Kolder Creative Review: Is It Worth It? (2024)

If you’re interested in becoming a top-tier filmmaker, travel influencer, or video editor — the Kolder Creative course claims to be one of the best training programs on the market. 

But does it actually live up to the hype?

Our research team spent hours dissecting the course to find out. 

And in this Kolder Creative review, we share both the good AND the bad to help you decide if it’s worth the investment. 

👀 This is a Level 2 review. Read more about our in-depth course review process.

Kolder Creative review: What you need to know

Kolder Creative teaches you how to earn a living by creating cinematic travel videos using Davinci Resolve. Videos so visually stunning that you’re guaranteed to stand out in a sea of endless content. Videos that big brands are willing to pay big bucks for. 

But no course is perfect, and Kolder Kreative is no exception. It’s not for everyone. 

Here’s some important things to know before making any decisions.

Let’s start with who actually made the course.

If, after reading the review, you decide the course is right for you, scroll to the bottom of this page to get a special sign-up bonus (and a money-saving tip).

Sam Kolder review: Who even is this guy?

If you love watching epic drone videos in places so beautiful it’s hard to believe they exist, you’ve probably seen Sam Kolder’s videos.  

If you haven’t, here’s a taste of one of his recent big brand partnerships:

As you can see, he’s a distinguished filmmaker whose work is the gold standard for cutting-edge storytelling and cinematography. 

He’s known globally and has worked with some of the largest brands out there like Canon, DJI, Hyundai, YouTube, and Hilton.

His stats talk for themselves. Sam’s YouTube channel alone has 1.33+ million subscribers, and with only 57 videos at the time of writing, his channel has 61,999,583 lifetime views (and counting). 

A comment on one of his videos pretty much sums him up:

Basically, it doesn’t matter if you’re goal is to film your own videos or become a highly paid freelance videographer — if you want to learn film, Sam’s your guy. (If you like his style).

What’s included in the Kolder Creative course?

Kolder Creative is a pretty straightforward course. It’s there to teach you how to edit videos on Davinci Resolve and land big budget projects with the brands you love. To do this, the course is broken in 3 parts. 

1. Main Course
2. Bonuses
3. Community

Note: Kolder Creative has two packages to choose from — Davinci Resolve and All-Access. You can see the difference between the two here. This Kolder Creative course review focuses on the All-Access package, which includes everything in the Davinci Resolve option, plus other bonuses. 

#1.) Main course

The main course has four elements:

1. Guide to Premiere Pro
2. Guide to After Effects
3. Guide to Davinci Resolve (most detailed)
4. Business-building and miscellaneous lessons. 

Sam used to edit in Premiere Pro, which is why those lessons are still available. But since he’s switched over to Davinci Resolve, the majority of the course focuses on that program. 

The modules are organized by the editing workflow. That means it’s structured in logical steps to show how to edit most efficiently from start to finish. 

To help you visualize, this is a snapshot of a few of the modules:

Here’s a quick breakdown of the DaVinci Resolve module (for an in-depth look at all the other modules in the All-Access Pass, go to this page): 

Introduction. Overview showing why Davinci Resolve is different (and in Sam’s opinion better) than other video editing software. 

File structure and organization. Learn how to properly organize your files in and out of the program so you’re not scrambling to look for the next scene. This alone can shave hours off your work time.

Shortcuts. Nail down important and handy shortcuts to edit at lightning speed. 

Project manager. Learn super important project database techniques and how to properly save/recover files. Do this wrong, and you’re asking for headaches.

Project settings. Understand how to choose the proper settings for different types of projects. 

Media tab. All about types of media, and how to import, organize, and select the media that will make your editing process easier. 

Cut tab. Learn how to cut and assemble your media files according to the flow you want your video to have.

Edit tab. These next three modules are the bulk of the course. In the edit module, you’ll learn everything from cutting, audio, syncing, transitions, storyboarding, basically everything you need to make sure the flow of your video is on point. 

Fusion. Learn how to add effects and dimension to your videos. 

Color tab. Davinci’s original focus was color editing for videos, and it has pretty incredible features you’ll learn that make color correction efficient. 

Fairlight. Learn everything about sound — from sound effects to audio licensing to how to use sound to move your story along. 

Deliver tab. Once you’ve completed editing your video, learn how to properly export it and share your art with the masses. 

Each lesson is pretty straightforward. There’s a video that shows you in real-time how to use the tools in Davinci. 

I found the teaching style pretty easy to follow. Sam does a great job of explaining all the tools and features and goes through each of them one by one. 

Here’s a screenshot of what a lesson looks like: 

In addition to the video lessons, you also can download actual footage Sam has taken over the years that you can use for editing practice. 

This makes it easy to follow along because you’ll be working with the exact material that Sam uses in the course. 

Once you’re done with the main course, you can head over to the “Other modules” section. 

These lessons were recorded in 2021, so some still use Premiere Pro, which might be a little outdated. But they still offer a lot of creative inspiration. 

I always struggled with color correction, even when using LUTs, but after going through the color tab module I have been able to edit my videos to look exactly how I imagined them. I’ve also mastered editing underwater footage, which used to be a nightmare for me.

