Which filming course is best for the work I do?

To decide which filming course is best for you, ask yourself the following questions:

1. Am I primarily creating social media content?
2. Will I mostly be filming interviews?
3. Do I need to plan a video production project from start to finish?
4. Is my main objective to get the best from my DSLR?
5. Do I just want to spend a day learning professional camera skills?

Once you have answers to these five questions you are ready to start looking.

A Google or AI search will throw up a lot of options. Here are some pointers to help you decide:

Online tutorials

There are plenty of online tutorials. Some are free and some you have to pay for. These can be enough if you only want to learn a specific task like simple video editing. If you want to expand your skills further you may want to consider a professional training course such as the following:

Filming with a Smartphone: shoot professional quality content on your smartphone

9.5/10 from 387 reviews

If you are creating social media content, consider this course. You don't need any previous filming or editing experience to do this course. You'll learn what kit you need and how to plan your shoot, how to control exposure and focus, how to record clean audio with an external microphone, how to use both natural light and three-point lighting effectively, and learn how to compose and shoot professional-looking interviews.

Filming and Editing Interviews: Plan, shoot and edit professional video interviews

9.7/10 from 272 reviews

If you are primarily shooting interviews you should consider this course. You will learn how to set up your camera, how to frame and light your subject for a polished on-screen result, how to record clean audio, how to direct your subject for a confident on-camera performance, and how to edit your interview in Adobe Premiere Pro.

Video Production and Editing: plan, shoot and edit a complete video.

9.8/10 from 180 reviews

If you want to create a video production from concept to finished project, this is the course for you. You will cover planning and release forms, shot types, framing and composition, working with natural light, how to prepare and shoot a professional interview on location, and how to import, edit, add audio and export your footage using Adobe Premiere Pro.

Shooting Video with a DSLR: shoot and edit professional video on your DSLR

9.8/10 from 258 reviews

If you want to get the best from your DSLR you should consider this course. You will learn how to set up your camera, how to control exposure, aperture, ISO and white balance, how to frame and compose shots, how to set up lighting and record clean audio and how to import, edit and export your footage using Adobe Premiere Pro.

Digital Video Camera Techniques: a practical course on how to use your digital camera.

9.7/10 from 247 reviews

If you just want to master video camera techniques this is the course for you. You'll cover the technical theory behind video definition, frame rates and bit rates, how to manually control exposure, aperture, shutter speed and ISO, how to frame and compose shots effectively, how to set up three-point and natural lighting, and how to record clean audio.

Questions people ask

Do I need to do all these filming courses?

No. Choose the course that most closely matches your needs and start with that. You can of course do others if you think you need to but the secret is to do the course, embed those skills and see if you need to build on that. There’s no rush.

What other skills might prove useful?

You might want to consider learning Premiere: Introduction. This is used on some of the above courses but you might want to take this further. You may also want to consider After Effects: Introduction if you want to build motion graphics and post production skills.