🎬 Why Foundations First — and Why Most Courses Skip This Incorrectly. Students who skip foundations make the same mistakes forever: wrong export settings, wrong frame rate, confused about why footage looks wrong. These 10 hours prevent every beginner mistake. Phase 1 uses Kdenlive, OpenShot, and Clipchamp intentionally — simpler tools build the mental model. DaVinci Resolve starts in Phase 2 when students understand what a timeline, codec, and keyframe actually mean.

• Lab 01 — What is a frame? Frame rate (24fps, 30fps, 60fps) — watch 3 clips at different frame rates side by side · YouTube (side-by-side browser tabs)
• Lab 02 — Resolution deep dive — 1080p, 4K, aspect ratios (16:9, 9:16, 1:1) — which format for which platform · Pexels — download same clip in different resolutions
• Lab 03 — Codecs and containers — what is H.264, H.265, ProRes, MP4 vs MOV — why it matters for editing and export · VLC player — inspect file properties of 5 different video files
• Lab 04 — File management system — set up the professional folder structure every editor uses for every project · Windows File Explorer
• Lab 05 — First edit in Clipchamp — import 3 clips, cut, rearrange, add a title, export as MP4 1080p · Clipchamp (Windows built-in)
• Lab 06 — Same edit in Kdenlive — repeat the same 3-clip edit to understand timeline concept in a second tool · Kdenlive
• Lab 07 — Export settings deep dive — resolution, bitrate, frame rate, codec — what each setting does to file size and quality · Kdenlive export dialog
• Lab 08 — Keyboard shortcuts — the 20 most important editing shortcuts that every professional editor uses daily · Any editor
• Lab 09 — Download and install DaVinci Resolve 19 — verify it opens, explore the interface without editing anything · DaVinci Resolve 19
• Lab 10 — Watch 3 professionally edited videos and write a shot-by-shot breakdown: cuts, transitions, pacing, music sync · YouTube

🎞️ DaVinci Resolve — The Professional Standard That Is Free. DaVinci Resolve is used to edit Avatar, Thor, The Batman, and thousands of commercial campaigns. The free version has no watermark, no export limit, and no feature restrictions for most professional work. Learning Resolve positions students above every editor who uses only CapCut or Premiere Elements.

Project for Phase 2 — Travel/Lifestyle Highlight Video (2 minutes). Students edit a 2-minute highlight video using free stock footage from Pexels. Every lab in this phase adds one layer to the same project — so by the end of Phase 2 the video is complete and portfolio-ready.

• Lab 01 — DaVinci interface tour — Media Pool, Edit, Fusion, Color, Fairlight, Deliver pages — what each does · DaVinci Resolve 19
• Lab 02 — Import footage — create bins, label clips, mark in/out points, drag to timeline · DaVinci Resolve 19
• Lab 03 — The cut edit — blade tool, trim tool, selection tool — cut precisely on beat using the music waveform · DaVinci Resolve 19
• Lab 04 — Transitions — video dissolve, dip to black, dip to white — add purposefully, not randomly · DaVinci Resolve 19
• Lab 05 — Speed effects — speed ramp: clip goes slow → fast → slow on a key moment, freeze frame, reverse · DaVinci Resolve 19 speed editor
• Lab 06 — Titles and text — built-in title templates, custom font, animated lower thirds, end card · DaVinci Resolve 19 Titles
• Lab 07 — Fusion basics — create one motion graphic element: animated logo reveal using nodes · DaVinci Resolve Fusion
• Lab 08 — Audio import — add background music from Suno AI generated track, sync to beats · DaVinci Resolve + Suno
• Lab 09 — Audio mixing basics — dialogue volume, music ducking, fade in/out, audio levels at -12 to -6 LUFS · DaVinci Fairlight
• Lab 10 — Multi-camera edit — sync 2 camera angles using audio waveform, cut between them · DaVinci Resolve multi-cam
• Lab 11 — J-cut and L-cut — audio starts before/after the video cut — professional technique used in every documentary · DaVinci Resolve 19
• Lab 12 — Stabilisation — apply DaVinci's built-in stabiliser to shaky handheld footage · DaVinci Resolve Inspector
• Lab 13 — Noise reduction on video — apply temporal noise reduction to underexposed indoor footage · DaVinci Resolve Motion Effects
• Lab 14 — Export for YouTube — H.264, 1920×1080, 30fps, high bitrate — render and verify the file plays correctly · DaVinci Resolve Deliver
• Lab 15 — Export for Instagram Reels — reframe to 9:16, 1080×1920, 30fps — same content different aspect ratio · DaVinci Resolve Deliver

