Travel Channel 

These days the internet is saturated with amateur travel videos made by everyday people who have the passion to share their experiences. However, without the proper skills and discipline to produce high quality travel video they will continue to produce low quality videos. That’s where the Travel Channel Academy comes in. In our workshop, we will teach you the skills and techniques to produce the type of high quality video that people want to watch.

We start each morning at 9AM with a lecture on some specific aspect of video making. You then take your gear, go out and produce exactly what we have just talked about. Then we all come back and screen raw footage or cut pieces and critique them. We are going to go step by step in a process that hones your skills.
The first three days run for approximately 10-12 hours each, and the final day runs until approximately 6PM.

At Travel Channel Academy we teach short form production -- that is, to produce pieces that are between 60 seconds and 3 minutes in length.  This is the type of content used to populate online, mobile and partner platforms. We will give you the tools you need to become a one man/woman band producer and editor that does everything him/herself -- shoot, edit, produce, storytell -- the whole enchilada!

No. We welcome participants of all skill levels from those who have never picked up a camera to those who have decades of experience. We will work with you at your individual skill level.

A lot. We get quite a few former film production and/or broadcast journalism majors and the first thing we tell them on day one is, "Forget everything you know or you think you know." We are going to teach you a completely different style of filmmaking-a non-linear, disciplined approach that is intuitive yet revolutionary. Our approach is simple and practical and if you follow it closely, you will be able to produce high-quality travel videos.

There is no admissions process per se, since people of all skill levels age 18 and older are welcome. Simply register, and if there is still room in the course you're in.

If your desired class is full, you will get the option to register for the waitlist online.  If a registered participant cancels and a space opens in the course, people on the waitlist will be contacted in the order that we received their registration. Please note that waitlisted people will only be contacted if/when a space becomes available.

Unfortunately, for liability reasons, no. Please check back with us when you turn 18.

Please call 1-888-688-0080 between the hours of 9:30am - 5:30pm Eastern Time. We accept all major credit cards for payment.

That depends on the course dates and locations.  We have different guest speakers representing a variety of different disciplines at each course to give you a flavor for the various parts of our business.  Past speakers have included the network President, VP of Short Form Production, VP of Content, Executive Producers, Marketing Managers, Directors of Interactive, Chief Creative Officer, etc.  We will also occasionally bring in our external production partners such as the company that produces Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations or producers of our nature series or list shows to meet you and answer questions.

Unfortunately, no.  For legal reasons, we cannot accept verbal, written or video pitches from anyone directly.  All pitches must be submitted through Travel Channel's Producer's Passport.  Please note that this site is ONLY for established production companies and agents pitching long form (i.e. 30+ minutes) television programming.

There really isn't a course that can teach you to be on-air talent since we aren't looking for trained actors.  What we will teach you is how to become proficient communicating through the medium of video and once you know how to do that you can choose to put yourself both behind and in front of the camera (if it makes sense organically in your story).  Keep in mind, however, that Travel Channel is not looking for what we call "hair and teeth" hosts-i.e. beautiful people that show you around a destination "Vanna White-style" without adding any of their own personal point of view or substance.  We are seeking "impassioned insiders" who are experts in a particular aspect of travel-e.g. history, culture, art, fashion, food-to bring viewers inside their world in a fresh, entertaining way that is true to their own personality. 

Upon graduation from the Academy, alumni receive access to the Alumni Hub at www.travelchannelacademy.com, a password-protected area exclusively for Academy graduates, where they have the ability to stay connected with Travel Channel on an ongoing basis.  Within the Alumni Hub, TCA graduates can:

. Upload travel videos produced after the class for review, feedback and potential purchase by the Travel Channel Short Form Production team

. Gain access to invaluable resources such as licensed music, lighting and editing tips and tricks, copies of English and foreign language appearance and location releases, etc.

. Learn about new Travel Channel projects/assignments for Academy graduates

. Join forums with other TCA alumni worldwide to discuss local meet ups, production advice, swap travel tips, etc.

Upon graduation, we encourage you to take your newfound skills and go out and practice shooting and editing as much travel video as you can.  You will then submit your content to us for review and feedback and it is through this ongoing process that we will continue to hone your skills together over time. 

On occasion, when we have a specific need for content, we will also ask alumni to participate in open content calls where we give you editorial guidelines, a deadline, and samples of what we are looking for and will ask you to produce short form videos.  If we like what we see, we may license your video.  If not, consider it good practice. 

Additionally, if you are recognized as being able to deliver high-quality content those skills could open the door to unique opportunities.

Would love to!  Please visit the Alumni Portfolio page to read about what our alumni have been up to since graduation and to watch some of their videos.

If you are thinking about purchasing a camera after the course, we recommend HDV as a minimum.  If you already own a camera and want to submit videos after the course for evaluation and feedback, any camera is fine. For those projects in which we commission specific work, we will require a minimum HDV 1080i standard.

When you sell or license content you have produced to a client your ownership of that content may change.  In some situations, if you agree to a non-exclusive license than you give the licensor the right to display it on their platforms, but you retain the rights to continue selling and distributing that content.  If you agree to a exclusive license, than you typically give up all rights to that video to the licensor.

Since the Academy started in May 2007, we have licensed and commissioned a large number of videos from Academy graduates which have been featured on all of our platforms including travelchannel.com, Travel Channel GO and TV on What's Your Trip?, America's Scariest Halloween Attractions 2 and 3, and Ultimate Spring Break.

Not at this time.

Those who do not wish to pay in full at time of registration are welcome to pay a $500 non-refundable deposit to hold their spot.  Remaining balance will be due two weeks before class begins.

