Free course · Design & Creative
Video Editing Starter
A free walk-through of the editing workflow: organising a project, cutting on a timeline, cleaning up audio, basic colour and exporting for each platform.
Free · self-study · no certificate
About 5 hours
2 modules · 5 lessons
What you will be able to do
- Organise footage and start a clean editing project
- Make basic cuts, J-cuts and L-cuts on a timeline
- Export a video with suitable settings for social media or YouTube
Who it's for
- Beginners who film on a phone and want better videos
- Staff who make short videos for an organisation or business
Before you start
A smartphone or computer. A free editor such as CapCut or DaVinci Resolve is enough to practise.
Module 1 · about 120 minutes
From Footage to First Cut
Non-linear editing, timeline management and getting sound right.
- Set up a project with organised media
- Cut a short sequence with clean audio
Module 2 · about 80 minutes
Finishing and Delivering
Colour, titles, storyboarding and exporting for different platforms.
- Apply basic colour correction
- Choose export settings for the destination platform
Further learning
- DaVinci Resolve training (Blackmagic Design) — Official training videos and downloadable guides for DaVinci Resolve, the editor used in this program.
- Audacity — A free, open-source audio editor for cleaning interview recordings.
- Shotcut — A free, open-source video editor that runs on lower-specification computers.
- WCAG overview (W3C Web Accessibility Initiative) — Accessibility guidelines, including captions for video content.
Continue with a full program
- Video Editing — Edit documentaries, social media content, and awareness videos for local and international audiences.
- Graphic Design — Create professional posters, flyers, and digital assets for NGOs, businesses, and campaigns.
- Digital Marketing & Social Media Management — Plan, create, run and measure digital marketing — social media content, short video, SEO, paid ads, WhatsApp and email — for real local businesses and organisations.
Want the full Video Editing program?
This free course is an introduction. The full program is taught live by an instructor, with practical assignments, assessments, projects and a certificate.
See the Video Editing program