Video clips and trip reports

[Nick]

I have quite a few trip reports to do but I'm struggling with how to do them. Wondering if the community could give me some opinions.

Here's the dilemma...

I've been going on a lot of trips where I can keep my SLR out for a lot of it, but then for another large chunk all I have is my gopro footage because I had to dry bag it. I've tried mixing photos into video like in my Morocco trip report or last year's Russel Gulch TR, but I don't really like it. So how else could someone post a mix of video clips and photos in a nice, consumable trip report? Woud it be weird to scroll through pictures and click on short 30-90 second clips in between? And would those clips then need to have some tunes to make them more engaging or would it be better to hear the muffled natural sounds of sloshing through a canyon. Muffled because of the waterproof case.

Thoughts?

 

[Dave]

I for one don't mind the scattered clips. I'm actually more likely to watch a series of 15-45 second clips than one 5:00 video.

 

[HomerJ]

I think I would prefer the pics and vid mixed in. I like to read the report with pics and vids inserted at the appropriate points in the TR. It's easier and more fun to read that way... IMO.

As far as sound. It depends if the audio from the video is entertaining or not. I really like the videos where it gives you both audio from the recording and then fades to music and then back when something is interesting to hear...

 

[wes242]

I like a mix of stuff too, and not long clips of video either. I will be honest on some videos I see my attention is lost very quick if I am watching the same clip for to long then I might not finish the video. Mix it up a little! You don't always have to go in order either, cause to me the video is more about the adventure you had and getting others excited about what you did and not just showing the hike for those to lazy to go.

 

[Jammer]

Here's my long-winded input...

I think you want to give your audience options, but not overwhelm them with difficult choices or burden them with redundancies. What I've learned from my career in interactive entertainment is that MOST audiences really don't like to interact! If you want to appease the masses, as the author/creator/director you need to provide simple, unobtrusive choices for how your audience consumes content and let people "dig deeper" if they want.

How does all that relate to a trip report and mixing video/pics and replacing audio in video? Well, ultimately remember you are telling a story that should have a beginning, middle and an end. You can frame that story to different people in different ways for varying levels of engagement, but what you do NOT want to do is lose the impact of the primary story with:

a) another story
b) too much detail for a specific audience
c) telling the same story again within the story.

So... on the trip report, I'd include clear links right up front if users can consume the story in different ways. For instance I might immediately link to the full-length video or the "daily journal" so people who prefer those options can jump to them. (Each should have their own beginning, middle and end.)

For the audience that doesn't click away, I'd create the standard written overview report with opportunities for users to dig deeper if they want. Thus, you can intermix video, but it should be short and help illustrate a specific point -- just like a photo would at that moment. You don't want the viewer to lose the train of thought of the primary story. Since in this context, embedded/linked video within a story should be really short, you shouldn't have to worry too much about adding music the same way you'd need to for a longer video or a teaser video. This is similar to how photos can be clickable to see more pixel detail and/or offer a more detailed caption that you don't want to slow down your casual reader (ie "This photo was time-lapse taken over the course or 2hrs" or "The trail here winds up through this boulder field, the best route is on the far left.")

In contrast to "more detail" links to pics/video, I try to resist embedding links during the report to OTHER reports. This is because it forces your audience to make a decision they may not be comfortable with at that moment. Imagine.... I'm telling you are really good story and before I finish, I give you the chance to hear another potentially good story. Darn -- what do I do?! I prefer to have all "related info" links at the end (eg "Read about my 2009 epic in the same canyon.")

I also try to avoid being redundant -- such as linking to a picture that's basically the same size/framing or with a caption similar to the report description. I'd also avoid a short video piece which basically shows the same view.. just in motion. This becomes tedious for users and they will end up not clicking on the embedded links for detail.

So... ideally in the end you've told your story to appeal to several different audiences:

Super-casual (Facebook) -- "Look at the pretty picture from a hike... oh no, my Farmville crops are dying."

Casual Enthusiast -- "Cool, let me scan this trip report. I'll scroll past most of it and stop on a few photos I like."

Video Enthusiast -- "Great, there's a video report, I'll watch that."

True Enthusiast -- "Awesome report, I read every word and clicked most items to learn as much as possible."

Hardcore Fan -- "Incredible, this and all the related links help with my upcoming trip -- especially the walk-though of the entire canyon!"


Of course all takes an incredible amount of work, so I commend you if you can pull it off! I still have tons of video (and pics) that I've never incorporated the way I'd like to. Someday... or maybe I'll just do another hike instead!

 

[Nick]

Thanks for the tips all. Time to start working on one of the many trip reports I'm behind on and put it to work. Anybody else banking some trip reports? Sure would be nice to put something new up on the slider! I've been totally swamped by another project the last few days but hopefully I'll knock one out this week.

 

[Dan]

just post 60 seconds of video - and plenty of photos. photos are easy for readers to digest quickly, where video requires a bit more attention. and generally video is more time consuming on your end. give yourself a video limit to work towards, and just post your best stuff...

 

[Nick]

Dan Ransom - are you suggesting 60 seconds total or clips no longer than 60 seconds?

 

[Dan]

total. just cut your best clips together, you don't have to show every detail of the trip in video.