WW: Beginner’s Guide to Video Editing

UPDATE: REGISTRATION NOW CLOSED

Video editing: the process through which one takes all the various pieces of video and audio that have been created and/ or collected, and puts them together into a cohesive structure or story. 

FILMCO is pleased to present another multi-session workshop as part of our Weeknight Workshop series. Join us online in November for an intensive 4-part workshop which will teach beginners the fundamentals of video editing, using the free-to-download editing software, DaVinci Resolve. This workshop will be facilitated by filmmaker Robert Macfarlane who has used DaVinci Resolve on seven of his films. 

Using the post-production software, DaVinci Resolve, Macfarlane will teach beginner editors to use DaVinci to create and edit a video, add visual effects, perform colour correction and sound design. (*Note, DaVinci is available as a free download here, and all participants must have it loaded onto their machines for the course.)

LOGISTICS

Dates: November 7, 14, 21, 28.
Time/ Duration: 10:00 AM- 1:00 PM AST; 3 hours/ session.
Book Online Now: Tickets are $600 TTD and cover the cost of all four sessions.
FILMCO members/ students receive a 20% discount on the ticket price. To receive a discount code, please email admin@filmco.org.

PREREQUISITES

• Desktop/laptop that meets DaVinci Resolve’s system requirements. Click here to review these requirements.
• DaVinci Resolve 16 software. Please download it here by November 6 (before Session 1).
• At least 150 GB drive space.
• No previous experience in video editing necessary.

COURSE BREAKDOWN

Session 1

Participants will first be given a brief history of DaVinci Resolve and an overview of the software. Macfarlane will then show participants basic functions of the program such as: how to navigate the Project Manager window, start a new project, set up keyboard shortcuts, change project settings, and import footage, sound and graphics into your project.

We will then move on to learning DaVinci’s various edit tools such as those that allow: customization of the workspace to fit your project and work style, enlarging and decreasing track size, timeline viewing options such as zooming and scrubbing, and using the Inspector window to change settings for your selected clip. Lastly, participants will start their own edits by learning how to pull footage onto the timeline, cut footage with the blade tool, drag footage around, and pull footage and sound onto different tracks among other things.

Session 2

In Session 2, we will continue our focus on editing by learning how to change the speed of the clip, reframe footage, adjust opacity, adjust position and rotation, animate parameters, add a crossfade to the footage, and use the timeline slip tool among other functions. Participants will then go on to actually edit a small section of footage however they see fit under the guidance of our facilitator.

Session 3

Session 3 will be dedicated to teaching participants about sound design and visual effects (graphics) in DaVinci Resolve. We will look at sound design using multiple tracks, utilising the equaliser, volume control, noise reduction and reverberation after which participants will then take time to correct the sound in their edits while adding in other layers.

On the graphics side, Macfarlane will guide the group through the Fusion tab showing them what Fusion can do, how Fusion works, what is node-based editing, how to build your first lower thirds in the Fusion tab, and create keyframes among other tools.

Session 4

Our last session will focus on colour grading. Participants will associate themselves with this specific layout; learn how to add scopes, use a second screen, and look at all of the tools that are available in this department. Macfarlane will also explain the best workflow for colour grading such as how to start with colour correction to make all your clips look the same; how to manage your first nodes, and how to decide on a look before starting to play. We will also explore power windows and tracking, qualifiers, and plugins. The group will then be given the time to explore colour correction. Lastly, we’ll look at delivery- the ins and outs of delivering your edited and graded project into a video file.

ABOUT THE FACILITATOR

Robert Macfarlane is a narrative film director with over 15 years experience in the film, TV and commercial sectors in the UK and Caribbean. He is the director of the sci-fi drama ‘Immune’ which screened at the 2020 trinidad+tobago film festival. After completing his BA at London South Bank University, he started his own production company, focusing his attention on directing narrative music videos producing over 30 in three years for various artists.

He then moved to Trinidad and Tobago where he expanded his style of directing. There he worked in a variety of roles on feature films, commercials and corporate films. After returning to the UK, he worked as a creative director at a boutique production house directing over 40 high end corporate and educational films before choosing to focus solely on narrative directing. His credits range from directing award-winning shorts to editing the multi-award-winning feature film, ‘Sally’s Way’, which was released in North America and the Caribbean. Robert’s broadcast credits include editor on TV shows for CTV in Trinidad and Tobago and the BBC as well as director of music videos which have aired on MTV Base, VH1 and the Box.