You also have lessons on business, specifically how to find clients and pitch projects for your filmmaking business. 

If you’re familiar with Sam’s work, you know he’s the king of FPV drone shots. In fact, that’s what put him on the map. So naturally, there’s an entire module with 11 lessons solely dedicated to drones.

Here’s a quick snapshot of what the miscellaneous lessons include: 

#2.) Bonuses

In addition to the main modules, you also get: 

Business lessons from Sam’s manager. Sam has a pretty incredible film career apart from Kolder Creative, and you get access to the brains behind his business success with these lessons. 

Access to exclusive job boards and listings. This could be a great bonus in theory, but when we checked, there was really only one job listing there. I’m not sure how often they update this, but it’s a good idea to check out every once in a while. 

Templates for pitching to brands. These templates not only make pitching brands way easier, but they also increase your odds of success. Sam also shares his own pitch deck for brands like DJI and Canon. It’s a great tool to understand how a brand is thinking about your proposal and how to get them to say yes. 

Writing pitches is probably my least favorite part of this whole process, so having the templates made it so much easier (and gave me a lot more confidence) to approach these bigger brands.

A growing library of business tips and fundamentals. These are all written guides that offer business advice and ideas. 

I think it is important to note that most of these are just things Sam and his team have found to be successful for them, not necessarily expert business training. 

One example would be the breakdown of what they do to their pitch decks to get a project approved by a brand (mindset challenges, when to send the deck, how to design it, and how to send it to the brand). 

There’s no exact science to pitching brands — and what worked for Sam may not necessarily work for you — but having a template from someone whose been in this business for years is still a powerful resource to have. 

Student den sessions. Students can apply to lead their own “den sessions” and teach other students different parts of the film/creative experience. 

This can be anything — from storyboarding, how to capture the footage, special effects, or whatever else you want to share. 

I thought this was pretty cool because it’s an opportunity for students to get their name out there and network with one another.

Film-making and content creation is really all about collaboration. And being a “go-to” person for a specific skill is huge when you’re in a community of 2,000+ creators and looking to build a name for yourself.

To lead a session, you have to be qualified and apply beforehand. 

Here’s a screenshot of what a den session looks like from the inside: 

Discounts on film gear. If you need gear or software, you can save some money with the discounts they offer students, including things like 15% off GoPro’s website and two months off Musicbed, just to give you an idea. 

Here’s how the bonuses are offered in the course: 

#3.) Community

When you’re growing your audience and learning the tools of the trade, having a community is like a cheat code. 

Not only can you collaborate for more reach, but sharing contacts and tips for landing brand deals is extremely helpful. 

As you grow, being part of a community of creators also makes it easier to hire help and build a talented team. 

I’ve found this directory helpful not only to connect with other talented creatives, but also to find inspiration in their work.

Kolder Creative offers a private Facebook community to let students network with each other. It currently has around 2,400 members, and while it’s not the most active group on the planet, there is some interesting stuff going on there. 

For example, here’s a post I came across where an admin is offering help to find clients on LinkedIn. 

There’s also a Discord community where students can chat about projects or ideas, and even participate in challenges. 

Winning these challenges can result in some pretty awesome prizes.

For example, recently the Kolder Creative team sent six creators to three countries for seven days to create a commercial for Oneplus. 

Not only are they going on an incredible trip, but they’re also networking with a major brand that could lead to more sponsorships and brand deals in the future. 

In addition to the Discord and Facebook groups, they offer a member directory of all the students in the course, where they’re based, and what their skills are. 

That makes it easy for students to connect and collaborate.

Here’s what that looks like: 

The purpose of the Kolder Creative community is to open doors to opportunities and help students get exposure for their work. 

This is why they’re emphasizing the member directory and plan to expand their job board. 

Although the FB group is a great idea, I think in practice it’s probably one of the weaker parts of this course. I didn’t find as much engagement as I would have hoped and although some posts do well, there isn’t much activity outside of that. 

This may change as the course grows, but if networking is what you’re looking for, you’re better off joining (or leading) the student den sessions and just hitting up other students via the member directory. 

They also have periodic live events where you can make in-person connections with talented videographers and editors around the world. 

It looks like there have been two “official” live events since the start of the course in 2021, but I can’t speak to them personally. 

But many testimonials on their website mention how awesome the events are. 

That said, just because there have only been two official live events doesn’t mean that students aren’t meeting up more often on their own. 

Kolder Creative cons ❌

❌ Facebook community is just average. You can get help in the FB group, but it’s not super active. I found the student den sessions were a better place to connect with other students and network. 

❌ Doesn’t go into the “before film” process. This course doesn’t go into any of the pre-production process, but they do have student den sessions that cover most of that stuff like storyboarding, camera settings, lighting, etc. 

❌ No refunds. They say that since they show you exactly everything you get before you buy, there should be no surprises. I understand why online courses don’t like to offer refunds (people like to steal content), but I think they should at least let you take the first few lessons before deciding to go all in. Anyway, if you buy, make sure you’re committed. 

