Introduction to Video Editing

Get a project-based approach to the aesthetic and technical aspects of video editing. Staff author Ashley Kennedy begins this introductory course by exploring storytelling and an editor's role in it. Using classic and contemporary examples in cinema, she examines the "grammar" of editing, showing how an editor's decisions impact emotion, meaning, and advancement of story. Then, after a short introduction to the major NLEs (nonlinear editing applications), she edits two projects: a short narrative film and a documentary-style piece with interview and B-roll. The course explores each project in a broad sense, showing proper workflow from start to finish, but draws on specific lessons from the beginning of the course.

Learning objectives
Exploring an editor's role in storytelling
Understanding film grammar
Learning when to follow and when to break editing "rules"
Exploring shot and lens movement, as well as timing and pacing
Getting to know video editing software
Editing narrative scenes
Editing documentaries
Looking at the role of sound design, effects, and color correction
Next steps for training and development