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Outdoor Filmmaking Certificate

Faculty of Fine & Applied Arts School of Motion Picture Arts

Credential
Certificate

Duration
1 year(s)

Program Highlights

The Outdoor Filmmaking Certificate at CapU is offered exclusively in Squamish and allows you to combine your love of the outdoors with creating stunning, impactful films.

Surrounded by staggering natural beauty in every direction, the Squamish area has long been a home to world-renowned outdoor filmmakers and a hub for adventure film production.

This 42-credit certificate program can be completed in three terms and offers the rare opportunity to combine hands-on technical filmmaking training with a commitment to conservation and outdoor safety.

The program's outdoor filmmaking courses focus on various production approaches while taking additional classes to provide a broader understanding of the industry. Students are provided with a selection of classes in tourism management, outdoor recreation management and communications.

To broaden your certificate, you’ll also receive training in environmental stewardship, business writing for films, wilderness travel and risk management in tourism and outdoor recreation.

You'll take courses in documentary production, sound recording, storytelling, directing, lighting and camera work and post-production. This film production certificate will enable you to develop your skills in camera operation, effective research strategies across many subject areas and crafting compelling stories.

You’ll also benefit from industry-expert sessions, where experienced outdoor and environmental filmmakers share their expertise in guest lectures and workshops. 

Whether you dream of creating eco-documentaries, filming adventure sports, or working in sustainable media production, the Outdoor Filmmaking Certificate equips you with the expertise to bring your vision to life.

Contact us today to find out more.

  • Produce and direct a specialized non-fiction production through the execution of a short subject film, addressing story structure, funding, planning, writing, and pitching.
  • Apply technical skills in the operation of camera, lighting, sound, and post-production systems, with specific attention to the requirements of outdoor and natural settings.
  • Employ effective research strategies across diverse subject areas, including history, politics, culture, and performing arts, to inform and enhance documentary storytelling.
  • Collaborate as a professional member of a creative and technical team, adhering to industry standards and demonstrating environmental responsibility and sustainable practices in production.
  • Create compelling visual narratives that engage audiences on themes such as environmental conservation, outdoor exploration, and cultural heritage, while evaluating the impact of these stories and adapting techniques to enhance their effectiveness.
  • Apply safety and risk management principles to identify, assess, and mitigate potential hazards in outdoor environments.

Admission Requirements

English language requirements

English is the language of instruction at CapU. All applicants are required to demonstrate competence in the English language prior to admission.

If English is not your first language or you’ve received your education in a language other than English, you must meet our English Language Requirements.

Basic requirements

  • High school graduation
  • A minimum grade point average of 2.0 (60%) calculated on English Studies 12 or English 12 or English First Peoples 12 and two academic Grade 12 courses

Program-specific requirements

  • Video of Intent

Additional information

  • Students will record and submit for review a video response to a questionnaire provided by the department. Contact the department for more information on submission guidelines.

Program Requirements

First Term

Total credits: 15.25

Required:
DOCS 101Documentary Equipment Field Use1.50 credits
DOCS 102Documentary Production I6.00 credits
DOCS 103Sound Recording for Documentary0.75 credits
DOCS 106Documentary Story Part I1.50 credits
DOCS 107Documentary Audio and Video Post-Production: Foundation1.50 credits
DOCS 109Directing the Documentary, Part I1.00 credits
REC 152Environmental Stewardship I3.00 credits

 

Second Term

Total credits: 14.50

Required:
DOCS 108Documentary Studies3.00 credits
DOCS 124Advanced Lighting and Camera1.00 credits
DOCS 126Documentary Story Part II1.50 credits
DOCS 131Documentary Producing3.00 credits
REC 148Introduction to Wilderness Travel3.00 credits
TOUR 208Risk Management for Tourism and Outdoor Recreation3.00 credits

 

Third Term

Total credits: 12.25

Required:
CMNS 131Business Writing for Documentary3.00 credits
DOCS 108Documentary Studiescont’d
DOCS 122Documentary Production II6.00 credits
DOCS 129Directing the Documentary, Part II1.00 credits
DOCS 133Sound Design for Documentary0.75 credits
DOCS 147Documentary Audio and Video Post-Production: Advanced1.50 credits

 

Total program credits: 42.00

Contact

Have questions about this program?

School of Motion Picture Arts


604 990 7868
Bosa Centre for Film and Animation
film@capilanou.ca

Student Information Services


604 984 4900
604 984 1798 (fax)
Library Building, room LB152
registration@capilanou.ca