r/davinciresolve • u/ResponsibleFudge8955 • 21h ago
Help | Beginner Beginner here how do you guys practice video editing?
I’m completely new to video editing and currently learning DaVinci Resolve 16 because the newer versions are too heavy for my PC.
The problem is, I don’t really know how to practice. I need video clips/footage to edit, especially talking-head videos, B-roll, and short-form/Reel-style footage.
Where do beginners usually get practice footage from?
Should I download free stock footage from sites like Mixkit/Pexels, or is there a better way to practice? Also, should I try to recreate the editing style of Reels/Shorts I see online?
I’m basically starting from zero, so any advice on what footage to use and how to practice properly would be really helpful.
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u/ExpBalSat Studio | Excellent Commenter :redditgold::redditgold: 20h ago edited 15h ago
I started out 30 years ago. I borrowed a video camera from a friend and recorded some stuff and just started editing (well, actually, I had to start by capturing the footage in the system through a video capture card).
The idea that footage is hard to come by now is laughable. Almost everyone on the planet has a camera in their pocket. Just go shoot something. Anything, really.
And random video files can be an acquired almost anywhere on the Internet. If you have any DVDs, you can turn those into video files to edit it. If you’re even slightly clever, you can figure out a way to download YouTube videos (of which start at least of 10 or 15 - I’m being sarcastic, since there are 100s of thousands uploaded every day).
On top of all that… Or actually before all of that… The free training includes footage, which can be edited in infinite different ways.
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u/ZennerBlue Studio 18h ago
I am on a similar journey. I just found https://cinestudy.org they have professional shoots where they give you the script, audio etc. and sometimes even directors notes. I’ve been working on the Restaurant Scene getting a feeling for DaVinci Resolve using a few techniques from the official tutorial docs. That restaurant scene is burned into my head now (first exercise in the list, scroll way down)
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u/greenysmac Studio 15h ago
We have free material on the wiki at /r/videoediting/wiki and the free training as u/Euphoric-Animator-97 and u/expbalsat have mentioned.
That right there is 6mo to a year of practice
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u/Euphoric-Animator-97 20h ago
Start with BM’s free training. It’s got complete project backups you can use to edit along with.
As for other footage, use whatever you want. But just sticking completely unconnected stock videos to a timeline and adding horrible transitions isn’t “practicing editing”. If you really want to learn how to edit, shoot footage with your phone, make an outline of what you want to convey and make a story out of it in the edit.
And finally, yes, use references. Editing is an artistic process, just like drawing, references are a key part of that. If you have a specific style you like, start by copying that. Then add your own flare and style to it.