My husband and I love football. As ardent OU fans, we faithfully cheer on this team from our native state, Oklahoma, in every one of their games from our L.A. living room.Watching our Canon camera classes take place is a lot like watching football. No, nobody tackles anyone at the Boot Camp. I’m talking about teamwork.

At the beginning of Canon Boot Camp Pro Level 1, each attendee is partnered up with another attendee. The two of them become a tiny team, working together on all the drills and activities.

Since the Boot Camp is based on “active learning,” these little teams of two have lots of hands-on tasks to tackle together. At the end of Pro Level 1, all the attendees are familiar with their camera, and can now use it to shoot a video.

The next day, we go in to Canon Boot Camp Pro Level 2. This time, the attendees are divided into two or three teams—the Red Team, the Blue Team, and so on—and we make a short film, using the camera to shoot scenes from a short script.

Each person on each team has a camera and is responsible for shooting the scene from a specific angle. This is where the real teamwork comes into play—you must make sure that one of your teammates is not in the shot and that all angles are covered. The teams always work together beautifully, with each member helping his mates get it right.

Our students often comment on how they feel like they’re part of a team, and they are, of course. Unlike football, at the end of the day, all our teams win. Teammates often become friends, the shots turn out great, and it’s all great fun.

Maybe it’s time to develop a Canon Boot Camp cheer . . .