After the love we received on our solo travel Q&A, we thought we’d do another Ask Phoebe, this time all about travel content creation. It can look easy and effortless online, but there’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes that you don’t always see.
In this Q&A, I’m answering your honest questions about how it all actually works. From filming in public to staying creative and balancing travel with content, this is a real look at what it takes behind the camera. Whether you’re curious or thinking of starting yourself, this one’s for you.
Do you do your own makeup and styling when you’re filming, or does someone help you?
This is such a cute question, and I love that you think I’m fancy enough to have a glam team! I do my own hair, makeup, and ‘styling,’ if you could call it that. I pack a capsule wardrobe, which helps me always have something to wear, and I stick to a pretty simple, tried-and-true hair and makeup routine.
Do you have a team behind your content, or do you do everything on your own? If you do have a team, how many people are involved, and what do they help you with?
I was doing everything myself for a while there, but I have a wonderful team helping me now. I have an agent, a video editor, a social media manager for Chinese platforms, and a website manager. I do most of the filming and photography myself, but I do have friends and family who join me on adventures sometimes and are happy to help out!
How do you actually film yourself in public places? Do you ever feel awkward doing it?
I use my beloved DJI Osmo Pocket 3 and my iPhone 17 Pro to film. I have a tripod that fits in my handbag that can be used with both! I used to feel very awkward filming by myself, but now I’m extremely confident with it. I’ve found people tend to match your energy, so if you film with reckless abandon, they tend not to care.
How many hours do you usually spend filming on a typical travel day?
This varies greatly! I can film an entire episode in 6 hours or spend 2-3 days filming for 14 hours each. It just depends on where I am and the type of episode I’m shooting.
Do you edit all your videos yourself, or do you outsource it? And how long does one video usually take to edit?
I used to edit myself, but I have an editor now, and he’s truly amazing. He’s a key part of my team and, thanks to him, I’m actually able to enjoy my life, not just work all day, every day. I do still edit occasionally just so I can keep my skills up, ensuring that if he were away or sick, I can still get the episode done. Editing also makes me a better videographer as I understand what’s needed. It typically takes 2-3 days to edit one episode.
What do you do when the weather is bad or things don’t go as planned while filming?
Lean into it! Bad weather days are a part of travel and cannot be avoided, especially when you’re in a location for one day and have no choice but to get out there and film. I’ve often found that those wild weather days are the most relatable, and people enjoy seeing how you adapt.
Do you plan or script your videos in advance, or do you just go with the flow?
It’s a mix of both! I usually have a plan in place and know what I want to experience and capture, but I always allow for the organic experience to come through. You can’t really script travel experiences in advance, but I do like to research ahead of time and know a little bit about the history of a place so I can include it in the video.
How do you stay creative when you’ve already traveled to so many places?
I’m always inspired by the place and the people. If I click with the locals, it’s so easy to get creative and level up!!
How do you balance actually enjoying your trip while also needing to create content?
This is something I’ve often struggled with! I’ve found it’s important for me to make time to put the camera down and be present, rather than just seeing a destination through my camera lens. I also try to reframe my filming as a ‘gratitude journal,’ of sorts – aiming to capture what I love about the place and experience, rather than just making content.
What’s something people don’t realise about how much effort goes into travel content creation?
There’s so much time spent on the work portion outside of the 20 minutes seen on-screen. There’s the planning, booking, packing, and traveling to the destination, then the days spent actually going out to film and experience.
Then there’s backing up all the video files each day (hours!), charging the cameras, then, post-trip, organising the files, briefing my editor, reviewing episodes, and all the time spent optimising and uploading each one. Not to mention the admin part of running my business. It’s a lot of work, but I love all of it! Doing this by myself is incredibly empowering and rewarding.
I hope you got a better idea of travel content creation and what really goes on behind the scenes.
Stay tuned! I’ll be back soon with another Q&A series to answer even more travel questions and share honest advice. Follow my blog, Travel For Phoebe, subscribe to my YouTube channel, and don’t forget to drop your questions in the comments so I can include them next time.