Short answer: to learn Claude in 2026, combine two things. First, Anthropic's own free courses (Anthropic Academy, at anthropic.com/learn) for the fundamentals: Claude 101, AI Fluency, the API, MCP and Claude Code. Second, a hands-on project in your field, because you learn Claude by giving it real work. For creators and marketers, that project is often video: Claude writes your shot lists and prompts, grades your prompts, and can even generate the videos through MCP. The free Nano Banana Academy covers that creative side.
Step 1: the fundamentals, with Anthropic's free courses
Anthropic publishes free, self-paced courses with completion certificates on its learning platform. The catalogue has grown through 2026; at the time of writing it includes, among others:
- Claude 101: core features, effective prompting and everyday use cases. Start here.
- AI Fluency: Framework and Foundations: a non-technical course on working well with AI, built around four skills: delegation, description, discernment and diligence.
- Building with the Claude API: for developers who want to call Claude from their own code.
- Introduction to Model Context Protocol (MCP): how Claude connects to tools and data.
- Claude Code courses: for using Claude as a coding agent.
Check the current list on Anthropic's site, as courses are added regularly.
Step 2: learn by doing, in your own field
Courses teach the concepts; skill comes from repetition on real tasks. Pick one workflow you do every week and hand parts of it to Claude:
| If you are a... | Give Claude this job | What you learn |
|---|---|---|
| Marketer | Turn a product brief into five ad hooks and a 20-second script | Giving context, constraints and examples |
| Video creator | Turn a script into a numbered shot list with camera moves | Structured output, iteration |
| Freelancer | Review your AI video prompts against a checklist | Using Claude as a critic, not just a writer |
| Developer | Automate video generation with the API or MCP | Tool use and agents |
Claude for AI video: a practical path
Video is one of the best playgrounds to learn Claude, because the results are visible and the feedback loop is fast.
1. Let Claude write the shot list
Give Claude the goal, the platform, the length and the audience. Ask for a numbered shot list with shot size, camera move, action and light for each shot. The Storytelling course in our Academy teaches what a good shot list contains, so you can judge what Claude gives you.
2. Let Claude turn each shot into a prompt
Ask for prompts that follow subject, action, setting, camera, light. Then edit them: Claude is a great first draft, you are the director. "Enhance with AI" in Nano Banana does this in one click, powered by Claude.
3. Let Claude grade your prompts
In the Academy prompt labs, Claude reviews the prompts you write against concrete criteria and explains what is missing. Being graded is the quickest way to improve.
4. Let Claude generate the video
Connect the Nano Banana Video MCP to Claude and ask in plain words: "make a 10-second vertical clip of...". Claude picks the model, writes the prompt, launches the generation and returns the video. See our Claude AI video generator page and the comparison ChatGPT vs Claude for AI video.
Prompting habits that work with Claude
- Give the why. "This is a 15-second TikTok ad for runners aged 25 to 35" beats "write an ad".
- Show an example of the output you like, then ask for variations.
- Ask for a format: a table, a numbered list, JSON for automation.
- Iterate in the same conversation: "shorter hooks", "one camera move per shot", "more contrast between shots".
- Ask Claude to critique its own draft against your checklist before you use it.
Which certificate should you get?
Anthropic's course certificates show you know Claude itself. If your job is creating video, the Certified AI Video Expert credential from our Academy proves the applied skill: you delivered real briefs and passed a hard exam. Many creators do both.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free Claude course?
Yes. Anthropic offers free courses on its own learning platform, starting with Claude 101 and AI Fluency. The Nano Banana Academy is also free and focuses on using Claude for video.
How long does it take to learn Claude?
An afternoon for the basics. A few weeks of daily use on real tasks to become genuinely fast with it.
Can Claude make videos?
Claude writes scripts, shot lists and prompts, and through MCP it can drive a video generator like Nano Banana to produce the clips.
Do I need to code to use Claude for video?
No. The chat, Enhance with AI and the MCP connector work without code. The API is there if you want to automate.
