Travel videography is a popular and exciting form of visual storytelling that captures the essence and beauty of different places around the world.
Whether you are an aspiring travel videographer or an experienced professional, it’s always important to keep learning and improving your skills.
With the advent of online courses, it is now easier than ever to get access to high-quality instruction and guidance.
In this article, we have compiled a list of the 5 best travel videography courses, both free and paid, to help you find the right course that suits your needs and budget.
1. Udemy: Travel Videography: Start Making Amazing Videos
This online course, “Travel Videography: Start Making Amazing Videos” by instructor Mario Guimarey, provides everything students need to start creating incredible travel videos and vlogs.
With over 20 years of experience travelling the world and filming his adventures, Mario has gained valuable insights and learned from his mistakes. In this course, he shares his workflow, tips on gear and trip preparation, as well as advice on composition, kinds of shots, and editing.
This one-hour course includes one downloadable resource, full lifetime access, and a certificate of completion upon finishing. It is designed for aspiring travel videographers, travel vloggers, and bloggers who want to improve their skills and create stunning videos.
At a cost of $34.99, students will have access to Mario’s expertise and insights that he has gained over the years, and will learn how to avoid common mistakes in order to start making travel videos with confidence.
Highlights:
- Learn travel videography, travel planning, and videography skills from an experienced instructor with a 4.3 instructor rating
- Access to one hour of on-demand video, one downloadable resource, full lifetime access, and a certificate of completion
- Discover how to prepare for trips, shoot and edit videos, and improve composition and kinds of shots
- Suitable for travel videographers, travel vloggers, and bloggers of all skill levels
2. Skillshare: How to Make Exciting Travel Videos: Travel Filmmaking for Beginners
If you’re someone who wants to learn how to create engaging and exciting travel videos, then “How to Make Exciting Travel Videos: Travel Filmmaking for Beginners” course is perfect for you. This course is designed to provide students with foundational tools to become confident in planning, filming, and editing their next travel video.
The course is taught by Randy Alan, a video creator with over 12 years of experience in video production. Randy is both college-educated and self-taught, with a love for learning, creating, and sharing his knowledge.
This class is perfect for beginners and teaches the foundation in three phases. First, students will learn how to lay the groundwork before the trip, including what type of video to make and what kind of camera(s) to bring.
Second, students will learn how to build the story, including what to tell the audience and what camera techniques to use.
Finally, students will learn how to convey the story through editing, including how to sort through all the footage, what’s the best way to edit, and some powerful editing techniques that will boost the quality of the video.
The course is not focused on technical know-how, and all that is needed is access to a computer with basic editing software and a camera that you know how to use. After completing the course, students will have the blueprint they can take with them on their next trip and the practical skills to practice and implement immediately.
The course costs $32 a month to use on Skillshare.
Highlights:
- Designed for beginners
- Taught by an experienced video creator
- Covers the foundation of travel filmmaking in three phases
- Students will learn how to lay the groundwork, build the story, and convey it through editing
- No technical know-how is required; all you need is a computer with basic editing software and a camera that you know how to use
- Practical skills to practice and implement immediately
3. Skillshare: Travel Videography: What Gear You’ll Need!
In this Skillshare course taught by travel video experts Kristen Sarah and Nadine Sykora, students will learn about the gear needed to master travel video and build the ultimate travel vlogging kit.
The course covers camera bodies ranging from smartphones to GoPros to mirrorless cameras, the different types of lenses needed for various effects and overall storytelling, the importance of having good audio for clear communication with your audience, and how a drone can take your videos to the next level when flown legally.
Additionally, students will learn about the various camera accessories that can transform their entire video-making process, when to use tripods and stabilizers, and how to elevate their storytelling with the right rig.
While having the best gear is important, the instructors emphasize that skills and creativity are far more crucial to the quality of one’s work. Kristen Sarah and Nadine Sykora are well-known YouTubers, content creators, travel videographers, and savvy businesswomen with millions of followers across their social media accounts.
