Why’d you want to take The Big Video Course?

To improve both my technical and storytelling skills.

While I have a background in photography, I had almost no video experience and was overwhelmed by the learning curve. I didn't know what I didn't know, so I wanted a structured learning environment where I could receive feedback.

How were you learning video in the past?

I was learning from random YouTube videos or articles. It mostly felt overwhelming and unstructured, and I didn't know where to start.

What's the course like?

It’s packed full of information and helpful tips in a format that is easily digestible and that lets you see inside the whole process of videomaking.

You start off with the basics — developing a shot list, crafting compelling shots, thinking through a plan and a sequence — and then move on to video editing. I found it to be super helpful in tackling a complex process.

What was most valuable about the course?

I liked seeing the process of shot planning and then how it was implemented in the field. It gave me new ideas for how to frame a shot and how to plan out a shoot day, so that I wasn't totally panicking when I was filming.

And the editing portions were crucial. The shortcuts and tips offered made editing so much faster and more intuitive than I was expecting.

What was least valuable?

The lessons showing various lighting setups and the green screen videos. I'm just simply not at the point where I'll be investing in whole lighting systems yet. But it's something I will probably return to once I want to level up.

How easy was the course to follow?

Learning from the course was exponentially easier than learning on my own. My friend who is a filmmaker actually commented the other day that "your learning curve seems really steep" after we chatted about what I had learned in the course and I showed him some clips.

What results did you get from this course?

Skills: How to plan and execute a shoot, edit a sequence and troubleshoot in Premiere, and some basics of audio recording and lighting.

Projects: Currently started a four-video series with refugee filmmakers.

Confidence: 100% improved.

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