Introduction to Video for Photographers (Sep 16-Dec 9)

Dates: September 16 - December 9, 2025 (no class on November 11, 18, and 25)

Meetings: Tuesdays, 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM CST (10 sessions)

Location: Houston Center for Photography

Cost: $790 Tuition + $30 Materials (HCP members can receive a 10% discount)

Instructor: Stephan Hillerbrand

Skill Level: Open to All Levels

Special Benefit: 8-hour Lighting Studio + 12-hour Digital Lab credit (worth $360)

This 10-week course introduces still photographers to the fundamentals of video by translating their photographic instincts into time-based storytelling. Through the lens of personal and family histories, students will learn how to shoot interviews, capture meaningful b-roll, integrate archival photos, and shape narrative using editing, sound, and color. Emphasizing how familiar photographic tools—cameras, framing, natural light—can be extended into motion and audio, the course offers a supportive introduction to key concepts in video production. Topics include video and sound capture, lighting, storytelling, editing with Adobe Premiere, and basic approaches to distributing work. Designed as a foundational experience, the course prepares participants for more advanced video practices by combining lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on guided practice culminating in a 2–3 minute personal video project.

Objectives:

• Learn to shoot stable, well-composed video using DSLR, mirrorless, or mobile devices

• Conduct and film effective video interviews using natural and practical light

• Capture supporting b-roll footage that adds context and visual emotion

• Record ambient sound and sync external audio to video footage

• Import, organize, and edit footage using non-linear editing software

• Integrate archival photographs into video timelines using animation and transitions

• Layer sound design (voice, ambient, Foley, music) to enrich narrative tone

• Apply basic color correction and grading for emotional consistency

• Create and present a cohesive short video that tells a personal or family-based story
  

Prerequisites: 

Photography I or being comfortable using your DSLR or mirrorless camera in Manual mode.

Course Prep:

This course is designed for photographers with little to no prior video experience. We’ll build from what you already know—composition, light, and instinct—and apply it to storytelling in motion. Please ensure you have access to a video-capable camera, video editing software and a story and material you would like to focus on.