These days a holiday is not only going places and do cool things only. Sharing your experiences via social media plays a big part in today’s holiday planning. So, a traveler might forget to take his toothbrush but he will never forget to take his GoPro or any other video-capturing device. Because funnily enough, his journey might begin with filming with the camera, not with the toothbrush.
To tell you the truth, making a video is easy enough – just point and shoot – either with GoPro or capable enough Smartphone. But the problem arises when you want your five-hour-long, unedited raw footage watched by people and liked by them. You can make your loved ones watch it, but then they have to lie to your face about how they have enjoyed it so much!
So, what can you do to make them stop lying and really like your videos? How can you make your uploaded videos in Facebook like by random people? In simpler terms, how can you make your raw footage edited so that it can be something like a coherent story-telling?
If you thinking to be GoPro video editor is a thing best left to professionals, that’s cool.
But if you feel, ‘how hard can it be?’ – then this article is for you.
Please read on for the tips to edit for the best GoPro Video:
Pursuit Of Perfection:
The first and the very best tip is also the easiest – keep using your toy as much as you can. And only then using the thing will become second nature to you. And when you the know controls inside out, without ever knowing, you will know how to make the raw footage presentable, in this case shareable.
Clean-Cuts For Sharing:
From for your five-day tour, you should have 5-hour long unedited raw footage. But can you upload it whole and wish for people actually watch it? The truth is, you shouldn’t. From your 5-hour long unedited film, it is only about 15 minutes worth of footage that might actually be watchable. And among those minutes, you should share about a 3- minute long clip.
So start by decluttering and give people the fun part they will enjoy. And make them wait for the next video you will share.
The easy way to achieve this is to use the GoPro Smartphone app. Use the scissor icon while watching raw footage and you will have your instantly shareable video, without ever transferring them from the camera to the computer.
Script The Story Before Start shooting:
People forget one very crucial thing while filming their holiday vacation. No matter what they are going to shoot, it’s a story – and as such it has a starting, a middle part, and a finishing. So give them that.
Doing it shouldn’t be a Spielberg-esque job. You simply need it to plan beforehand. Let’s say you are on a trip to India.
Start shooting from the very moment you start at the airport. A clip showing the terminal you are in, overhearing the announcement in the PA calling the last call for the passengers to board on the Mumbai-board plane – might be a good opening.
And while you are scavenging the din and bustle of the town itself, capture your surprises to witness at the frantic pace the city runs. Also, don’t forget your tears dropping after tasting the exquisite hot street foods. A fine finishing can be you taking a gentle stroll on the beach while the sun going down to take a rest in the Mediterranean.
There you go – you give people what they want – a start, a middle and a finish.
Now share it and watch it be shared.
Shaky Footage Is A Big No-No:
If you get everything right but the film shakes – no one will complete the full run. So using a GoPro Gimbal, stabilizers or tripod should get serious consideration.
Thinking Editing While Shooting:
It’s simple; shoot every second of the footage thinking that you are going to put the film up for viewers to view. I can’t help using the old adage – you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
So simply put five seconds worth of planning before you keep shooting – ‘I need to edit this footage so that people can enjoy it’ – is all that you need to think.
When you shoot keeping this in mind, you would be amazed afterward to see how much quality films you have captured. And most importantly, you won’t be missing any important bits worth sharing.
Frame Rates:
Getting the raw footage in higher frame rates will allow you to get smoother images later if you want to use them in slow-motion mode. Take note of the below lists:
- 6o fps: about 2.5 times slow-motion
- 120 fps: about 5 times slow-motion
- 240 fps: about 10 times slow-motion.
Don’t Forget The Stills:
Don’t forget to get ample stills. They will get you covered when you find a difficult angle to shoot.
Adding Right Track Will Make The strike Profound:
Visuals may make the video, but the GoPro edit can strike a chord with the viewers if you can be able to back it up with the correct soundtrack. Since you are the one who is filming, you should have a clear idea about the surroundings of the video being taken place and use a song or instrumental accordingly. And don’t be afraid to experiment – you never know what you will learn.
Get As Close As you can:
This is simple – never forget to get up close and personal with the subject – be it the statute you are filming or the person you are asking for directions – you will find it easier to edit later.
Keep The Shots Short:
This is a must – make shots short. A 5-second second shot of you tasting the street foods is enough –unless the chicken you taste suddenly becomes alive and starts flying, and then you can keep shooting.
Otherwise, a 5-second of tasting the food is enough to let people know what you are trying to show.
There you go then – now you know all the important bits I have learned by filming thousands of hours of filming with the GoPro. But You might need a whole lot less – to be a pro.
