Onboard Video Recording Course
This course gives you the essential tools to record life at sea and create strong video content. You will learn everything from the fundamentals of cinematography to editing techniques adapted to the demanding environment of a boat, mastering your equipment, visual narrative and the strategies that help you connect with your audience, so that you can turn experiences on board into compelling audiovisual stories.
Prior knowledge check
These are the skills this program gives you. Tick the ones you already master and we will tell you which part of the syllabus is for you.
You are starting from scratch in this subject. The program is designed precisely for that.
What is the Onboard Video Recording Course?
This short course is about filming well, and safely, on a moving vessel. You will study the different kinds of onboard video, from documentary, promotional and tourism pieces to technical and training content, the conditions that make the sea a difficult set, such as motion, wind, humidity, reflections, salt, noise and tight spaces, and the basics of audiovisual language. You will then choose and protect your equipment, set up your camera, stabilize your shots, record usable sound on deck and below, frame and move the camera in nautical spaces, and coordinate the shoot with the skipper and crew.
What sets this course apart: practical guidance on gimbals, in-camera stabilization and body technique on a rolling deck; sound recording in wind and engine noise; filming maneuvers, berthing, anchoring, hoisting sail, fishing and technical operations; exposure control with harsh light, water reflections and fast changes in brightness; a full module on personal safety, risk management, drones and fixed mounts, privacy and restricted areas; and an applied project that takes a piece from script and shot list to color correction, sound mix, subtitles and final export.
Program highlights
- The marine set: motion, wind, humidity, reflections, salt, noise and limited space.
- Equipment and protection: cameras, action cams, gimbals, microphones and splash-proof kit.
- Camera and stabilization: resolution, frame rate, shutter, ISO, white balance and gimbal work.
- Filming on board: deck, bridge, engine room, maneuvers, berthing, anchoring and sails.
- Safety and coordination: risks on deck, working with the crew, drones, privacy and restricted areas.
- Applied project: script, shot list, recording, editing, color, sound mix and export.
Syllabus of the Onboard Video Recording Course
5 modules. Select a module to see its content.
Foundations of onboard video recording, maritime narrative and visual planning on vessels
- 1.1. What onboard video recording is and how documentary, promotional, tourism, technical and training content differ
- 1.2. Characteristics of the maritime environment: motion, wind, humidity, reflections, salinity, noise and limited space
- 1.3. Basic principles of audiovisual language: shot, framing, sequence, continuity, rhythm and point of view
- 1.4. Types of onboard content: walk-throughs, maneuvers, crew life, navigation, interviews, operations and travel experiences
- 1.5. Advance planning of shots, technical script, shot list, permissions, safety and communication goals
Recording equipment, stabilization, sound and technical protection in the marine environment
- 2.1. Cameras, smartphones, action cams, drones, gimbals, tripods, mounts, microphones and useful accessories for filming on board
- 2.2. Protecting equipment against salt, humidity, rain, knocks, vibration, condensation and spray
- 2.3. Camera settings: resolution, frame rate, shutter speed, ISO, white balance, focus and color profiles
- 2.4. Image stabilization on moving vessels using gimbals, in-camera stabilization, mounts and body technique
- 2.5. Recording sound on deck, indoors, in interviews and in areas with wind or engine noise
Capture techniques, composition and camera movement in nautical spaces
- 3.1. Visual composition on deck and in the cockpit, bridge, engine room, cabins, outside areas and confined spaces
- 3.2. Shots of navigation, the sea, the coast, maneuvers, sails, engines, instruments, crew and technical details of the boat
- 3.3. Camera movements: pans, tracking shots, follow shots, point-of-view shots, stabilized takes and action cam techniques
- 3.4. Filming maneuvers, berthing, anchoring, hoisting sail, fishing, technical operations and activities on board
- 3.5. Exposure control with strong light, water reflections, backlight, sunrises, sunsets and rapid changes in lighting
Safety, shoot coordination and responsible filming under way
- 4.1. Fundamentals of personal safety while filming on deck, in passageways, on ladders, near edges, in wet areas and in technical spaces
- 4.2. Coordinating with the skipper, crew, passengers, operators and technical staff before and during filming
- 4.3. Managing risks from boat motion, waves, wind, maneuvers, lines, equipment, machinery and poor visibility
- 4.4. Filming with drones, external cameras, fixed mounts and moving devices according to safety criteria and permissions
- 4.5. Protecting privacy, people's image, restricted areas, sensitive information and the vessel's internal rules
Applied onboard video recording project
- 5.1. Defining the project: a passage, maneuver, technical visit, tourism experience, life on board, vessel operation or promotional piece
- 5.2. Preparing the audiovisual script, shot list, equipment plan, permissions, safety and shoot logistics
- 5.3. Recording sequences applying composition, stabilization, sound, light control and maritime narrative
- 5.4. Organizing the material, selecting clips and editing a coherent piece with a clearly defined purpose
- 5.5. Post-production, color correction, sound mixing, subtitles, graphics and final export
Duration and format of the Onboard Video Recording Course
It is 300 hours. Tell us how many you can study each week and we will tell you when you will really finish.
