’s Information to Capturing in Guide Mode), and cameras could be fairly weighty to lug round all day.

I’ve been creating journey movies for almost 10 years and, whereas I consider everybody can study pictures, taking pictures video with a DSLR comes with a little bit of a studying curve.

However, what if I instructed you you can simply create spectacular journey movies utilizing simply your cellphone?

As a rule, I really want to shoot video with my cellphone, because it’s way more compact and simpler to “get the shot” at a second’s discover.

Should you’re considering to your self, “However what concerning the high quality?” There are a couple of methods of the commerce that may elevate the footage you are taking.

Right here’s tips on how to create epic journey movies together with your cellphone!

My Smartphone Video Gear

Your gear doesn’t should be tremendous cumbersome to get unimaginable pictures. You will have to maintain reminding your self of this, however there are such a lot of cool issues you possibly can create together with your cellphone.

Right here’s the rundown of my gear:

For On-the-Go Journey Movies

I really like that it’s a full skilled setup that’s compact sufficient to slot in a big purse whereas I’m touring!

The Lume Dice Panel Mini is an LED panel that acts as a fill gentle; its frosted lens gives subtle gentle to make you glow.

You may change the temperature of the sunshine for cooler or hotter tones. Plus, you possibly can alter the brightness. Lighting could make or break your footage, so it’s tremendous vital!

As an added bonus, it’s concerning the measurement of a bank card, so no cumbersome lighting rigs mandatory.

Get  the Most Out of Your Gear

To get essentially the most out of your gear, it’s important to perceive what it might probably do!

Whether or not you’ve got an iPhone or an Android, I’d extremely advocate watching a tutorial or two on YouTube to clarify all of the options and tips on how to use them.

I at present have the iPhone 12 Professional Max and it has so many alternative settings for video — I can change my frames per second (which means I can create unbelievable slo-mo pictures), I can change the standard I’m taking pictures at, take time-lapses, and extra!

No matter what cellphone you’re taking pictures with, utilizing a tripod — just like the Mobile Creator Stand (which additionally acts as a selfie stick) — offers you higher stabilization than holding by hand.

Some issues to remember:

  • At all times make certain to lock your publicity (AE/AF)
  • Shoot in 4k if attainable
  • 24 Frames Per Second (FPS) is the usual for cinematic high quality
  • 60 FPS for Slo-Mo
  • 120 or 240 FPS for even slower Slo-Mo

Ideas for Planning Out Your Pictures

When you won’t know precisely what you’ll discover as you’re exploring, it’s extraordinarily useful to enter video creation with particular pictures in thoughts!

By serious about your finish aim earlier than you get to your vacation spot, you’ll have the ability to embrace it, moderately than analysis and plan whenever you’re there. No wasting your time!

My High Ideas for Planning Out a Journey Video

  1. Create a Pinterest board forward of time with inspiration for the situation and general vibes
  2. Think about what sort of journey video you’re making — vlog, cultural immersion, documentary, first-person?
  3. Work out what sort of pictures you could inform your story and ensure to combine them up (topics, landscapes, slow-motion particulars, and so on.)
  4. Begin storyboarding and planning out what pictures you’d like at sure areas
  5. Perceive what lighting you’ll be working with

Forms of Pictures

A superb journey video isn’t at all times simply epic drone pictures. I really like when movies incorporate the little facets of the journey, from the airplane ticket and passports to getting there and all of the little particulars in between.

Listed below are some various kinds of pictures so as to add to your storyboard:

  • Establishing Pictures
  • Huge Panorama Pictures
  • Epic Views
  • Motion Pictures — i.e. making an attempt a brand new meals, pouring a drink, splashing in water
  • The In-Between (strolling to locations, getting there)
  • Tight Pictures of Particulars
  • Gradual Movement
  • Commentary/Response

Completely different Forms of Movies

That is completely your choice — there’s no proper or unsuitable in the case of what sort of video format to do and I like to modify it up.

Immersive: With a few of my movies, there’s no speaking to the digicam; it’s completely immersive, and all concerning the vacation spot. You discover it by means of my eyes.

You may see an instance of this in my Namibia journey video beneath:

Restricted Narration/Voice Over: That is my very own means of describing a journey video the place you don’t narrate your expertise Vlog-style, however incorporate private reactions or VO together with panorama pictures. I usually do my journey movies like this. I at all times attempt to get a couple of reactions selfie-style, however it’s usually very troublesome to relate my complete journey (particularly once I’m touring solo. So, I movie like loopy, get some reactions and selfie-style clips at any time when attainable, and use VO within the modifying course of to assist inform my story.

You may see an instance of this in my Galapagos journey video beneath:

Vlog: I personally do two completely different kinds of “Vlogs:” One with full narration (just like the Mexico journey video beneath) and one with narrative explanations however principally crammed in with journey footage (just like the Iceland journey video beneath). A vlog is whenever you narrate your expertise with you being the central topic to information the video.

travel photography gear

Video Settings

For Slo-Mo

Relying on what you’re filming you possibly can select between 60 FPS, 120 FPS, or 240 FPS.