❌ Davinci is expensive. You need Davinci Resolve to take this course. And while you technically don’t need to pay for the full Davinci program, it’s recommended if you want to get the most out of Kolder Creative and Davinci. That said, it’s a one-time payment for lifetime access which is way better than programs like Premiere Pro, which requires a monthly subscription. 

This con isn’t specific to Kolder Creative though — software is just a required business expense for this career. No matter how you learn to edit, you’re going to need to invest in software. 

Kolder Creative pros ✅

✅ Learning from the best in the business. Sam is not some rando on the internet. He’s one of the top content creators and filmmakers in the industry. It’s like learning basketball from Michael Jordan.

✅ Step-by-step tutorials on the entire editing flow. You learn the proper way to edit a video from start to finish. This learning structure is significantly more time-efficient than trying to piece together a flow by hunting down YouTube videos on how to do random steps of the process.

✅ Downloadable footage. Sam gives you his footage that he’s used in past projects for you to practice on. This lets you focus on the editing technique instead of wasting time with camera settings or getting footage to work on. 

✅ Pitch guides and email templates. Learning how to edit is only half of the battle. If you want to earn money from your skills, you need to learn how to pitch projects. Kolder Creative lays it all out for you. 

✅ Always adding new information. As Davinci Resolve and the industry evolves, so does this course. Sam is constantly adding more videos to keep you ahead of the curve. 

✅ Easy to learn lessons. Sam’s teaching style is easy to follow and he goes into the “why” of using certain techniques (compared to other videos I’ve seen that just say “do this, do that”). This is huge. Without the “why”, it’s much harder to apply concepts correctly to your projects. 

✅ Discounts on film gear and programs. If you end up using any of the discounts they offer, it helps offset the price of the course. 

TL;DR: Is Kolder Creative worth it?

Kolder Creative is worth it for anyone wanting to make a living as a filmmaker or video editor using Davinci Resolve. Davinci Resolve is quickly rising the ranks as one of the best film editing software, and Kolder Creative is one of the most comprehensive programs on the market for mastering the program. 

That said, you don’t need Kolder Creative to learn Davinci Resolve. An alternative would be just to watch a bunch of random YouTube videos. 

This is a great way to go if you are self-disciplined and on a tight budget. But it’s definitely not the easiest or fastest way, especially for beginners. 

In general, YouTube videos are awesome for learning how to do super-specific actions. But YouTube videos are usually not the best place to learn an entire program from start to finish. 

Sure, it’s possible. But you’d essentially have to puzzle-piece together your own curriculum and know what video topics to search for (and what order to watch them in). 

You’ll also likely waste a good amount of time watching unhelpful videos that don’t cover the exact thing you’re trying to learn how to do. Or worse, teach you to do things the wrong way.  

I tried to save some money and learn from YouTube videos, but I only got so far because I didn’t even know what I was searching for, let alone what I needed to learn. 

Kolder Creative gave me a ton of resources to cut down my editing time while making my videos more cinematic, fun, and exciting. 

For example, the course includes a special keyboard shortcut template that I downloaded directly into my Davinci program. These keyboard shortcuts were a lifesaver in making cuts, selects, slowing down, and speeding up videos.

Again, YouTube is a perfectly viable option. But it all comes down to how much you value your time and how likely you are to give up without structure, support, or accountability. 

When I first started my online business, I was a penny-pincher and always took the DIY route. 

Nowadays, I’ve realized that if investing in paid training saves me a week or two struggling to figure things out myself, it’s worth it (to me).

The faster you learn, the faster you can start earning money and building cool stuff. 

That said, I still don’t think this course is for everyone.

This course is not for you if:

• You’re married to another video editing program and DON’T want to switch.
• You’re not down to spend hours editing one video (yes, it really can take that long). 
• You’re not willing or able to buy the full Davinci program.
• You’re already an expert video editor. 

This course is for you if:

• You love video editing and are looking for new and creative ways to bring your vision to life.
• You’re a beginner and want to make filmmaking your career.
• You enjoy Sam Kolder’s video style and want to learn from that.
• You want to save time with a comprehensive step-by-step structure instead of piecing together hundreds of random YouTube videos. 

Is there a Kolder Creative discount code?

Whenever Kolder Creative runs a sale, they add the discount code as a banner on the top of this page. 

If you don’t see any promotion announcements at the top of the page, you can also scroll down to the end of the page and sign up for their newsletter to get notified about future sales. 

Where can I sign up?

I hope you found my write-up insightful. It took a good chunk of time to put together, so if you found it helpful, decide it’s for you, and want to say, “Thanks, Mitch!”— I’d be thrilled if you purchased it using my affiliate link button below (at no extra charge to you). I’ll even send you an extra bonus (see below).

Either way, if you want to make epic videos, Kolder Creative will show you how. 

Have questions about Kolder Creative?

I totally get that committing to a new training program (and potentially a whole new career) is nerve-wracking.

If you have any questions about this course, leave ‘em in the comments section below (SERIOUSLY!).

I read every comment and usually respond within 24 hours. 

Like I said, I’ve taken LOADS of courses, and I’m happy to help you find the one that fits best for you.

So hit me up below!