If you’ve spent time on social media lately, you’ve likely seen ads for MasterClass. MasterClass offers online video courses taught by big names and experts across various fields – from tennis with Serena Williams to cooking with Gordon Ramsay. The production quality is slick and enticing, but are the classes worth the cost? I decided to find out for myself.
What is MasterClass?
MasterClass is an e-learning platform that offers pre-recorded online video courses led by A-list instructors. The classes aim to provide inspiring education in various subjects, from sports and entertainment to culinary arts and lifestyle.
The instructors are legitimate masters in their fields, including big names like Christina Aguilera, Helen Mirren, Usher, and more. The classes provide unfettered access to the instructor’s expertise, insights, and processes in a format similar to documentaries blended with tutorials.
Unlike traditional online courses focusing on skills and tactical instruction, MasterClass courses inspire storytelling and in-context learning. The platform currently offers over 175 video classes across 10 categories.
MasterClass Pricing
MasterClass offers a few pricing options:
Annual Membership – $180 per year
Two-Year Membership – $240 for two years ($120 per year)
Monthly Membership – $20 per month
There is also an option to purchase individual classes for $90 each. However, this can add up quickly, so the annual Membership often provides the best value if you plan to take multiple courses.
Remember, there are no refunds on purchases, so you must ensure MasterClass is suitable for your learning style before purchasing.
Taking My First MasterClass
After going back and forth for a while and seeing so many ads, I finally decided to give MasterClass a try for myself. I started with Gordon Ramsay’s cooking class.
The class is structured into 17 video lessons totaling 2 hours and 40 minutes of content. The production quality is outstanding. Gordon Ramsay is giving you a personal lesson right in your living room.
The lessons include Gordon demonstrating recipes from his home kitchen and commentary about his cooking philosophies. The camera angles bring you in tight on the cooking process, so you feel immersed in the action.
Interspersed are B-roll clips of Gordon traveling for inspiration and reflections from renowned chefs and restaurant owners on why Gordon is such an influential force in the culinary world.
After each lesson, workbooks are provided to summarize Gordon’s teachings and space for you to outline your reflections and key takeaways. Recipe guides are also included so you can practice the dishes Gordon demonstrates.
The inspiring class makes you want to up your home chef game, which is precisely the intent. For amateur cooks, it is motivated by Gordon’s personal stories and shows that dedicating yourself to culinary skills is within your reach.
Taking a Screenwriting Class
Next, I decided to try out a screenwriting class since film and television are my interests. I opted for Aaron Sorkin’s (The West Wing, A Few Good Men) screenwriting course.
Aaron’s lessons include core storytelling elements like developing characters, structuring scenes, and writing robust dialogue. He teaches by deconstructing case studies and commentary rather than technical tactics alone.
There are 19 video lessons spanning nearly 5 hours of teachings from Aaron’s personal writer’s room. Workbooks are again provided after each lesson for reflection and applying concepts.
Aaron’s charming personality and proven expertise make this a fascinating course for new and experienced screenwriters. By peering inside Aaron’s thought process, you gain tremendous insights into writing stories that resonate.
A Look At The Trade-Offs
After taking a couple of MasterClass courses, it became evident that the format is more inspirational than practical. The production quality is off the charts, and the instructors provide valuable principles, philosophies, and big-picture concepts related to their craft.
But anyone expecting structured tutorials, tangible templates, and tactical skill development will be disappointed. MasterClass courses consist primarily of video documentary-style content with supplemental downloadable workbooks.
You won’t receive direct feedback, assignments, exams, or instructor interactions. In some ways, watching a multi-part episode of Inside the Actors Studio or Chef’s Table focused on a single luminary rather than a hands-on education.
The courses won’t make you a Gordon Ramsay-caliber chef or Aaron Sorkin-level screenwriter. But they may provide the spark that helps you elevate your existing skills through new inspiration and changing your mental frameworks.
If you’re a hobbyist or new to a field, MasterClass can help demystify insider processes and show that advancing your abilities is within reach. The intersection of documentaries and informal teaching makes for an engaging experience, even if concrete learning is limited.
Who Should Use MasterClass?
Casual Learners
If you consider yourself more of a documentary watcher than a skills-focused online learner, MasterClass offers enjoyment and surface-level development. The platform is better for pursuing a passion project than developing advanced techniques.
Established Learners
For those with existing proficiency, MasterClass can provide renewed inspiration. Seeing how masters like Aaron Sorkin tell stories or listening to Thomas Keller’s food philosophies may re-energize your relationship with your craft.
Gift Givers
A MasterClass subscription is an exciting gift idea for the documentaries / personal growth/self-improvement audience. It’s engaging, beautifully produced, and encourages recipients to expand their horizons.
Those on a Budget
If funds are limited, but you want world-class instruction from big names, MasterClass provides value. For the cost of a textbook or single university course, you get access to 175+ courses across interests.
Who Might Be Disappointed?
Technical Learners
If you prefer structured skills training, measurable assignments, concrete templates, and instructor interactivity, MasterClass will disappoint you. The video content is high-level and conceptual rather than tactical.
Advanced Learners
Those with established proficiency may desire more intensive guidance than MasterClass provides. You must expect renewed inspiration to advance your craft and significantly justify the cost.
Formal Credentials Seekers
Since MasterClass does not provide assessments, qualifications, or proof of learning, it will not help directly with formal education goals or career advancement requirements.
Casual Browsers
While production value is excellent, those looking for entertainment rather than education may lose interest. MasterClass is formatted more like lecture-based adult learning than passive video streaming.
Is MasterClass Worth It?
MasterClass provides genuinely interesting education from the upper echelon of practitioners across fields. However, it is better positioned as inspirational filmmaking that complements skills development rather than formal learning.
The value depends significantly on your learning style and objectives. Those seeking inspiration and renewed passion for expanding their capabilities will find tremendous worth in MasterClass courses.
On the other hand, if you expect structured lessons, tangible templates, instructor interactivity, and qualifications – you’ll need to supplement MasterClass with additional resources.
The classes hit a sweet spot between documentaries and informal education that make for engaging viewing. When seen through the lens of infotainment versus a structured curriculum, MasterClass delivers.
Conclusion
The platform opens a window into the philosophies, stories, and insights of world-class performers that inspire self-growth. However, converting that inspiration into demonstrable skills requires effort beyond MasterClass through concrete practice.
If supplemental skills training is outside your game plan, I would hesitate to recommend MasterClass due to the cost. But pairing video courses with workbooks and real-world applications can move you closer to expertise.
So, is MasterClass worth your time and money? As with most things, it depends. Evaluate what specific results you expect and how willing you are to supplement MasterClass with practice. If viewed as infotainment that sparks motivation, you’ll likely be satisfied. As a standalone professional education, the value could be more precise.
But for reigniting your passion and receiving encouragement from the best to keep improving – MasterClass delivers in spades. It ultimately comes down to managing expectations and unlocking that inspiration through hands-on learning beyond the videos.
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