This goes again to storyboarding and understanding what pictures you wish to get. The upper the FPS (120, 240) — the slower your video will likely be.

Composition Grid

Flip this on in your digicam settings. This may enable you to with the Rule of Thirds and create stability in your pictures.

Codecs Most Suitable

When taking pictures footage on journeys, I purposely go along with the bigger file sizes and click on “Codecs Most Suitable.” Flip this off after your journey so that you’re not taking over storage (primarily with movies of your canine…).

Time-Lapse

If in case you have the time or curiosity, you possibly can shoot time-lapse in your cellphone! Arrange your cellphone on the Cellular Creator Stand and let it run.


Storage for Video Footage

Storage is essential! Knock on wooden that you just don’t lose your cellphone whereas touring…however it occurs, and also you don’t wish to lose all of the footage that you just’ve simply filmed.

Choice A: Good Storage with Google One

Google One has a web-based storage platform the place you get 2 Terabytes for $10 a month. I like that it’s “good” — so it’s going to add mechanically and you may filter by means of it fairly simply.

Should you don’t wish to pay for the subscription after your journey, make certain to load the footage to an exterior laborious drive. However, for my part, Google 1 is a good storage answer for on the go.

Choice B: Airdrop, Laptop, Exhausting Drive

This is a bit more time-consuming, particularly whenever you’re touring. However you possibly can Airdrop the footage to your pc on the finish of the day and put it on a hard drive as a backup.


The place to Get Royalty-Free Music

Going into the video, if in case you have a track in thoughts, it might probably enable you to provide you with concepts or transition concepts. However no worries when you don’t know what music you’ll be utilizing — you possibly can determine that out in publish.

As a heads up, I’ve by no means been flagged for music on Instagram, BUT remember that utilizing business music (just like the stuff you’d heard on the radio) can get your video eliminated.

Since many individuals put in hours modifying their video to match a beat — I’d recommend solely utilizing royalty-free music so it doesn’t get eliminated/you waste your time.

Listed below are a couple of platforms to search out royalty-free music:

  • Premium Beat — 5 tracks per thirty days for $12.99
  • Epidemic Sound — It’s a subscription of $15/month, however it has a ton of selections!
  • Purchase royalty-free music on iTunes after which import it to your modifying software program

Enhancing Your Video

Enhancing your footage and splicing all of it collectively is the place the magic occurs! It’s additionally the half that may be essentially the most troublesome — relying on what software program you’re utilizing.

For Rookies

Quik: GoPro has a reasonably nice modifying app referred to as Quik. You choose the clips you need in your video and it’ll mechanically edit them to a beat level (both your track or their choice of royalty-free music).

This works fairly properly; the one draw back is that it doesn’t do 4k. However when you’re simply beginning out, try Quik!

For Medium to Intermediate

Adobe Premiere Rush: If in case you have a Inventive Cloud Membership (for modifying images in Adobe Lightroom), you’ll have entry to this. Premiere Rush gives primary options and functionalities for video modifying — nice for those who have a little bit deal with on how they wish to edit, however it doesn’t have as many bells and whistles because the Professional model.

Luma Fusion: That is for iOS solely, and in contrast to Adobe, this one is just not a subscription however moderately a one-time $30 price. I haven’t personally used Luma Fusion however the opinions are good!

For Superior

Adobe Premiere (Desktop): That is what I personally use and it’s the trade commonplace. There are a number of bells and whistles and there’s positively a studying curve, however you are able to do so many cool issues with it.

I’d recommend watching as many YouTube tutorials as you possibly can to study extra about all of Adobe Premiere’s capabilities.

Skillshare has some nice programs, too! Should you’re eager about Shade Grading and delving into nitty-gritty matters in the case of video modifying, try Skillshare.

Working From House

Interested by what my gear is like once I’m not touring?

Once I’m working from residence, there are a number of issues I like to make use of to optimize my movies and content material. These items are nice for taking model calls and dwell streaming, as they supply flattering lighting.

Work From House Gear

T BA Takeaways

  • Plan forward and storyboard
  • Work out your gear beforehand
  • Perceive which settings are greatest for what
  • Grasp your lighting
  • Stabilize with a tripod/selfie stick
  • Get a mixture of particulars and panorama
  • Select royalty-free music

And there you’ve got it, people! These are my prime suggestions for creating epic journey movies — all whereas taking pictures with my cellphone!

Do you’ve got any suggestions or methods you’ve realized alongside the way in which? I’d love to listen to them within the feedback beneath!

This publish was sponsored by Lume Dice. As at all times, all ideas and opinions expressed on this publish are completely my very own.