Five Simple Ways to Make Your Travel Videos More Cinematic

You embarked on an epic adventure, ensured you were using the correct filmmaking settings and ND filter, and captured every incredible moment. After returning home, editing your content in Premiere Pro, and exporting it for the world to see, you grimace: your travel film looks more like a home video than a cinematic masterpiece.

Let’s get one thing out of the way up front: making travel videos, or any videos for that matter, is hard. Why? Because there are so many different elements that go into making a cinematic video. And, when you’re travelling, you typically don’t have an experienced crew with you to film and edit your content, making it even more difficult to transform your adventures into a masterpiece.

Don’t fear though. Making cinematic travel videos is completely attainable for any travel videographer, whether you’re a professional or just getting into it as a hobby. Beyond camera gear, there’s actually a few simple techniques you can implement when you’re filming and editing your footage to give you a more cinematic look.

Edit to the Beat

When making a cinematic travel video, many videographers select an epic song, but then don’t use it to their advantage. And by advantage, I mean actually using it to its full impact.

When you select a song for your cinematic travel video, especially if it’s an upbeat song, try and make sure each of your clips starts and ends on a beat in the song. It may seem subtle, but it’ll make your clips seem punchier. It also makes the editing process a bit more intuitive, as it gives you a set structure to follow as you edit your clips and piece them together.

Not sure how to edit your clips to the beat? Try expanding the waveform for your audio on the Premiere Pro timeline. The beat in a song will typically show as a peak on the waveform. If you look closely, you will likely see a recurring peak throughout the timeline. This is typically the beat. Adjust your clips so that they start and end with these peaks.

Vary Your Clip Lengths

Similar to editing your clips to the beat, you should also vary your clip lengths according to beat. As an example, if part of your song has a bunch of quick beats, and then it transitions into a slower section, you could utilize some shorter, faster clips for the first section, and then add in a single, longer clip for the next section. This variation in clip length will instantly make your video more interesting, elevating it from basic home travel video to cinematic masterpiece.

The key, though, is to ensure you still edit all of the clips to the beat. This may mean that, during the faster section, the short clips change every single beat, while the longer clip last for four beats.

If you can, try and utilize your clip lengths and speeds to tell your story. As an example, short, fast clips can create suspense and excitement, while longer, slower clips can help establish the story or provide more details.

Utilize Different Frame Rates

I’ve covered frame rates in other articles, but the frame rate you choose can really set the overall tone and vibe of your scene. In particular, it can really help give your videos a cinematic edge right in camera, making it even easier to achieve that cinematic look in post production.

So, what frame rate will give you the most cinematic look?! Well, the answer is that it depends. 24 fps has always been the gold standard for the cinematic look. That’s because it gives the movement in your clips a realistic motion blur. In fact, most movies are filmed in 24 fps.

But the best frame rate for the cinematic look is subjective because you should really be thinking about what frame rate will help you tell your story the best. At the end of the day, your focus as a filmmaker is on telling a story, in this case your travel story. Your frame rate should take that into consideration.

So, how can storytelling help dictate what frame rate to use for your cinematic travel video? Well, if you’re looking to capture more of the every day moments of your trip, utilizing 24 fps will give you that cinematic motion blur, creating more of a dreamy effect. But, if your trip also incorporates some epic adventures, like surfing or swimming with sharks, you may want to use a higher frame rate, like 60 fps or 120 fps, so that you can slow down that footage in post production, giving the viewer more of a chance to take in the epic scene.

Because travel videos typically incorporate so many different scenes, from city strolls to jungle treks to snorkelling, adjusting your frame rate for each one can really help you showcase each moment in its best light, and help you tell a compelling, engaging story when you edit your video together.

Consider Your Angles

In the modern era where filming everything from an iPhone has become the norm, it can be tempting to just film everything on your vacation from straight on. But, as I have alluded to throughout this article, telling your story is key to creating a cinematic travel video, and one of the best ways to do that is by varying your camera angles and shots.

Think about it. When you’re travelling, the things you remember the most are the details: the sizzling salt water as the waves crash on the shore, the rustling of palm tree leaves swaying, and the taste of a pina colada during happy hour. These are the moments you remember - and also the moments you want your viewers to hone in on. So, give them a sensory experience in your cinematic travel video.

To start, try utilizing a tried and tested filmmaking strategy: establishing shots. Establishing shots are typically wide angle shots that showcase where a scene will take place. In essence, it establishes the scene’s location so your viewers know where the rest of the scene will unfold. This idea lends perfectly to travel videography, as most of your scenes will take place in epic landscapes or cityscapes.

Next, try capturing some close ups to really showcase the details of the place. Again, this can be anything from the waves crashing to the water actually sizzling on the beach. Ensure that the details you film really resonate with you. Again, you’re trying to tell your travel story.

Next, showcase some mid-range shots of you or the people you’re travelling with to create some context. This will help the viewer get a better understanding of what you actually did on your trip, whether you strolled through the city streets, hiked to a volcano or snowboarded down an epic peak.

By combining various camera angles in your travel videos, you’ll create a more engaging and interesting video, while also effectively telling your story.

Tell a Story

This has been alluded to throughout this article, but telling your story is crucial to creating a cinematic travel video. Sure, you can edit a bunch of clips together and align them to the beat of a super upbeat song, but the stories behind your trip are what engage people and keep them watching until the end.

When you start editing your cinematic travel video, try and outline some of the adventures in your trip, while thinking about how the music you select, your camera angles, and clip lengths can help you tell those stories. If you do that, you’ll not only create cinematic travel videos, but also start to develop a following of like-minded travellers that are drawn to your travel stories.

Conclusion

Creating cinematic travel videos can be difficult, but, with a few simple tricks, you can easily transform your travel films into cinematic masterpieces. To start, try editing your clips so that they start and end on the beats of your chosen background song. While you’re at it, vary the lengths of your clips, utilizing short, quick clips to convey action, and longer, slower clips to provide context. Next, adjust your frame rate for different scenes, choosing 24 fps for shots that require natural motion blur, and a higher frame rate, like 60 fps or 120 fps, for action shots so you can slow them down in post production. As you film, vary your angles throughout your videos to showcase the details of your trip. Lastly, focus on telling your story in your video. Epic clips are great and all, but the real cinematic vibes come from a good story.