How-to · beginner · 3 min read

How to vlog properly

Shoot for the edit. Short talking clips, a wide of where you are, a close detail, a moving shot to the next place. Film 15 to 25 minutes for a 60 second vlog.

By Sulan Zhang, co-founder of Vyra · Updated 2026-09-24 · Example: @sulansart

Level: beginner
Read time: 3 min

Vlogging properly means shooting for the edit. Instead of one long take, I grab short pieces. A line to camera when something happens, a wide of where I am, a close detail of what I'm doing, and a moving shot to the next place. Audio close to my mouth. Film 3 to 5 times more than I need, then cut it down to one throughline. A good 60 second vlog comes from 15 to 25 minutes of footage.

Why it matters

Raw vlog footage is the hardest thing to edit because nothing was planned.

The method

Decide the throughline before you leave. One sentence. "I'm trying to finish this commission before the gallery pickup." Every clip serves that or gets cut.
Shoot the checklist at each location. Wide, medium of you doing the thing, close detail, one moving shot in or out.
Talk to camera in short bursts. 5 to 15 seconds, one thought each. Narrate the turns, not everything.
Capture transitions on purpose. A door, a threshold, putting the phone down, a whip pan.
Audio close. Arm's length or closer for talking. A clip-on mic in wind or crowds.
Film the ending while it happens. The finished thing, the reaction. You can't fake it later.
Edit to the throughline. Open mid-action, hit 3 to 5 turns, end on the payoff.

Rules of thumb

Element	Target
Talking clip	5 to 15 s
Clips per location	4 minimum
Shooting ratio	15 to 25 min per 60 s
Locations in 60 s	3 to 5
Music	one bed, 6 to 10 dB under speech
Shot length in edit	2 to 5 s, longer for the payoff
Orientation	vertical, decided before the day starts

Examples

Studio day, 60 seconds.

Do it in Vyra

"This is a day-in-the-studio vlog. Cut it to 60 seconds, vertical. Open on the strongest action shot, keep my talking-to-camera clips as the spine, use the wide and detail shots as b-roll between them, and end on the finished painting. One music bed, ducked under speech. Phrase captions on all speech."
"Find every clip where I walk through a door or put the phone down and use them as transitions between locations."
"Match the pacing and structure of the reference vlog I attached: music-led, location hopping, feel-good. Use my footage from today."

Common mistakes

One 20 minute take. Nothing to cut to.
Narrating everything.
No wide shot, so nobody knows where you are.
Ending with "anyway, that's it, bye."

FAQ

How long should a vlog be? Short-form, 45 to 90 seconds. YouTube, 8 to 15 minutes if enough actually happened.

Do I have to talk to camera? No. A silent vlog with captions and music works, especially for travel and process.

/how-to/shoot-b-roll
/how-to/record-clean-audio
/how-to/structure-a-storytelling-video
/formats/vlog