A project that stays fast and organised
A big kitchen job goes better when the ingredients are in labelled bowls. A big edit is the same. Put clips in labelled folders, and make small "stand-in" copies so the computer does not get tired.
- Two common desktop editors: Adobe Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve. Blackmagic's page says the free version of Resolve works with virtually all 8-bit video formats up to 60 fps and up to Ultra HD (3840 x 2160); the Studio version adds things like 10-bit video up to 120 fps and noise reduction. Check the current limits on their site before you choose.
- Resolve is split into pages: Edit (cutting), Fusion (visual effects and motion graphics), Color (grading) and Fairlight (audio). Blackmagic lists "Robust Proxy Editing" as an Edit page feature.
- Proxies are small, light copies of your clips that make editing smooth. You edit with the proxies and export with the originals. Resolve's free Proxy Generator links proxies it creates to the original media.
- Match your sequence (timeline) settings to the footage: frame size and frame rate. Most of your clips set the rule.
- Organise on day one: folders (bins) for Footage, Audio, Graphics, Music, Exports; name files so they sort (for example
A-cam_001,B-cam_001). - Keep original files where they are and back up the project and media to a second drive.
- Make a folder on your drive for the project with subfolders: Footage, Audio, Graphics, Music, Exports.
- Copy camera files into Footage. Keep them there; do not rename them after import.
- Create a new project in Premiere Pro or Resolve and import the folders.
- Create bins named like your folders.
- Create a sequence from your main clip so it takes that clip's frame size and frame rate (in Premiere: right-click a clip, New Sequence From Clip).
- If playback lags, turn on proxies: in Premiere, use the proxy workflow (Ingest and Create Proxy); in Resolve, use proxy media or the Proxy Generator.
- Save and copy the whole project folder to a second drive.
- Check: you can find any clip in two clicks and the timeline plays without stuttering.
Videos by other creators on YouTube, for reference. They are not made by or affiliated with The Future Market.
Read the video script
[Host] "Pro editing starts before the first cut: with your folders."
[Screen: folder tree Footage, Audio, Graphics, Music, Exports] "One folder for each kind of file. Keep originals where they are."
[Screen: sequence made from a clip] "Make your timeline match your footage: same size, same frame rate."
[Text on screen: Proxy = small stand-in copy] "Laggy? Edit with proxies, export with originals."
[Host] "And back up to a second drive. Always."
Set up a project folder and a project in your editor with bins, a matching sequence and a second-drive backup. Import at least 5 clips.
ClaudeStuck? Copy a ready-made prompt for Claude
Copy this, open Claude, paste it, and Claude will walk you through the lesson step by step.
For a grown-up: Claude is for adults (18+). Copy this, paste it into Claude, and use the answer to explain the lesson to your child.
I'm learning "Advanced Video Editing: pro editing on desktop" on The Future Market. Lesson 1: "A project that stays fast and organised". What the lesson teaches: - Two common desktop editors: Adobe Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve. Blackmagic's page says the free version of Resolve works with virtually all 8-bit video formats up to 60 fps and up to Ultra HD (3840 x 2160); the Studio version adds things like 10-bit video up to 120 fps and noise reduction. Check the current limits on their site before you choose. - Resolve is split into pages: Edit (cutting), Fusion (visual effects and motion graphics), Color (grading) and Fairlight (audio). Blackmagic lists "Robust Proxy Editing" as an Edit page feature. - Proxies are small, light copies of your clips that make editing smooth. You edit with the proxies and export with the originals. Resolve's free Proxy Generator links proxies it creates to the original media. - Match your sequence (timeline) settings to the footage: frame size and frame rate. Most of your clips set the rule. - Organise on day one: folders (bins) for Footage, Audio, Graphics, Music, Exports; name files so they sort (for example A-cam_001, B-cam_001). - Keep original files where they are and back up the project and media to a second drive. The exercise I'm working on: Set up a project folder and a project in your editor with bins, a matching sequence and a second-drive backup. Import at least 5 clips. I'm stuck. Please: 1. Explain the main idea in plain, simple words with one everyday example. 2. Walk me through the exercise one small step at a time. Ask me what I've done so far before giving the next step. 3. Don't just give me the final answer. Help me do it myself, and check my work when I share it.
I'm a parent helping my child (about 8 years old) with a lesson called "A project that stays fast and organised" from the course "Advanced Video Editing: pro editing on desktop". Here's what the lesson says: A big kitchen job goes better when the ingredients are in labelled bowls. A big edit is the same. Put clips in labelled folders, and make small "stand-in" copies so the computer does not get tired. The activity: Set up a project folder and a project in your editor with bins, a matching sequence and a second-drive backup. Import at least 5 clips. Please explain this so an 8-year-old understands: short sentences, a fun everyday example, and no hard words. Then give me 3 simple questions I can ask my child to check they understood, and a way to do the activity together, one tiny step at a time.
Sources
- Blackmagic Design, DaVinci Resolve (pages, free vs Studio, proxy editing): www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve
Multi-camera editing
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Sound design and loudness
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Colour correction, matching and grading
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Motion graphics with keyframes
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Fixing the problems that break edits
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Deliver like a pro
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Final project
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Quiz
What is a proxy?
A small, light copy of a clip used for smooth editing; export uses the originals.
Name the four sync methods for a Premiere multicam source sequence.
In/Out points, Timecode, Audio and Clip Marker.
When does timecode sync work?
Only when the timecode is identical on all clips.
What are the four layers of a sound mix?
Dialogue, music, ambience and sound effects.
What does LUFS measure?
Loudness (Loudness Units relative to Full Scale).
What is ducking?
Lowering music under speech and raising it again in pauses.
Which comes first, correction or grading?
Correction.
What does the parade scope show?
Red, green and blue separately, which helps spot a colour cast.
What is a keyframe?
A saved setting at one moment, so two keyframes create movement between them.
What YouTube audio sample rate and codec are recommended?
48 kHz and AAC-LC (or Opus).
What bitrate does YouTube list for SDR 1080p at 30 fps?
8 Mbps.
Final exam
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Certificate
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