I was hoping for a topic like this. I have a 4k gopro myself and am considering getting a mount to make some of these, too. For me, these are things I much prefer:
- Minimalism. I don't want a 15 second 'beginning sequence', if you have a 'brand' then a couple of seconds showing your channel name is fine.
- Narration. If you're explaining something keep it concise, but if you're passionate about it then this can be something which really adds to the video. Overall some people really over-do this and ramble all video.
- Captions and subtitles. Keep these semi-opaque so they don't detract from the video, but put as much information as you want in to these bits. Some people might want to know that 300 years ago this route was used for 'X'.
- Background music. This can make or break a video of beautiful scenery, I quite like low-key videos with relaxing music and high quality videos. Don't be afraid to let the music play out and to linger on a long shot if you think it is beautiful.
- Timelapses. Yes they are a pain to set up sometimes, but having a dawn/dusk/stars timelapse can be beautiful and add a lot to the video. I also especially think when you make camp and assemble your tent, timelapse it! People are interested in gear and tents in general, it can be nice to see 'how easy is it to set up in that weather?' and have a cool 30 second sequence of someone putting a tent up with music playing over the top.
- Mounts. Hiking pole mounts seem the most versatile since you can stick it in the ground and film yourself, but mini-tripods (the monkeypods?) which you can put on the ground are light and lets you become the subject - there's something peaceful about watching a trip report showing people cooking, enjoying the evening. If it is a day walk, then a little clip of you filmed from behind enjoying a beautiful view ups the cinematography massively.
- It isn't about gear. As long as the camera isn't hugely shaking around, you can film it on any mini gopro style camera (even iPhones these days are v good for video filming). If you have a drone and can do some amazing camp shots in the evening? Awesome! But if you don't, don't worry about it.
- Don't overdo the transitions. Fade to black (for a time change) and simple cuts are hard to detect and don't detract from the video. Everything else (wipes, tears, dissolves etc) look like someone just wanted to use a random transition, it doesn't add to the watching experience.
- Let the music play out. It's a hiking video not a music video, let the mind linger on certain places, let you think about the route and the space, make the music an accessory rather than the main player. Put pauses between pieces of music if it's a longer video, you don't constantly need crashing drums. Embrace silence, especially when you're using evening or morning shots at camp.
- Wind noise. It sounds rubbish, sure you can include a clip if it's blowing a gale and you want to get that across to the viewer - but a monologue to the camera in the middle of a gale with full wind noise just doesn't sound great. I'd rather you subtitle what you say, reduce the spoken volume a little and make it not sound dreadful.
- For music, keep it playing but play with the levels. Make it so it isn't being noticed but the volume slowly increases to emphasise the views and journey. If you're speaking, reduce it but keep it playing at a low level.
For an example, something like
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9D47bmPFUbo is what I would consider right up there.
There is also a guy who does most of his trip reports from Scotland who has much more time in front of the camera, but still relies on the camera to tell the story.
https://www.youtube.com/user/wilkiemurray