Cutting a video doesn’t have to be difficult and there are different ways to cut a video, which I will explain here.
Are you going over hours of video footage from your last trip right now and trying to piece it together into an impressive travel video?
While you are selecting the footage that you intend to use, consider the types of cuts you will use to connect each clip and create the narrative structure of the travel video.
Although that may sound a bit complicated, it is actually fairly easy once you know the basics of cutting a video and a few essential types of video cuts.
How To Cut a Video – 5 Useful Video Cuts Explained
Cutting a video requires a video editing tool. And there are a lot of video editors out there.
I like Movavi because it’s inexpensive and very user-friendly.
But, whichever video editor you choose, these are my tips for cutting a video and different types of cuts to make a great video.
1. Standard Hard Cut
A hard cut is the most basic video cut. It is simply moving from one shot to the next without any transitional effects.
There is nothing special about it, but it is important to know when to use this type of cut in travel videos.
Hard cuts work well within a scene, for example, when you cut from a wide shot to a close‑up in the same location.
You can use them when changing scenes too, but ideally the end of the first clip should hint at the shift in time or place so viewers do not feel lost.
2. Jump Cut
Jump cuts get their name from the fact that they literally jump from one part of the video to another, often using parts that are visually similar.
Because of that, this cut can look disjointed, which makes it tricky to use in travel videos.
That said, jump cuts are great to show the passage of time or distance. Use a series of quick clips to condense a long walk through a market or a multi‑stop train ride into a few seconds.
An example of a jump cut in a travel video: Imagine you’re filming a long train ride through Switzerland. Instead of showing the entire journey, you can use jump cuts: the train pulling out of Zürich station, then suddenly you’re passing lakes and snowy peaks, then pulling into Lucerne. The scenery “jumps” forward, showing the passage of time and distance without boring your viewer with the in-between.
3. Cut on Action
One of the best ways to make cuts feel seamless in your travel videos is by using a cut on action. This means cutting while an action is happening, so the movement itself carries the viewer across the edit.
For Example:
- Imagine you’re filming yourself stepping off a bus. The wide shot shows you moving toward the exit, and the next clip cuts mid-step to a close-up of your foot touching the pavement in a new city.
- Or picture someone in a café in Italy setting down a cappuccino. You can cut from a wide shot of the table to a close-up of the cup meeting the saucer.
- Another classic travel example is opening a hotel door: cut from a shot of you turning the handle to an inside shot of the door swinging open to reveal the room.
Because the viewer’s attention is locked on the motion itself, they don’t notice the cut — it just feels natural and keeps the video flowing smoothly.
4. L-Cut and J-Cut
Technically the L-Cut and J-Cut are two different cuts, but, they are essentially just the opposite of one another.
When the L-Cut is used the audio from the first clip will continue to play even after the video has switched to the second clip.
On the other hand, when the J-Cut is used, the audio from the second clip starts to play while the first clip’s video is still being played, and then later the video cuts over to the second clip.
In travel videos, these cuts help you carry a conversation or voiceover between scenes, or introduce the sound of waves, traffic, or music before you reveal the shot.
5. Montage
A montage is a sequence of short clips edited together, often to music, to show progress, time, or mood.
Pacing matters. Faster cuts feel energetic, slower cuts feel reflective.
A travel example: imagine a montage of a morning in Lisbon. Alarm off, window view over tiled rooftops, espresso pull at the counter, feet on cobblestones, Tram 28 rattling past, first bite of a pastel de nata, sunlight on the Tagus. Keep most clips around 0.5 to 1.0 seconds, cut on the beat, and end on a slightly longer shot so viewers can breathe.
Tip: if you want to learn more about creating great videos I highly recommend Udemy’s videography courses. They have a wide range of courses for different levels and interests.
The Best Video Editors for Travel Videos (Beginner to Pro)
These are some of the best video editors:
- Movavi Video Editor (Win/Mac): beginner‑friendly, quick to learn, solid basics like trim, split, titles, stabilization, and color tweaks.
- iMovie (Mac/iOS): free on Apple devices, great for simple cuts and L/J‑cuts with detached audio.
- CapCut (Win/Mac): free, fast, good for social formats and auto‑captions.
- DaVinci Resolve (Win/Mac/Linux): powerful and free; pro‑level color correction and audio. Slight learning curve.
- Adobe Premiere Pro (Win/Mac): the industry standard, endless control, subscription-based.
- Final Cut Pro (Mac): fast on Macs, magnetic timeline, one‑time purchase.
Final Travel Video Editing Tips
A quick checklist you can follow every time you edit:
- Hook fast: give viewers a reason to stay in the first 3 to 5 seconds.
- Trim harder than you think: keep only the moments that move the story forward.
- Tell a simple story: beginning, middle, end. Arrival, experience, takeaway.
- Use cut on action for flow; save fancy transitions for rare moments.
- Layer sound: ambient audio under music makes scenes feel real.
- Mind the music license: use royalty‑free tracks or music you have rights to.
- Add B‑roll: hands, signs, plates of food, footsteps, rooftops. B‑roll saves edits.
- Keep titles readable: short, high contrast, on screen for long enough to read twice.
- Color basics: match exposure and white balance between adjacent shots.
- Choose the right format: 16:9 for YouTube, 9:16 for Reels/Stories, TikTok, and Youtube Shorts.
- Export smart: 1080p at 24 or 30 fps is perfect for most platforms.
- Back up your footage: future‑you will thank you.
FAQ: Cutting Travel Videos
What is the easiest way to cut a video as a beginner?
Start with a simple editor like Movavi or iMovie. Create a new timeline, drop in your clips, trim the ends, and arrange them in story order. Add one music track and one title. Done.
How long should a travel video be?
The ideal length depends on the platform:
- YouTube: 3–8 minutes is perfect for most casual travel stories, giving enough time for context and storytelling without losing attention.
- YouTube Shorts: 15–60 seconds, with fast pacing and a clear hook right at the beginning.
- Instagram Reels & TikTok: 10–45 seconds works best, though you can go up to 60–90 seconds if the content is highly engaging.
Tip: You don’t need to film separately for each platform. Shoot in a way that lets you repurpose one video across formats. For example, record in 4K so you can crop a horizontal travel vlog into vertical clips for YouTube Shorts, Reels, or TikTok without losing quality.
How do I avoid choppy edits?
Cut on motion, use L/J‑cuts to smooth audio between scenes, and avoid stacking many different transitions. Consistency is king.
Do I need to shoot in 4K?
No. 1080p looks great and is easier to edit. If your device does good 4K and you have storage, go for it, but it is not required.
How can I make editing easier while filming?
Shoot sequences: wide, medium, close‑up for each scene. Hold each shot for at least 5 seconds. Record 10 seconds of natural sound in every location.
Cutting a Travel Video
With the help of the techniques listed above, you should be much better prepared to cut together your travel video.
Not only do you now know what types of cuts you can use, you also know when to use them to make your story flow.
Learning how to cut a video is easy if you use a straightforward editor like the Movavi Video Editor. It will let you quickly split your video into segments and trim out unwanted parts, then merge clips together to create your final cut.
On top of that, the Movavi Video Editor has other features that can be used to enhance the video quality, add background music, insert captions, include animated transitions, apply special effects, and more.
Do take advantage of those features, as they’ll help you to easily make your travel video look impressive.
Tip: If you are looking for stock photos or video clips to use to enhance your video, check out Depositphotos.com.
Also Read: 5 Simple Tips to Take Better Travel Photos
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