This is the pace at which most students finish. It fits well with the installment plan.
Academic leadership and faculty
The Navalis teaching team: working professionals who teach and supervise the programs.
Dr. Marina AlcoverAcademic Director and Head of Quality Assurance
Eng. Diego CifuentesSenior Lecturer in Naval Welding and Non-Destructive Testing; Head of QA/QC for Welded Joints
Capt. Javier Abaroa (MCA)Senior Lecturer in Ship Handling, Electronic Navigation (ECDIS/Radar/ARPA) and GMDSS; STCW Compliance and Bridge Resource Management Coordinator
Dr. Pau FerrerSenior Lecturer in Naval Architecture and Simulation; Director of the Hydrodynamics and CFD Laboratory
Dr. Nuria LlobregatSenior Lecturer in Marine Meteorology, SAR and Operational Safety; Navigation Risk Management Coordinator
Eng. Javier BañulsSenior Lecturer in Electrical Engineering, Automation and ETO Engineering; Electronic Integration and Engine Alarms Coordinator
Eng. Sofía MarquinaSenior Lecturer in Materials, Composites and Corrosion Protection; Coordinator of the Advanced Paints and Coatings Line
Eng. Tomás RieraSenior Lecturer in Propulsion, Alternative Energy and Hybrid Systems; Energy Performance and Vibration CoordinatorObjectives of the Onboard Video Recording Course
Career opportunities after the Onboard Video Recording Course
Questions about the Onboard Video Recording Course
It depends on the project: documenting a passage or life on board, promoting a nautical experience, recording maneuvers and technical operations, or producing training material. The course covers documentary, promotional, tourism, technical and training content.
A full part of the course is devoted to stabilization, combining gimbals, in-camera stabilization, fixed mounts and body technique with camera settings suited to motion and changing light.
Yes. You will learn how to choose and position microphones and techniques for recording on deck, indoors and in interviews, so that wind and engine noise do not ruin your material.
Yes. One module deals with personal safety on deck and in technical spaces, coordination with the skipper and crew, the risks of motion, lines and machinery, and respect for privacy and restricted areas.
Drones are treated as one of the cameras you may use on board, with safety criteria and the need for permissions. The course does not teach drone piloting or award any pilot qualification.
The course is designed with life on board in mind: materials are downloadable and the practical examples apply to any vessel, so you can keep studying when connectivity is limited.
Fully online, with materials available 24/7 and practical exercises so you can study at your own pace and practice on your own boat or on any vessel you have access to.
Through practical exercises in each module and an applied project in which you script, plan, record, edit and export a complete onboard video with a clearly defined purpose.
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Admission process
No waiting for a call back. If your documents are in order, you can enroll in the same session.
- Profile: aimed at merchant seafarers and cruise staff, engineers and technicians on board, marine researchers, safety and HSEQ officers, and sailing enthusiasts and maritime travelers; some experience of recording or editing video, or training in audiovisual production, is recommended, together with basic familiarity with editing software and maritime safety.
- Language: sufficient command of English to follow the classes and the technical documentation.
- Technical resources: a computer with a stable internet connection and video editing software, a camera or smartphone that records video and, ideally, a gimbal or tripod and an external microphone.
- Admission: online application, review of your profile and a short interview with the academic team.
- 01ApplicationYour details, background and documents.
- 02Instant reviewWe check that everything is complete and in order.
- 03EnrollmentChoose full payment or instalments and reserve your place.
Admission is provisional until the committee validates the documents provided. If you do not meet the requirements, the full amount is refunded.
Ask us before you enroll
Leave your details and admissions will write to you to answer any questions. If you are already sure, you can apply and pay in the same session.