Moviola
Moviola is a private, Burbank-based filmmaking education and equipment services company founded in 1919, operating a free online platform with 3,000+ tutorial videos alongside editing rentals, camera rentals, and training services for filmmakers and film students globally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1919
- HeadquartersBurbank, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Moviola does
Moviola is a private, Burbank-headquartered filmmaking education and equipment services company founded in 1919, originally as the creator of the first film editing machine. More than a century later, the company operates three interconnected business lines: a free online video education platform (moviola.com) hosting over 3,000 filmmaking tutorial videos; a full-service non-linear editing rental division offering camera rentals, tape and solid-state media sales, and 24/7 workflow design and technical support; and a training services division delivering onsite, online, and weekly live webinar instruction. The company serves aspiring and professional filmmakers, film students, and independent content creators across the US, Canada, UK, and EU, with additional offices in Hollywood and New York.
The online platform is built on a commodity WordPress stack with the LearnDash learning management system for course delivery and Wistia for video hosting. Core products include Coffee Break Film School (a structured six-unit curriculum with progress tracking and unit quizzes), standalone Courses across ten filmmaking disciplines, Survival Guides (approximately 30-minute software quickstarts for tools such as Blender, Maya, After Effects, Final Cut Pro X, Cinema 4D, Fusion, and Duik), a Techniques library (hundreds of expert-led videos by category), Camera Guides for specific cinema/DSLR bodies, a Visual Glossary, and a curated 'Best of the Web' resource aggregator. Content is produced in collaboration with named industry professionals spanning editing, sound, VFX, cinematography, color, and production roles.
The business model combines a freemium consumer acquisition layer (350+ free videos accessible after free registration, intended to build a long-tail user base) with professional-services and recurring-training revenue streams (editing rentals, camera rentals, media sales, subscription training). No public revenue, funding, or valuation figures are disclosed; the company is privately held with no institutional investors identified and operates with 51–100 employees under California corporate governance.
Moviola firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Moviola
- Legal name
- Moviola
- Website
- https://moviola.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1919
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Moviola is a private, Burbank-based filmmaking education and equipment services company founded in 1919, operating a free online platform with 3,000+ tutorial videos alongside editing rentals, camera rentals, and training services for filmmakers and film students globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Moviola industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Filmmaking Education and Production Services
- NAICS
- Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- MOOC & Open Course Platforms (EDAFAIAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Workshops, Webinars & Live Masterclasses (MPACALAD), Open Multimedia OER (video, audio, podcasts, animations) (EDAGAJAF)
Keywords
Where Moviola is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Burbank
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Moviola business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Free Video Access: The platform offers free access to over 350 videos for registered members, serving as the primary user acquisition channel.
- Full Service Rental Division: Moviola offers a full service non-linear editing rental division with 24/7 workflow design and technical support, camera rentals, tape and solid state media sales - representing a traditional business services revenue stream.
- Training Services: Leading edge onsite and online training for filmmakers, with weekly live webinars and professional on demand training content.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free membership with access to 350+ videos |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Moviola product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Moviola provides a free online filmmaking education platform delivering a library of over 3,000 instructional videos across disciplines including screenwriting, cinematography, editing, sound, lighting, visual effects, color, production, previsualization, and graphics. The platform is anchored by the structured Coffee Break Film School (a six-unit course with progress tracking and quizzes), standalone Courses, Survival Guides for software quickstarts, and Techniques seminars. The company additionally operates a non-linear editing rental division, camera rentals, tape and solid-state media sales, and onsite/online training services for film professionals.
Product overview
Moviola is an educational platform for filmmakers offering a comprehensive library of over 3,000 video-based instructional content. The platform operates as a unified educational ecosystem combining Coffee Break Film School (a structured six-unit course with progress tracking), standalone Courses across ten filmmaking disciplines, Survival Guides (concise 30-minute software tutorials), and Techniques (expert-led seminars). Additional offerings include Camera Guides, a Visual Glossary, and Best of the Web curated resources. All content is delivered through LearnDash LMS with video hosting via Wistia, and the platform is built on WordPress. The service is free for all users with optional membership features.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Coffee Break Film School: A comprehensive filmmaking course structured in bite-sized portions covering topics from screenwriting to VFX.
