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Alen Tkalčec
@be_mesmerized
Photographer and filmmaker based in Croatia
Since the first article I shared with Nomadict in May 2020, a lot has changed. Or better said, a lot has evolved, starting with my approach to creating a video.
On my first travels, I would shoot everything just to get home and try to get something out of it. Now, I’m spending more time researching a destination, getting some basic ideas of what to show, and while on the trip I even do a rough draft at the end of a day to get a better understanding of what I got and what I still need to get. There are always things you can’t control but if you have a basic plan – you will make it work.
Compared to some time back, I’m also pickier in editing and choosing the clips that make it to the final video. I check everything multiple times to see how it flows with the rest of the video. I spend much more time doing sound design as well, which to me, is one of the most important things for a video. I sometimes get so caught up in it that I forget about the time and forget to eat that day.
"I guess that happens when you love what you do."
The year 2021 has been a very special one where I’ve not only learned a lot and improved my craft but also been able to gather many new adventurous experiences, for personal and professional purposes. I recently finished two TV shows that will soon get their television premiere. One was filmed in my country, Croatia, and another one in Slovenia. As I was a one-man-team producing these TV shows, my learning curve went through the roof. I was responsible for filming the show, I was the drone operator, the sound recorder on the field, the video editor, and doing sound mixing. The last thing was completely new to me. It was a fun process during which I gathered many new skills.
Over the past year as well, one of my videos won a DJI award. I was so surprised when I got an email saying that I won first place. The competition was fierce and I’m so happy that my video made it so far. I postponed everything to fully focus on this video and it looks like it was worth it! Other than that, my film The Real Egypt has won 5 International Tourism film awards in the past 8 months. It’s a big achievement for me since it was in competition with large-budget films and I made this for myself, with no budget at all.
To be completely honest with you, I still have no idea what makes an award-winning video. I always have doubts about all my videos and never think they are good enough. That’s why I was so surprised when I won an award, and still am every time. Maybe being humble is key, and trusting your creativity combined with your knowledge and personal liking. I always try to show something different in my videos, sometimes go to places that aren’t that famous and popular. I think some of the best shots in “My Year 2021” video were made in Ethiopia. Visiting all the tribes, seeing how they live, experiencing their rituals… When trying to make a great video I always aim to show the people too, not just epic locations. That’s what for me makes a video more authentic and touching.
What I love to do when filming a travel video is to go somewhere and wait for something to start happening, and try to document it. Basically, I follow people as they do their everyday thing. We are used to modern things but in some parts of the world, people still live in tribes, work the fields with manual labor, climb the volcanoes to get sulfur… I find all of this really fascinating and I try to show that in my videos.
Then in editing, I try to convey how it felt when I was there, using for example color grading and sound design. I like to play a lot with sound design to get it to a point that video can almost be watched without music and it still works, still has an impact as if you were watching it with sound. Music is an important element and sometimes the hardest part is to find the music that fits perfectly with what I want to show, it can take a lot of time trying, fitting, and finding something else if it doesn’t work.
"For the video that I submitted for the ColorPro Film Contest, I implemented the aspects I mentioned above too and combined some of my favorite clips with sound and a voice-over."
Taking a leap of faith was the theme that spoke to me the most as I found this theme to be the summary of my story. Before being a full-time content creator, I had an office job, filming weddings during weekends and editing the footage in my evenings during the week. I remember feeling stuck, prisoner of a vicious circle, only earning money for basic needs. So, I began slowly working on the side to create something for myself. I started learning about and creating travel videos when I saw Beautiful Destinations films. I analyzed their videos and tried to incorporate what they do into my own. I also watched a lot of Youtube tutorials about editing, sound effects, and filming. And then there is the inevitable element: lots of practice.
My first work was recognized by one person that gave me a chance to go shoot a travel show in China. Right after I got home, I decided this is what I want to do and quit my day job in spite of everyone that said I should keep my job. That was the best decision I ever made, and I never looked back. The security of being employed was never enough for me, and I wanted more from life.
"That was my leap of faith, and as a reward, I could capture all the amazing scenes shown in my video."
I want to inspire others to chase their dreams, and to try something different. I want my videos to give direction and hope to people that are feeling stuck and unhappy. To make them feel empowered to follow their path because they are the only ones who know what’s best for themselves. Give your best to push your boundaries and take that leap of faith!
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