They have been full-time content creators for almost a decade and have extensive experience partnering with top international brands and tourism boards.
The course costs $32 a month to use on Skillshare.
Highlights:
- Taught by travel video experts Kristen Sarah and Nadine Sykora
- Covers the gear needed to master travel video and build the ultimate travel vlogging kit
- Emphasizes the importance of skills and creativity over having the best gear
- Encourages students to be more descriptive about how gear would improve their work
- Includes a hands-on class project to assess current gear and dream gear
4. Jason Vong: Free Travel Filmmaking Course
This free course on travel filmmaking is taught by Jason Vong, a visual storyteller, and YouTube content creator based out of Los Angeles, CA.
Jason is an experienced wedding filmmaker, travel enthusiast, and YouTube content creator.
With an audience of over 300,000 followers, Jason and his managing partner, Vivienne, combine their years of filmmaking skills and love for photography to produce content featuring incredible visuals taken from their inspirations in travelling.
In this four-part course, Jason teaches students everything they need to know to create an epic travel film, from the recommended cameras, lenses, and accessories to use for creating travel films to unlocking the powerful features of Sony cameras and mastering their fast and precise autofocusing system.
The course also covers the best cinematic settings for your cameras and goes over tips and tricks on how to master the gimbal to produce cinematic videos.
With an aim to inspire future photographers and filmmakers by educating professionals and enthusiasts alike on how to unlock the full hybrid capabilities of their cameras, this course is perfect for anyone looking to take their travel filmmaking skills to the next level.
The best part is that this course is completely free, making it accessible to anyone interested in improving their travel filmmaking skills.
Highlights:
- Taught by Jason Vong, a visual storyteller and experienced wedding filmmaker
- Covers everything you need to know to create an epic travel film, including recommended cameras, lenses, and accessories, unlocking the powerful features of Sony cameras, mastering their fast and precise autofocusing system, the best cinematic settings for your cameras, and tips and tricks on how to master the gimbal to produce cinematic videos
- Perfect for anyone looking to take their travel filmmaking skills to the next level
- Completely free, making it accessible to anyone interested in improving their travel filmmaking skills
5. Karl Watson: How To Create Epic Travel Videos From Scratch
Karl Watson, a freelance video editor based in London and a creator of award-winning feature-length travel documentaries on his YouTube channel, offers an in-depth Masterclass on creating epic travel videos from scratch.
This course is ideal for those looking to launch an engaging travel YouTube channel or for anyone who feels stuck and in need of inspiration and direction in their video creation.
With over 12 years of experience in the media industry and having turned his hobby and professional work into one, Karl offers practical and engaging guidance on the fundamentals of creating epic travel videos, including honest and fun depictions of life on the road, transforming average videos to epic, and tips on video editing.
The course comprises nine chapters, 22 video lessons and a total of five and a half hours of engaging video lessons. The course is self-paced, allowing students to dip in and out depending on their schedule.
The course is priced at £415 GBP.
Highlights:
- Ideal for those looking to launch an engaging travel YouTube channel or for anyone in need of inspiration and direction in their video creation
- Taught by Karl Watson, a freelance video editor and creator of award-winning feature-length travel documentaries on his YouTube channel
- Practical and engaging guidance on the fundamentals of creating epic travel videos, including honest and fun depictions of life on the road, transforming average videos to epic, and tips on video editing
- Comprises nine chapters, 22 video lessons and a total of five and a half hours of engaging video lessons
- Self-paced course, allowing students to dip in and out depending on their schedule
Final Thoughts
Travel videography is a rewarding and creative field that offers a lot of opportunities for growth and learning.
With the right training and instruction, you can improve your skills and create stunning and impactful videos that capture the essence and beauty of different places around the world.
The five best travel videography courses we have discussed in this article offer a range of options for both free and paid courses that cater to different skill levels and budgets.
Whether you are just starting out or looking to take your skills to the next level, these courses are a great way to get started on your journey toward becoming a successful travel videographer.
