Skip to content

Studies & Degrees in Video

Video as a subject covers the making of moving images: planning and scripting, camera and lighting, sound recording, editing and post-production, and delivery for cinema, television, companies or online platforms. Schools teach it under several names, such as video production, film and television production, cinematography, digital media or audiovisual communication. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) sums up the core craft when it describes film and video editors and camera operators as people who manipulate moving images that entertain or inform an audience.

Courses are practical. Students shoot and edit their own projects, work in crews and finish with a portfolio or showreel. At London Metropolitan University, for example, students of the Film and Television Production BA (Hons) make short fiction films, documentaries and multi-camera television studio productions, as well as newer formats such as virtual production and online and interactive content. A post-production module introduces editing software such as Adobe Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve. Theory is part of most degrees too: film history, analysis and the workings of the media industry.

Qualifications and levels

  • Bachelor's degrees. University degrees in film and television production, such as the BA (Hons) at London Metropolitan University, combine practice with film studies. In Spain the related bachelor's degree (grado), usually called Comunicación Audiovisual, has 240 ECTS credits. In Mexico, CINEMA - Escuela de Cinematografía y Medios Audiovisuales in Puebla teaches a Licenciatura en Cinematografía y Medios Audiovisuales of 8 semesters, for which it publishes its official state recognition number (RVOE).
  • Two-year degrees and certificates in the United States. Community colleges teach video in shorter programmes. The Department of Cinematic Arts of the Community College of Aurora, in Colorado, offers associate of applied science (AAS) degrees and certificates in areas such as cinematography and videography, post-production, screenwriting and directing.
  • Vocational training in Spain. The image and sound family of vocational training (FP) includes the intermediate title Técnico en Vídeo Disc-Jockey y Sonido and several higher titles, among them Realización de Proyectos Audiovisuales y Espectáculos, Producción de Audiovisuales y Espectáculos, and Iluminación, Captación y Tratamiento de Imagen. Each of the two titles detailed here has 2,000 hours. The higher title in Realización leads to jobs such as assistant video director, assistant television director, film editor and video editor.
  • Master's degrees. Official master's degrees in Spain have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. CINEMA in Puebla also offers a Maestría en Cinematografía.
  • Short courses. Film schools and adult education centres run workshops in camera, editing or documentary. Ask the school what recognition the qualification has.

Where to study

SpainExchange lists 11 active schools for video: six in the United States, two in the United Kingdom, two in Mexico and one in Denmark. The US schools include The Pennsylvania State University, Butler University, Bellevue College, the Community College of Aurora and CT State Naugatuck Valley. In the United Kingdom the list has London Metropolitan University and the University of Sunderland. The two Mexican schools, CINEMA - Escuela de Cinematografía y Medios Audiovisuales and CINEARTE, are in Puebla, and International People's College is a folk high school in Helsingør, Denmark.

The US, UK and Danish schools teach in English, and the Mexican schools in Spanish. Applicants should check whether a portfolio, a showreel or an interview is part of admission, and which equipment and studios students can use, since access to cameras and editing suites is a large part of what a video course offers.

Careers

Graduates work as camera operators, video editors, assistant directors, producers and directors, sound and lighting technicians, and as video producers for companies, agencies and online media. CINEMA describes its programmes as covering directing, cinematography, editing and sound.

According to the BLS, film and video editors and camera operators typically need a bachelor's degree in a field related to film or broadcasting. It projects that their employment in the United States will grow 3 percent from 2025 to 2035, about as fast as the average for all occupations, with about 5,600 openings a year. Employment of producers and directors is projected to grow 4 percent over the same period. The BLS adds that producers and directors typically need several years of experience on set before they reach those roles.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between studying video and studying film?

The skills overlap: camera, sound, editing and storytelling. Programmes named film or cinematography focus more on fiction and documentary for cinema, while video and television production courses also cover studio television, corporate video and online content.

Do I need a degree to work in video production?

The BLS states that film and video editors and camera operators typically need a bachelor's degree in a field related to film or broadcasting. Shorter routes exist, such as two-year degrees and certificates at US community colleges and vocational training (FP) in Spain.

Which Spanish vocational qualifications cover video?

Those of the image and sound family. Examples are the intermediate title Técnico en Vídeo Disc-Jockey y Sonido and the higher title Técnico Superior en Realización de Proyectos Audiovisuales y Espectáculos, each of 2,000 hours.

Can I study video in Spanish outside Spain?

Yes. In Puebla, Mexico, CINEMA teaches a Licenciatura en Cinematografía y Medios Audiovisuales of 8 semesters and a Maestría en Cinematografía.