🤖 AI Changes the Workflow Completely — This Is the Phase That Separates 2026 Editors. In 2023 a video editor who knew DaVinci Resolve was competitive. In 2026 a video editor who knows DaVinci Resolve AND AI tools is 5x faster, 3x more versatile, and can offer services no one-tool editor can. This phase is not about replacing creativity — it is about using AI for the repetitive work so creative energy goes where it matters.

Lab 1–3: Google Flow + Veo 3 — AI Video Generation

• Lab 01 — Google Flow overview — what Veo 3 can do: generate video from text, extend clips, change backgrounds · Google Flow (flow.google.com)
• Lab 02 — Prompt engineering for video AI — how to write prompts that produce usable B-roll footage · Google Flow / Veo 3
• Lab 03 — Integrate AI-generated B-roll into DaVinci Resolve — blend AI footage with real footage seamlessly · DaVinci Resolve + Google Flow output

Lab 4–5: Runway ML — AI Video Manipulation

• Lab 04 — Runway Gen-3 Alpha — generate video from text and image prompts, use motion brush to animate still photos · Runway ML (runwayml.com)
• Lab 05 — Runway background removal and replacement — remove background from video without green screen · Runway ML

Lab 6–7: Descript — Edit Video by Editing Text

• Lab 06 — Import a talking-head video into Descript — auto-transcription generates, edit the text to cut filler words · Descript
• Lab 07 — Descript AI features — remove filler words automatically, overdub (fix a sentence without re-recording), Studio Sound · Descript

Lab 8: CapCut AI — Speed Editing for Social

• Lab 08 — CapCut Desktop AI tools — auto-captions with word-level animation, AI background removal, auto-reframe for different aspect ratios · CapCut Desktop

Lab 9–10: ElevenLabs + Suno — AI Voice and Music

• Lab 09 — ElevenLabs voiceover — generate professional narration for a 60-second explainer video in 3 different voices · ElevenLabs (elevenlabs.io)
• Lab 10 — Suno AI music — generate 4 custom background tracks (cinematic, upbeat, corporate, emotional) for different video moods · Suno (suno.com)

🎨 Colour Grading — The Skill That Makes Average Footage Look Cinematic. Colour grading is what makes the difference between a video that looks 'nice' and one that stops people scrolling. DaVinci Resolve's colour page is the most powerful free colour grading tool on the planet — used by Netflix, HBO, and Disney. This phase teaches it properly.

• Lab 01 — Colour science fundamentals — exposure, contrast, saturation, temperature, tint — what each control actually does · DaVinci Resolve Colour Page
• Lab 02 — Scopes — Waveform, Parade, Vectorscope, Histogram — read them to know if exposure is correct without trusting your screen · DaVinci Resolve Scopes
• Lab 03 — Node-based colour — primary correction node, secondary node, qualifier node — build a 3-node correction workflow · DaVinci Resolve Node Editor
• Lab 04 — Power Windows + Tracking — vignette, radial gradient, polygon mask — track a moving subject to grade it separately · DaVinci Resolve Power Windows
• Lab 05 — LUTs — what they are, how to apply creative LUTs, download 10 free LUTs and test on different footage types · DaVinci Resolve LUT browser + free LUTs from Pexels/Luts.io
• Lab 06 — Cinematic grade — orange and teal look, film grain, slight crush of blacks — full cinematic grade from flat footage · DaVinci Resolve
• Lab 07 — Runway AI colour match — use Runway to match the colour grade of one clip to a reference image or frame · Runway ML colour match
• Lab 08 — Fairlight audio — dialogue EQ, compression, reverb removal, de-esser — clean up a noisy interview recording · DaVinci Resolve Fairlight
• Lab 09 — Music mixing — sidechain ducking: music automatically turns down when someone speaks, turns up in gaps · DaVinci Resolve Fairlight
• Lab 10 — Sound design — add ambience, foley sounds (footsteps, paper rustle, door), and sound effects to a silent B-roll sequence · DaVinci Resolve Fairlight + Pixabay sound effects

