Learn more about the top-recommended online video production courses to consider for 2022 and explore how much the programs cost, what they’re best known for, and how they’re offered.
With people watching over a billion hours of content every day on YouTube alone and 54% of consumers wanting to see more video from marketers in the future, understanding how to create a video for your small business is more important than ever. Thankfully the market has heard and there are many options to learn how to become a video production creator through online courses. In this article, we discuss 8 of the top online video production courses available for those with a small to large budget, and for those looking to refine their skills or become professionals.
SkillShare
SkillShare is an online learning community founded in 2010 with thousands of classes for creative and curious people, on topics including illustration, design, photography, video, freelancing, and more. Skillshare is a platform where the educators and the learners are able to connect through an interactive, rather than a lecture format.
There are two pricing options for The Filmmakers Academy:
- Free access—Joining SkillShare is free overall; however many courses are at a premium rate.
- Premium—To access all courses available on SkillShare, there is a monthly fee of $19 or an annual fee of $99.
SkillShare is completely online and can be taken at your own pace. Courses are specialized in design, illustration, business, technology, photo, and writing. This option does not provide a certificate of completion, but one video is approximately 1 hour long.
What is great about SkillShare is that it isn’t limited to video production courses, so you can learn more about Marketing best practices (for example) that can work in tandem with the video course you take.
The Filmmakers Academy
The Filmmakers Academy is a great option for novice or more advanced filmmaking professionals. The company was founded in 2009 and provides courses in cinematography, directing, lighting & grip from industry-leading professionals at your own pace.
There are two pricing options for The Filmmakers Academy:
- Free access—This includes 9 of the top lessons they provide.
- All-access—This is $39 a month, billed annually ($468). As a subscription-based system, it provides unlimited access to 55+ courses & 800+ hours of lessons, among other features.
The Filmmakers Academy has lessons with famous filmmakers, including Shane Hurlbut, ASC, a famous cinematographer of feature films, commercials, and music videos. The course covers topics that are traditionally light on content or difficult to discover. The Academy is great because it provides a career path feature for Cinematography, Directing, Lighting, and more. with mentors that work with you. The Filmmakers Academy is completely online and can be taken at your own pace. This option does not provide a certificate of completion, but one course is roughly eight hours long.
“The Filmmakers Academy is my go-to source for in-depth education related to the video production industry. Specifically, their Intro To Cinematography Workshop is a great resource that covers the concepts, theories, and techniques that are required in the field.” —Brandon Roudebush, Founder & Executive Producer, Pixelab Studios
Sundance Collab Community
The Sundance Collab Community is an offering through the Sundance Institute, an American institute of independent filmmaking. The Sundance Collab Community is an online platform connecting its members together to learn ways to improve filmmaking, whether as a business owner, hobby filmmaker, or professional.
There are two pricing options for the Sundance Collab Community:
- Free option—This option includes most videos on the platform and the monthly challenges.
- Pro option—At a monthly fee ($10/month) or annual ($99/year) you have access to Sundance Advisors and more easily within the pipeline of other overall Sundance Institute offerings.
The Community has a plethora of resources, including past recordings of live events and masterclasses. Every month is a new master class that is participatory and live. The platform also has frequent challenges and events to engage in.
The Sundance Collab Community is completely online and can be taken at your own pace. Offerings are more ad hoc with less of a defined course structure. This option does not provide a certificate of completion, and time varies depending on interest level.
Fulltime Filmmaker
Fulltime Filmmaker is geared more towards beginners and intermediate filmmakers, but even weathered pros who are struggling to land clients or expand their skillsets into new industries can reap the benefits.
There are three pricing options for Fulltime Filmmaker:
- Free sample—This includes Top 10 Secrets to Achieving Cinematic Shots.
- Pay per course—There are options to pay for one course if you are only looking to perfect one aspect of filmmaking. This ranges between $140-$200 each.
- All-access—If you pay $997 upfront, you have access for a lifetime to all the courses they provide. It also includes access to their Facebook Group, discounts on gear, and live Q&As.
This course specializes in featuring courses on specific courses like filmmaking for real estate or wedding video production. However, there are basics of cinematography and other filmmaking components available.
Fulltime Filmmaker is completely online and can be taken at your own pace. This option does not provide a certificate of completion, but one course is roughly five hours long.
“I felt like there is a lot of content [through Fulltime Filmmaker] that many people can learn from that gives a lot for a good value.” —Jacob Perkins, Owner, Hen’s Bread Productions
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Future Learn
Future Learn is an educational platform that has courses in virtually any subject imaginable. This British company was founded in 2012 and offers open-sourced classes, expert-focused classes, microcredentials, and degrees.
There are four pricing options for Future Learn:
- Free—This applies if you decide to take a one-off course on a specific subject. A charge is added if you decide you want a certificate.
