Have you ever wanted to make a video of an epic sunrise?
Well, you're in the right place because that's exactly what we're talking about today. My name is Dean Paarman
You're watching Travelvids and making smartphone videos is easy!
Everybody loves a good sunrise
It's the symbol of a new beginning a new day you can leave all yesterday's worries behind
So how do you do it? Let's go into the story
When it comes to sunrises the most important part is location
location Is everything
People want to know where you are. You know, have you climbed up a mountain are you?
Still in a club on the top of the building the next morning? Are you at home?
Is this what you get to see from home?
You've got to let people know where you are so make sure to get all the shots showing where you are
Then next up is who's with you you know have you gone alone. Are you with a group of friends?
Are you with a famous person have you gone with a guide?
Who's with you?
then it kind of goes without saying that you want to get the sunrise itself
You know just as that light reaches over the horizon. It's the perfect time for that time lapse. It's a time lapse
Then also don't forget to tell your viewers what it's like
share the experience
You can even give them some tips like what you should be doing like I'm about to do now in the next section
the technical side
Technical side of filming a sunrise with your smartphone is pretty simple because you only need two things
on the one side you're going to need some stability because you're doing time lapses. For a time lapse you obviously have to have a
Locked-off shot and for that get yourself a little mini tripod, maybe a gorilla pod
This is a gorilla pod and with the gorilla pod
Don't forget your smartphone clamp the second thing you're going to want to consider having is an additional phone
Maybe you've got an old phone that you want to bring with you
Even if the quality is not as good it really doesn't matter
It's just to get that sort of additional reaction shot because while your phone your main phone is
Taking on the sunrise on the one side
It's important to sort of get your reaction shot so use a friend's phone use an old phone use your mom's phone
Do whatever you have to do, and if you don't have a second phone
Don't worry, then all you got to do is after you've got that sunrise
Then you take your own phone, and you turn it on yourself you watch
and
You just give that slight reaction even if it's already happened. It's just something that you can use afterwards as a reaction shot
You know to put in extra tip there you go more extra tips in the technique section
Guys this is a sunrise
It's a build-up to a moment to a crescendo to a highlight so make use of things like
Slo-moes to the build up point of that you know drag it out make it dramatic because you want to put emphasis on that
Ultimate moment you might also want to darken all the shots that happen before the sunrise
It just sort of sets the mood
And there's a bonus to this when you darken the footage you lose some of the grain so it's kind of like a win-win situation
For those of you that don't know what grain is it's this fuzzy area of the picture that happens when there's just not enough light
It's also referred to as noise by darkening the picture it reduces the noise a little bit
Not so much up in the light areas, but especially in the darker areas of the frame
And then of course the other thing that you can use to help the sort of buildup process is a good choice of music
Try and find something that has that slow build-up to that moment that crescendo that
Drives the point home
To plan and practice all I can say with the sunrise is that you need to prepare with the right time
Remember the sunrise changes every single day by a few minutes. You're going to need to figure out
What time first light is and then you're going to make sure that you're there before first light
I'm saying like half an hour before so that you can set up find out where you're gonna get your shots from I've
Seen way too many people arrive at the sunrise location
Just you know sort of as it's happening, and they miss everything get there early set up
Take it easy you're supposed to be enjoying this remember
It's also quite important to know exactly where the sunrise is going to happen so that you can point your camera in the right direction
If you're in a location where you've never been before
Maybe in a foreign country
Then it's always best to ask one of the local people just you know where does the Sun really pop up or somebody?
That's around you that that knows the area better
And if you're completely alone and completely stuck with this then just download one of the apps that
Sort of a Sun tracker app and it'll show you exactly where that is the film industry uses that type of thing all the time
So that's all the info you're gonna need to make an epic sunrise video with your smartphone
I'm going to bed because I'm waking up super early the Sun rises here at about like five o'clock
So we're gonna be leaving the house at four o'clock in the morning to get that sunrise shot early
You don't need to hear any more from me. Just remember that making smartphone videos is easier than you think