Create the perfect holiday video yourself on your PC

It’s never been easier for laypeople to shoot and edit professional videos. What we mean by professional in this context is that when you watch the video, you can’t necessarily tell that it was created by an amateur. If you follow a few tips and tricks, almost anyone can create such a video, even if they have absolutely no experience in video shooting.

Using the example of a holiday video, we will explain what steps are necessary and what you should pay attention to when shooting and editing. However, you should be as familiar as possible with the functions of your camera. For editing you need a corresponding PC with video software.

The movie

There are a few things you should keep in mind while shooting so that the footage can be captured satisfactorily.

White balance

White balance is essential when it comes to correcting color reproduction. It is best to do the white balance manually. To do this, point the camera at a white sheet of paper and perform white balance. Whenever the lighting conditions change, you should make a new adjustment. Without white balance, color reproduction will be distorted. Especially in videos where many different locations are shot, an unprofessional impression is quickly created.

Smooth camera work

Beginners in particular tend to want to record as many things as possible. In particular, jerky camera movements and blurry images are a leading indicator of amateur photography. For professional recordings, however, the emphasis should be on calm and slow camerawork. To master this camera work, some training time is required. If you have the opportunity, you should definitely use a tripod. Not necessarily a must, but in this case a hanging tripod is also very useful. These are available in different price ranges and designs and are definitely worth an investment.

It is worth starting recordings a little earlier than necessary and finishing them a little later than necessary. This gives you more leeway when editing and also prevents stuttering from occurring if you start recording too quickly.

Position

Depending on where you want to film, it’s worth choosing the right time of day. To do this, you look at when the light and shadow conditions are most impressive in the respective location. The same place can create completely different impressions at different times of the day. It’s worth taking the time to capture the most meaningful images you can for your family and friends back home.

Post-processing

Once all the material has been shot, it’s time for post-production. To do this, you need a video editing program that is easy and intuitive to use. There is a wide selection of programs available on the market, and most cameras come with a free trial version of a specific program. Ultimately, most programs differ in their user interface and range of functions. If you are still looking for a suitable video editing program, you should take a look at Movavi video editor. This is clear, easy to use and equipped with the most necessary functions.

View material

First of all you should delete any recordings that did not perform optimally. Blurry or blurry images have no place in a perfect vacation video and should therefore be addressed. You should really stick to the most impressive shots, also to avoid making the video boring.

Create excitement

Even though it is not a crime film, a certain tension should be maintained throughout the film. It’s important not to leave scenes in the video that are too long and to make cuts and transitions interesting. However, you should avoid using too many effects, as they distract attention from the real material. The main goal should always be registration. To create a good suspense arc it helps to place some highlights at the beginning, middle and end. The video shouldn’t be too long either. 10-15 minutes is a good drive. If you have more material, you can try to sort it and create several thematic videos from it.

The finishing touches

Once the video material is properly arranged, it’s time to give it the finishing touches. A perfect holiday video includes a title, credits, as well as background music and comments scattered here and there for better understanding. The music must never distract from the images and, above all, it must not be too theatrical. Comments should be distributed carefully: it is useful to use a pre-written text as a guide and to give importance to pronunciation. At the end you can make a color adjustment (so-called color grading) to complete the image. Afterwards, nothing stands in the way of a fun video evening.