📱 Every Platform Has Different Rules — Most Editors Do Not Know This. A YouTube editor who cannot cut a Reel loses half the market. An editor who cannot produce a corporate talking-head video loses the business client market. This phase teaches the specific techniques, pacing, and export requirements that make content perform on each platform.

5A — YouTube Long-Form (2 hours)

• Lab 01 — YouTube structure — hook (0–3s), intro, content, mid-roll retention, CTA, end screen — understand why viewers drop off · YouTube Analytics (demo account) + DaVinci
• Lab 02 — YouTube thumbnail frame — colour grade a single frame specifically for thumbnail use, export as JPG · DaVinci Resolve

5B — Instagram Reels / YouTube Shorts / TikTok (2 hours)

• Lab 03 — Vertical video editing — 9:16 safe zones, text placement, hook in first 1 second, captions, trending audio sync · CapCut Desktop + DaVinci Resolve
• Lab 04 — AI Reels workflow — use CapCut AI to auto-generate a Reel from long-form footage: cut highlights automatically · CapCut AI Auto-Cut feature

5C — Corporate / Brand Video (2 hours)

• Lab 05 — Corporate video structure — problem/solution format, interview cutaways, b-roll coverage, lower thirds, brand colours · DaVinci Resolve
• Lab 06 — AI-generated corporate B-roll — use Google Flow to generate office, business, and technology visuals for stock-free corporate video · Google Flow / Veo 3

5D — Podcast Video Editing (2 hours)

• Lab 07 — Podcast video setup — multi-cam sync, auto-switching on speaker detection, lower thirds for guest names, chapter markers · DaVinci Resolve
• Lab 08 — Descript podcast workflow — transcript edit, remove crosstalk, clip highlights, create audiogram for Instagram · Descript

5E — Event Video (2 hours)

• Lab 09 — Event highlight reel — emotional arc, music-driven edit, mix of speeches/moments/reactions, fast paced vs slow paced sections · DaVinci Resolve + Suno AI music
• Lab 10 — Same-day edit workflow — how to deliver a finished video within hours of filming an event · DaVinci Resolve optimised media + smart render

🎯 The Capstone — A Complete Video Production from Brief to Delivery. Students receive a real client brief (assigned by Avanteia) and produce a complete professional video from scratch — including pre-production planning, AI tool integration, colour grade, audio mix, and delivery in multiple formats. This is the portfolio centrepiece.

• Lab 01 — Showreel assembly — select best 6–8 moments from all Phase 1–5 projects, cut to music, add text overlays · DaVinci Resolve
• Lab 02 — Freelance pricing — hourly vs per-project, short-form (Reels) pricing, long-form (YouTube) pricing, corporate video pricing · Upwork, Fiverr rate research
• Lab 03 — Upwork and Fiverr profile setup — portfolio video embedded, specialisation stated, gig pricing set · Upwork + Fiverr
• Lab 04 — Client brief to delivery workflow — intake form, revision policy, file handover, invoice template · Notion + Google Docs
• Lab 05 — Capstone — receive assigned brief, produce complete video using minimum 3 AI tools + DaVinci — present to panel · DaVinci Resolve + Google Flow + ElevenLabs + Suno + CapCut AI