- ExpertTrack—These much more in-depth classes are free with a 7-day trial, then cost $39 a month to keep learning, so the faster you finish them, the more money you save.
- Microcredentials—Similar to ExpertTracks, but the courses are focused on more popular skills. There is no free trial and they can cost anywhere from $639 to $1,134, with most of them closer to $1,000.
- Future Learn Unlimited—There is an option for an annual subscription that gives you access to unlimited short courses (including certificates of completion) and costs $279.99. It doesn’t cover ExpertTracks, Microcredentials, or online degrees, however.
- Online Degrees—A consult can help with For Future Learn’s online degrees pricing.
They have many offerings on filmmaking from beginner to intermediate. Depending on the course you choose, it can take an hour or several weeks to complete and some provide a certificate or not. An example is provided by The National Film and Television School which is six weeks long but is taught by educators at a nationally ranked university.
LinkedIn Learning
LinkedIn Learning is an open online course provider. A subsidiary of LinkedIn, it provides video courses in business, technology, and creative, including video production from experts in their particular field. LinkedIn Learning is focused on providing courses that help skill you up for your current career or prepare you for a new one.
There are two pricing options for Future Learn:
- Free—LinkedIn offers a trial period of 30 days to test out courses and all that Premium has to offer.
- LinkedIn Premium—LinkedIn Premium is $39.99 a month or you can receive a 20% if you bill annually. This option allows you to have access to all LinkedIn Learning courses as well as features for your LinkedIn profile making it easier for recruiters to find you.
Courses vary from 30 mins to 18 hours and are on-demand, making it so you can complete at your own pace. Upon completion of the course, you receive a certificate that can be displayed on your LinkedIn profile.
Udemy
Udemy is an online course provider that prides itself on being a global platform, providing courses in over 75 languages. Primarily a provider that focuses on professional-related work, they tailor a lot of their courses to employers seeking to provide professional development to their employees.
There are three pricing options for Udemy:
- Free—There are a select number of courses that are offered for free from Udemy. Course certificates are not always offered in this option.
- Pay per course—There are options to pay for one course if you are only looking to perfect one aspect of filmmaking. This ranges between $13-$200 each.
- Udemy for Business—This option offers unlimited courses for the life of your account. There are several tiers in Business, the smallest being (5-20 users) = $360 per user, per year (plus applicable taxes). Pricing is available for the larger tiers upon request.
Depending on the course, Udemy provides a certificate of completion for paid courses, and courses range from an hour to several hours long. In addition to video production, they provide courses on programming, marketing, data science, and more. This platform is an on-demand completion.
CreatorUp
Founded in 2013, CreatorUp is an online platform for individuals looking to skill up their professional profile or for employers or educators looking to provide remote learning opportunities for their staff and students. They help leading brands and educations that need scalable solutions to meet the modern demands of engaging your audiences with video.
There are two pricing options for CreatorUp:
- Pay per course—There are options to pay for one course if you are only looking to perfect one aspect of filmmaking. This ranges between $10-$250 each.
- Individual—at $25 a month or $150 a year,
- Corporate or School– Employers who decide to use CreatorUp as a professional development tool for their employees can pay $30 a month per user.
Courses on CreatorUp are focused on four different content areas: Storytelling, Production, Promotion & Marketing, and Fundraising. Courses are designed so that students can use their skills on the internet or social media as a business tool.
All courses offer a certificate of completion and time completion range between an hour and 15 hours. All courses are on demand.
Frequently Asked Questions about Video Production Education Programs
I am new to creating a video. Where should I start?
All the courses we have listed have a very basic course available that explains where to start when creating a video for your business. However, to get the juices flowing, check out one of our expert posts here.
In general, experts recommend starting with a basic product video that explains the product or service. From here, it is important to create a testimonial or case study video so that potential customers can hear from other customers as well. Finally, tell the story of your business. Consumers love hearing how you started your business, and are more likely to purchase what you are offering if they are inspired.
Will these online courses provide hands-on experience?
Yes. Most of the courses on this list are interactive versus solely listening. This means that while the videos may be on-demand, you are expected to have all your equipment ready to go while doing the course. This may mean the course itself takes longer than the running time, due to stopping and starting.
Do I need to buy fancy equipment?
This depends on the style of filmmaking you choose to do and the type of video you need for your business. For example, if you are looking to create a short and sweet Facebook Ad, then you can easily create the video on your smartphone for a more guerilla-style tone. However, if you are looking to create a video that is longer and tells a story about your service and product, then you may need to scale up your camera and equipment.
Dive In Today
Creating a video for your small business does not have to be difficult. There are plenty of online courses that make it easy for anyone to learn how to become a scrappy filmmaker. However, if you do not have the time or prefer the help of a professional, check out UpCity’s list of video production agencies.