Foundations of Video Editing
Основи відеомонтажу
Editing as screen language: universal NLE principles (timeline, In/Out, continuity, rhythm, sound, export) that transfer across Premiere, Resolve, Final Cut, CapCut, Shotcut, or Avid — not a single-app course.
Монтаж як мова екрана: універсальні принципи NLE (timeline, In/Out, continuity, ритм, звук, export), що працюють у Premiere, Resolve, Final Cut, CapCut, Shotcut чи Avid — не курс однієї програми.
02 · Visual schema
Play/Pause · тягни playhead · клікай кліпи на таймлайні
Play/Pause · тягни playhead · клікай кліпи на таймлайні
- 1 semester · 120 h (10 lectures, seminars + practicals, exam)
- UK
BA year 1 beginners in Photographic Art and Videography — photographers and videographers learning to cut video from scratch in any modern NLE.
04 · Course path
- Ingest
- Select
- Rough cut
- Sound
- Colour
- Export
05 · Module map
B101
Language & NLE
Montage functions, universal workflow
B202
Continuity & rhythm
Frame, 180°, cut types
B303
Sound · colour · type
Audio, grade, graphics
B404
Deliver & defend
QC, platforms, creative project
06 · What you'll learn
Explain montage functions, linear vs non-linear approaches, and major cut types
Organise a project in any NLE: import, In/Out, rough/fine cut, export
Edit a short piece with continuity, 180° rule, match-on-action, and rhythm
Build basic audio (dialogue, ambient, music), J/L-cuts, and simple colour match
Run QC, deliver for platform, and argue why a cut works
Weeks 1–2 — Montage as language; universal NLE workflow
Weeks 3–5 — Frame, continuity, rhythm, cut types
Week 6 — Module test 1; consolidate block 1
Weeks 7–9 — Sound, colour, titles/graphics
Weeks 10–11 — Genres, QC, export, portfolio pipeline
Weeks 12–15 — Practicals, individual work, creative project, module test 2, defence
Session — Written/practical exam
Syllabus: module structure
The 120 hours comprise ten lectures, seminars and practicals, and end with an exam. The course runs in two blocks with two module tests, and closes with a creative project and its defence.
| Weeks | Content |
|---|---|
| 1–2 | montage as language; the universal NLE workflow |
| 3–5 | frame, continuity, rhythm, cut types |
| 6 | module test 1; consolidating block 1 |
| 7–9 | sound, colour, titles/graphics |
| 10–11 | genres, QC, export, the portfolio pipeline |
| 12–15 | practicals, individual work, creative project, module test 2, defence |
| Session | written / practical exam |
Assessment and tools
Assessment consists of two module tests (weeks 6 and 15), session-by-session practice, a creative project with its defence, and the exam. At the defence the student argues why a cut works — the same skill professional editing asks for: decisions one can explain.
The course is deliberately NLE-independent: the principles — timeline, In/Out, continuity, rhythm, sound, export — are drilled so they transfer to Premiere, Resolve, Final Cut, CapCut, Shotcut or Avid. Students choose the application for their practicals based on their own hardware: the skill belongs to the editor, not to a button.
Natural next steps are Graphics, Animation and Multimedia for titles and motion, and Photographic Lighting: Theory and Practice, so that material arrives on the timeline already lit rather than fixed at the desk.
Instructor
The instructor is Sasha Poberailo, a filmmaker and researcher of interactive cinema, lecturer at the Kharkiv State Academy of Culture (more about the author).
08 · FAQ
What does the “Foundations of Video Editing” course teach?
Editing as screen language: the functions of montage, continuity, the 180° rule, match-on-action, rhythm, basic sound and colour, QC and delivery — practised in any modern NLE.
How many ECTS credits does the course carry, and how long is it?
It is a semester module worth 4 ECTS, 120 hours: 10 lectures, seminars and practicals, ending with an exam. Assessment is cumulative — two module tests and a creative project with a defence.
Which applications does the course use?
The course is NLE-independent: the principles are drilled so they work in Premiere, Resolve, Final Cut, CapCut, Shotcut or Avid. Students choose the application for their own practicals.
What are the learning outcomes, and how is the work assessed?
Graduates can organise a project in any NLE, cut a short piece with continuity and rhythm, build basic sound and colour, run QC — and argue their decisions at the defence. Assessment: two module tests, practice, a creative project, and the exam.