4 - HAVE A PLAN

Take the time to consider the final product before you start shooting it – or even before you leave for your trip.

Are you filming for personal use or to share it with others? Do you want to send the footage back during the trip or store the content while travelling? With a firm understanding of what you’re trying to achieve, you can set yourself up perfectly with the right equipment, the right social media links and any other assistance you might need.

Think too about your practical plan of action. For example, do you want to film your travelling companion(s) or film a piece to camera yourself? Do you want to do a voiceover or just a soundtrack? Try presenting to camera before you go to see how you come across and to make sure that whoever is filming gets the composition right and is technically aware of the equipment you’re using. It is dreadful to come home to discover that they filmed everything portrait instead of landscape or obscured part of the lens with their finger (this happens more frequently than you think!).

The decisions you make at this early stage will dictate how your final video will look, so engage with your own motivations at an early stage and your efforts will pay off.