- Survival Guides
Products and services
- Coffee Break Film School A comprehensive filmmaking course broken into six sequential units covering topics from screenwriting through visual effects, with progress tracking and per-unit quizzes. Designed for individual learners seeking a structured end-to-end filmmaking curriculum.
- Filmmaking Courses
Companies that use Moviola
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Moviola technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Moviola partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Moviola competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- MasterClass: Premium online video learning platform featuring celebrity/professional-led courses across creative disciplines including filmmaking. Directly comparable in online video education model, though with a paid subscription business model versus Moviola's free approach.
- Skillshare: Subscription-based online learning community offering video courses in creative fields including video production, editing, and filmmaking. Comparable online learning platform targeting aspiring creators with similar content categorization.
- CreativeLive: Online learning platform offering live and on-demand classes taught by industry professionals across creative disciplines including filmmaking and editing. Closely aligned with Moviola's live webinar and expert-instructor approach.
- MZed: Premium online cinematography and filmmaking education platform offering in-depth courses from working professionals. Closely aligned with Moviola's industry-expert-led model and craft-focused curriculum.
- Indie Film Hustle: Filmmaking education platform offering courses from working Hollywood professionals (e.g., David F. Sandberg) covering directing, screenwriting, and production. Directly comparable to Moviola's Hollywood-expert-led content approach.
- No Film School: Online filmmaking education publication/community offering tutorials, articles, courses, and gear guides for independent filmmakers. Closely comparable audience of aspiring and professional filmmakers consuming free educational content.
- BorrowLenses: Camera and equipment rental company serving professional and prosumer filmmakers, with accompanying educational content. Directly comparable to Moviola's equipment rental division serving the same production customer base.
Broad incumbents
- Coursera: Large-scale MOOC platform offering online courses, specializations, and credentials from universities and companies. Comparable MOOC/course platform category but at vastly larger scale, with structured courses and credentialing capabilities Moviola lacks.
- edX: Major MOOC platform offering university-level courses including some in media, film, and creative disciplines. Comparable open course platform model at a vastly larger institutional scale.
Emerging players
- StudioBinder: Filmmaking production management software platform that also offers educational content for filmmakers. Comparable in combining production-focused tools and filmmaker education, though more software-SaaS oriented.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Moviola social profiles
Digital presenceMoviola financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Moviola leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Moviola funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Moviola M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Moviola
What does Moviola do?
Moviola provides a free online filmmaking education platform delivering a library of over 3,000 instructional videos across disciplines including screenwriting, cinematography, editing, sound, lighting, visual effects, color, production, previsualization, and graphics. The platform is anchored by the structured Coffee Break Film School (a six-unit course with progress tracking and quizzes), standalone Courses, Survival Guides for software quickstarts, and Techniques seminars. The company additionally operates a non-linear editing rental division, camera rentals, tape and solid-state media sales, and onsite/online training services for film professionals.
Is Moviola a public or private company?
Moviola is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Moviola founded?
Moviola was founded in 1919. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Moviola based?
Moviola is headquartered in Burbank, United States, in the North America region.
How does Moviola make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Free Video Access are the primary driver. The others are full Service Rental Division and training Services.
Who are Moviola's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are MasterClass, Skillshare, CreativeLive, MZed, Indie Film Hustle, No Film School and BorrowLenses. Broad incumbents are Coursera and edX. StudioBinder is listed as an emerging player.
Does Moviola have an API?
No public API is recorded for Moviola.
What industry is Moviola in?
Moviola's product category is Filmmaking Education and Production Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAFAIAA, MOOC & Open Course Platforms, with a secondary code of MPACALAD, Workshops, Webinars & Live Masterclasses. Its NAICS code is 611691 and its SIC code is 8200.