A summer full of road trips in your RV, adventures in the wilderness, s’mores and other campfire goodies, is a recipe for more memories than one could ever hope to remember. Moments with your children as they discover the beauty of nature or even just the serenity of gathering by a campfire and tossing stories back and forth all deserve to be saved in a way that can be relived over and over again.
With modern technology we are able to share moments over social media and be more connected to each other than ever before. So why not put this new found technology to good use and create videos documenting these crucial and significant moments in your family’s life.
If you are going to go to the effort to create a video of your adventures you want it to be good quality and reflect the perfect story. All too often people set out to capture every minute of the trip, which can be a nightmare to edit and sometimes the essence of specific moments are lost in your determination to catch it all.
Here are 5 tips to help you preserve the memories you make on your next RV trip and create quality video that will be replayed for years to come.
Invest in a Selfie-Stick
Yes, this is going to make you stick out from the locals (we hate to break it to you, but the RV already gave you away). Sometimes it’s nice to get the whole group in the frame, instead of leaving one person behind the camera. A selfie-stick can also be used for more then just selfies, as it can come in handy when stabilizing your mobile device and capturing an entire scene from multiple angles. Selfie sticks can be purchased at most electronic stores and gift shops.
Invest in a Professional Video Device
Ultimately your budget, technological knowledge and interest, and purpose for your video will determine the type of video device you wish to invest in. Many camera manufacturers make great compact video cameras for those looking for a simple and yet high quality video. As well, most DSLR’s are more than enough to capture top-quality video.
A Go Pro, made for the adventure enthusiast, will give you professional quality videos, with built in video trimming and the ability to be filmed under water and shared instantly on your social media. It can even fit in a selfie-stick – win win!
Of course there is always the video recorder most accessible most of the time – your mobile phone. Newer phones take amazing video and often in high definition. No need to purchase a new piece of equipment when you already have what you need in your pocket.
Capture the beauty of the location!
All too often people feel the need to be the stars in their own show. Capturing people’s funny antics as they describe the place they are in often adds to the personalization of the video, but it is also important to get a good glimpse of the beautiful landscape around you as well. Sometimes the view will speak for itself!
Oh Natural!
The beauty of video is your ability to capture candid, real life moments that a photo would otherwise miss. Those posed cheesy shots or rehearsed scenes are a great way to personalize the video, but sometimes it’s also equally entertaining to capture people being themselves. It’s these moments that will allow you to travel back in time and relive serendipitous memories down the road.
Edit Edit Edit!
Anyone can hold up a video camera and press record, but the quality of your video lies within the editing you do when you get home. Amp up the colours, turn up the voices and enhance the graphics while splicing the different clips together in a way that emotionally tells the story of your adventure. A bit of background music can also go a long way to upping the quality of your home movie.
iMovie is a user-friendly program on most Apple computers that allows you to produce a professional quality video that can be played on all devices. For Windows users, check out Window’s Movie Maker and for more technology savvy adventurists try out Adobe Premiere Elements or Final Cut Pro X for 3D video options.
Lastly, be sure to capture the little things within a moment as well as the main event. Sometimes a pile of terribly cut wood or chicken wings on the BBQ can spark the strongest memories that lead to hilarious stories. Choose the highlights within each moment to show in your video and pick out the little things that make them memorable. But don’t get too hung up on making it perfect. Any video to watch later is sometimes all that’s needed to take you back to those amazing trips.
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