During the course you will need a miniDV or HDV video camera that is FireWire equipped and a Mac laptop with Final Cut Studio or Final Cut Express software.  You will also need headphones, a 2-button mouse (if desired) and tape stock.  If you don't have your own, you can rent equipment from us for an additional fee.

If you bring your own equipment, please make sure that you have checked that everything is working before the course and that your camera is compatible with the editing software you will be using. If you are bringing your own camera and renting a laptop from the Academy then please tell us when you register what type of camera you will be using so we can be sure it will work with our software.

Although equipment purchases are completely up to you and your budget, here are a few of our thoughts on cameras...If you're trying to spend as little as possible on a decent quality HDV camcorder, you can get the Sony HDR-HC7 or HC9 which is similar to what we use in class.  These cameras take great looking pictures and have an audio input jack so you can add a external mic later if you wish. Another camera which other students have liked and has received high praise from the media is the Canon HV20 or the newer HV30.  We cannot stress the importance of good audio enough.  Make sure whatever you purchase allows you to capture good sound.  This can make or break your piece(s).  For slightly more money the SONY A1-U offers HDV recording on tape, great picture and professional audio connections built in.

If you bring your own equipment, please make sure that you have checked that everything is working before the course and that your camera is compatible with the editing software you will be using. If you are bringing your own camera and renting a laptop from the Academy then please tell us when you register what type of camera you will be using so we can be sure it will work with our software.

In order to ensure a streamlined teaching and learning experience, we teach on one type of editing software -- Final Cut Studio. Although there are plenty of great editing options available, we chose Final Cut Studio because it is particularly intuitive. Final Cut Studio or Final Cut Express may be used in class if you are providing your own laptop. After class, you may use whatever editing software you have available (i.e. Mac or PC compatible) to create the videos that will be submitted to Travel Channel for review and feedback.  If you are commissioned to create specific videos for Travel Channel, however, Final Cut Studio or Express will be required.

Actually, the cameras are remarkable machines. They automatically take care of all those things, and while we are here we are pretty much going to leave them in automatic. Even professionals work in automatic mode much of the time now. Cameras auto focus, auto white balance and take care of audio levels all by themselves. These are areas you can delve into later on. But it's a bit like driving school. You can be a pretty good driver without really taking the engine apart. You can if you want, but it's no longer a necessity.  

If you are bringing your own camera, please be sure that you are familiar with operating it and, if you are brining your own laptop, that you have hooked it up successfully in the past and have been able to capture footage. This is particularly important if you have a hard drive camera, as sometimes they can be a little tricky to import from. Please be sure to bring your own tape stock, camera manual, and any cables that came with your camera (e.g. FireWire/iLink, AV, component, composite, USB, power, RCA).

If you are bringing your own Mac laptop double check that you have successfully installed and tested Final Cut Express (HD version 3.5 or newer) or Final Cut Pro (5.14 or higher) and a FireWire port which is used to connect the video camera. The course is very fast paced, and we want to be sure you are able to maximize the time you have with us on happier pursuits rather than troubleshooting equipment problems. Also, please be sure to bring your own headphones and, if desired, a 2-button mouse.

In four days you will acquire the basic toolkit of knowledge necessary to produce short form content for anyone with a need for high-quality videos.  During the course, you will learn to shoot, edit and produce two, one-minute videos.

The best stories to shoot, both while you are here and when you start working, are people stories. They are the most compelling and the easiest to do. Find stories that are highly visual as well. Where things happen before your eyes. Stay away from esoteric essays on broad topics. Think about Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations...(highly visual, driven by a character) vs. a video essay on educational values. Both are important. Which makes better TV?

Yes, they are yours to keep and you will be able to take them home on a USB flash drive.

No, meals are not included. Most days you'll be out in the field during the lunch hour and will have many dining options available to you. 

Of course! You'll need to keep your energy level up and, to that end, frequent noshing is encouraged.  Please bring what you¿d like, but be mindful of eating and drinking around the equipment.

Bring casual, comfortable, weather-appropriate clothes, sunscreen and a hat, if desired.  Most importantly, bring comfortable shoes.  When out on shoots, you will be walking a lot and 9-inch stilettos or leather wing-tips are probably not the best choices.

Upon registration, we will make recommendations in each location based on proximity to the course location. However, you are welcome to stay anywhere you want based on your own individual needs and budget requirements.

That depends on where you end up staying and if there is transportation to and from your hotel and the course.  We try to select course locations that are in large urban areas with many good hotel and shooting options in close proximity so you will not need a car.  If you choose to shoot somewhere that is not reachable by public transportation and/or foot, a car or taxi may be your best option.  If you do choose to rent, keep in mind that parking in large urban areas may be costly and difficult. 

Deposits

. All $500 deposits are non-refundable

Full Payment

. 100% refund given 14 days before the course

. 50% refund given 7-13 days before the course

. No refund given 0-6 days before the course

All refunds are subject to a $5.00 service fee.

Travel Channel reserves the right to cancel an introductory filmmaking course 30-days prior to the course start date due to any unforeseen circumstances that may arise. In the event that a cancellation is necessary, paid participants of the affected course will be transferred to the introductory filmmaking course of their choosing. If non-refundable airfare has been purchased, Travel Channel will refund up to $150 in non-refundable travel expenses provided such expenses can be substantiated with a receipt.

Switching to a different course is allowed up to 14 days before the course for which you are registered. After 14 days, the above refund policy applies.

Enrollees will only be permitted to switch courses once.