“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” Henry Miller.
“According to a study that was run in part by Google (YouTube’s parent company), 64 percent of people who watch travel videos do so while planning a trip.” (Samiljan 2017) In the last four years travel vlogging has become hugely influential, and lucrative for the most successful. Our task was to create a group produced 3 minute video in the style of a travel vlogger, showcasing York as a desirable destination for young people. We also had to create a stripped-down 1 minute version of the same video for use on Instagram.
I was unavoidably absent during the filming but had discussed this problem with my group beforehand and agreed to fill whatever post-production roles I could when I returned. When I checked in with the director, he asked me to do some research on specific places in York, to be used in a voice-over. I researched within the vague parameters he provided, then helped another member of our group to record the voice-overs in the radio studio. We cooperated well and it was a fun learning experience. Unfortunately, there were some communication issues in our group. The director wanted us to provide scripted voice-overs without having seen a cut of the vlog and appeared unable to accept this was impractical. This led to our work being scrapped and redone, which although frustrating, did improve the finished vlog.
In my role as researcher and general post production assistant I simply concentrated on doing whatever was required, being helpful and showing up on time.
I learned again how important good communication and cooperation are when creating anything in a group, and how easily things break down. On a more positive note, I also learned just how powerful online video content is both in promoting user engagement, and in how high pages rank in Google search results. (Rocketium Academy 2019) And that it is possible to make a living as a full time travel vlogger (Karsten 2018), so if my current plans don’t work out…
York Travel Volg, 3 Minute Edit:
York Travel Vlog, 1 Minute Edit:
References:
Samiljan, T. (2017) Sorry, Instagram. YouTubers Are the Key New Influencers in Travel. Bloomberg. [Internet], 12th July. Available from
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-07-12/five-travel-vloggers-you-need-to-follow [Accessed 30th January 2019].
Rocketium Academy. (2019) Why your Travel Blog Needs to Evolve as a Travel Vlog [Internet]. Available from https://rocketium.com/academy/industry/travel-vlog/travel-blog-evolve-travel-vlog/ [Accessed 29th January 2019].
Karsten, M. (2018) YouTube Travel Videos: 28 Best Vlogging Channels. [internet]. Available from https://expertvagabond.com/youtube-travel-videos/ [Accessed 29th January 2019].