Life is collected in personal history for all of us. Usually, it has a lot of knots – events that mean something. Vivid or painful, touching or fun – they are all the best episodes of our lives.
A joint family trip is truly one of the brightest events. Are you planning to go together to a beautiful beach? Or do you prefer to go hiking? Whatever you decide, documenting your perfect family trip is always a great decision. On the one hand, you save the most important and unforgettable moments of your journey, and on the other – get a valuable experience in shooting.
Take a look at some helpful hints on how to transform your family vacation memories into an actual movie that will warm your heart many years ahead.
5 tips to make your fam movie unforgettable
Traveling is what we all associate with good feelings, new experiences, intriguing people, and of course adventure. Doesn’t that seem like an excellent starting point for a video story? Definitely yes! And if you mull over how you can make your shots appear more professional, transform a week of vacation into a movie worth rewatching thousands of times, then read our tips below.
#1. Plan your story ahead
Your main goal is to tell a story in a video so that it’s interesting to watch to everyone. Beautiful shots following each other look cute, but boring. Therefore, decide in advance what exactly you want to say.
You might begin by explaining why you picked this specific location for your family trip. If this is connected with your childhood travel memories, then shoot your kids’ photos in that very location. Or if you are a big fan of Disney, then just say about it in the video preview.
Also, family traveling is all about thousands of complex quests and dilemmas that meet you outside the hotel. Shoot how you solve them with your family’s dream team: surely this video will be very funny.
#2. Choose a camera
When traveling, it’s best to choose light and inexpensive cameras. You want to relax and gain experience, and not carry heavy equipment, right?
If you are satisfied with shooting on your smartphone, then don’t spend money on something more serious like an SLR camera.
Another good option for travel is action cameras like GoPro. They are good for shooting active travel. The lenses of such cameras are wide-angle – they capture the maximum of the surrounding world and a minimum of small details. By the way, you can also shoot impressive videos underwater!
A couple of equipment tips:
- The sound recorded on the camera is as a rule awful. Of course, you can improve the sound in a special program, however, it’s better to record your comments, if you voice them right during the walk, on a separate microphone. Here your phone can help you out, but if you suddenly plan serious cinematic dialogues, then take a small lavalier microphone.
- Another accessory that may come in handy is a tripod or stabilizer. It will help to shoot the whole family and avoid shaking in the video.
#3. Add variety
Give your travel film some variety in terms of what you shoot and how you shoot.
Let’s assume you’re on vacation with your family at a lovely beachside resort. Don’t merely take photos of stunning tropical vistas or film your children making sandcastles. Include a video selfie against a unique architecture, clips of waves breaking on the coast, or a starfish your youngster discovered on the sand. This type of custom footage will allow you to integrate more aspects into your film and better present your holiday.
Also, experiment with recording the video from various perspectives and angles to make it appear more intriguing. This is where GoPro or drones come in helpful since they allow you to film underwater or from a bird’s eye perspective.
#4. Include engaging interviews
It’s fantastic to document what you see and experience while on a family trip, but what about what you feel and think? Interview several family members to create a home film that properly summarizes your family holiday! Take the opportunity to ask them a few questions about how they’re feeling, what they think of the sights, or what you’ve been up to.
It would also be a good idea to interview locals (especially if you’re holidaying in another country) as well as other tourists you might meet during your travels.
#5. Delve in editing
Movie editing is a great cure for post-vacation blues. Therefore, we suggest making travel videos immediately after you arrive home and unpack your suitcase.
Your task is to express your impressions in the video as fully as possible. And so that nothing distracts you from the process, it’s better to choose a video editing program with a simple and intuitive interface. Add all clips to the editing area, apply a filter, and add text as desired.
The final stage is adding the background music. Today, short TikTok-format clips followed by popular pop music are gaining momentum. Selecting a soundtrack and overlaying it on a video in accordance with all the rhythms is not an easy task. But the final video is definitely worth it, you just need to make a little effort.
Final say
Capturing all your family’s travels is a good idea, believe us. Don’t hesitate to try something new. Capture each occasion that feels important to your fam. Shoot your feelings, touching and amusing moments, and for sure don’t forget to have fun on the journey.
We wish you a pleasant holiday!
