Video Certificate of Achievement

The Video Certificate of Achievement is designed for students who want to produce, create, or edit videos for private, public, or non-profit settings such as gallery display, social media marketing, vlogging, new media storytelling, video editing, and film-making. Video is a multidisciplinary educational experience, and the program emphasizes lecture courses and hands-on studio experience in the photographic and video lab. The certificate focuses on the production and editing of video and moving images. 

Upon completion, students will have a foundation of knowledge to be successful as they transfer to a four-year institution to obtain a bachelor’s degree, join the workforce for entry-level jobs such as a video production assistant, videographer, video editor, or build their continuing education skills in their current career.

Enrollment and completion rates for the certificate of achievement are expected to be ten per year with a potential for annual growth.

Within the extensive photo and video community of Santa Cruz County, Cabrillo College students are employed by local production companies and with independent photographers and videographers. Many students create their own businesses, providing commercial video content for businesses, wedding or event videography, and multimedia for social media content creation marketing. The aesthetic and technical skills gained in art photography classes, particularly composition and design, lighting, the use of visual language, and visual storytelling, help prepare students to enter the video or design industry in Santa Cruz County as well as in the greater Bay Area. This program also serves as a continuing education skill for commercial photographers, designers, educators, or small business owners who want to create video content in their current professions.

Workforce data reflects the need for video workers in the 12-county Bay Region. Employment data for video workers shows there is a labor market projected annual gap of about 822 students in the Bay Region. In the SC-Monterey sub-region specifically, there is an oversupply of 140 students, however, the neighboring Bay Region counties show a projected annual gap of about 822 students and a projection of 10,925 video jobs in 2028. Over the last 12 months there were 1,055 job postings for video occupations in the 12-county Bay area regions. Photographers and social media marketing professionals utilize video in their professions as well as in the occupations of video production. Since this job can be done remotely, there is not is necessity for the employee to live within the demand area.

The Art Photography - Associate in Arts degree covers all major areas in photography and includes approved electives from art history, art studio, digital media, and journalism. Students may also complete a nine-unit art photography option in the Art Studio - Associate in Arts degree , as well as six certificates of achievement.
 
Art Photography has offered 12 to 18 sections per semester from the 24 courses listed in the catalog,  350 students in the fall semester, 450 in the spring, 60 in summer. There is one full-time faculty and eight associate faculty who provide instruction. The labs are staffed by one full-time lab technician and student volunteers. 

There are nine required units in a combination of art photography, art viewing, video editing, and fundamental recording techniques; all in different departments. There is an additional three unit requirement specific to video; 3-4 units of photoshop or digital media; and another 3 units required related to storytelling, language, and/or directing. 

The Video Certificate of Achievement provides students with an educational pathway and foundation in digital photography and video courses for transfer to a four-year institution to obtain a bachelor’s degree, to join the workforce for entry-level jobs such as in commercial photography or videography, or as a continuing education skill for use in a current photography, video, marketing, or design career.

The Art Photography program shares learning goals with the Art History, Art Studio, and Digital Media programs. These goals include principles of art and design, visual communication, visual literacy, and the evolution of visual art processes with technological and cultural developments. Art Photography also participates actively in VAPA’s division-wide Arts Entrepreneurship Initiative

Art Photography is actively investigating new video pathways for students through certificates, articulation, and community partnerships. For example, the department’s Creative Careers-Discovering Self-Directed Pathways certificate pairs course #AP79: Creative Careers-Discovering Self-Directed Pathways with a section of BUS 88: Starting and Operating a New Small Business that is tailored to the VAPA cohort. This is an interdisciplinary effort by 10 departments to address the growing demand for a Cabrillo program that prepares students for success in video and film production careers.

There are no other programs/certificates in our area under that TOP code.