Video Editing & Filmmaking Masterclass

Stop scrolling thumbs in their tracks by using visual effects to create out of the ordinary video content. Emonee LaRussa’s experience as a motion graphics artist and director began as a teenager when she started making amateur music videos with her friends. Access to a laptop and design apps like Adobe Effects helped bring Emonee and her passion for video effects to places she never imagined possible. Now a two time Emmy-award winning artist, Emonee’s trippy creative style has helped her gain over 200K followers and given her the opportunity to work with artists like Lil Nas X, Ty Dolla $ign, and Megan Thee Stallion as well as Saturday Night Live, The Grammys, and Rolling Stone. If you’re curious about visual effects, an art form which flawlessly integrates computer-generated imagery with live-action video footage, jump into Emonee’s first ever full-length class where she’ll walk you through her exact workflow to help you to take your video content to the next level. Throughout this course you’ll learn to: - Brainstorm your concept - Prep and plan your shoot - Discover the art of the green screen - Organize your digital workspace and composite your scene - Finalize your piece by creating a mask, blending, and adding your final details before editing it into a loop Plus, you’ll get a behind the scenes look into Emonee’s own work and how she goes about pre-production, production and post-production for a project as a full-time motion graphics designer. Whether you’re looking to unleash your inner motion designer for the first time or improve on the video editing skills you already have, joining Emonee will help you create video content that will have everyone asking how you did it. No previous motion design or video editing skills are required for this class. To follow along with Emonee, you’ll need a computer, access to Adobe After Effects, a green screen, and a camera phone or DSLR camera. You can also use extra lighting and lenses if you think it will work well for your project. Instructor bio: Emonee LaRussa is a Motion Graphics Artist working with Lil Nas x, Meg thee Stallion, The Grammy’s, Saturday Night Live and more. Along the way, Emonee has won 2 Emmys during her time working at CBS. She has created a non-profit JumpStart Designers focused on getting digital art to lower-income kids. Emonee is looking to continue her path on building a better future for all.

Ready to take your animation skills to the next level? In this intermediate step of the After Effects journey, instructor Hongshu Guo helps you go beyond the basics and start animating like a pro. This course picks up where the fundamentals left off, diving into transitions, layered effects, and polished animation techniques. You’ll learn how to offset layers, use trim path and masking effects, animate text and complex compositions, and add the kind of visual polish that makes motion graphics stand out. With each lesson, you’ll build toward a final project where you’ll design and animate a custom title or logo reveal. By completing this course, you’ll gain the confidence to animate more complex scenes, explore After Effects’ deeper toolset, and finish your projects with creative flair. If you're looking to build a portfolio-ready animation and unlock the next phase of your creative journey, this course is your launchpad. Instructor bio: Hi, I’m Hongshu Guo, a Motion Graphics instructor with over 40,000 students online. I help beginner animators master After Effects through clear, hands-on courses. You can also explore free tutorials on my YouTube channel, Motion Circles, or join our community on Discord to connect with fellow learners. YouTube: www.youtube.com/@motioncircles Discord: https://discord.gg/weezcdqe

If you’re completely new to motion design and ready to dive into the world of animation, this course is the perfect starting point. Taught by designer and motion graphics expert Hongshu Guo, this beginner-friendly course walks you through everything you need to know to open After Effects with confidence and start creating animations from scratch. You’ll learn how to navigate the interface, organize your files, and build your first composition using key animation tools like position, scale, and opacity. Through step-by-step lessons and a hands-on project, you’ll understand how animation works and how to bring basic objects to life on screen. By the end of the course, you’ll know how to animate simple sequences professionally and efficiently using core After Effects tools. Whether you're pursuing motion graphics as a hobby or a career, this course lays the solid foundation you need to build your skills and create with confidence. Instructor bio: Hi, I’m Hongshu Guo, a Motion Graphics instructor with over 40,000 students online. I help beginner animators master After Effects through clear, hands-on courses. You can also explore free tutorials on my YouTube channel, Motion Circles, or join our community on Discord to connect with fellow learners. YouTube: www.youtube.com/@motioncircles Discord: https://discord.gg/weezcdqe

Find success as a freelance editor by combining the power of taste and technical knowledge. There are a lot of things Ryan Kao wishes he had known before starting his career as a freelance video editor and cinematographer. From learning editing essentials to finding his distinctive visual style to properly managing client projects and marketing himself on social media, developing skills like these have helped Ryan go on to secure opportunities with brands like Nike, Adidas, and IKEA as well as cultivate a community of almost 250K across YouTube and Instagram. Now, Ryan wants to share everything he’s learned about starting a career in freelance editing and things he wished he could’ve told himself when he got started. In this class, you’ll learn the must-knows of a successful video editing freelance career, common mistakes and pitfalls and how to avoid them, and general tools to help you develop strong client relationships. With Ryan as your guide, you’ll: - Decide which of the three video editor types you are - Discover key editing terms, skills, and definitions - Define your editing rate and what success means to you - Learn the exact steps to take to get your career started Plus, Ryan will share a downloadable guidebook that will help you through your first few months of becoming a freelance video editor. Whether you’ve been exploring the idea of freelance editing for a while and are looking for a way to jumpstart your career or you are an entry-level editor who is looking to gain more confidence and a better understanding of the industry, you’ll leave this class knowing what it’s like to be a full-time freelance editor and what actionable steps to take towards your dream career. No freelance editing experience is required to take this class. Some understanding of the video editing industry and video editing as a craft will be helpful but not necessary. Consider printing out your guidebook or bringing paper and a pen to take notes as you watch. Instructor bio: Ryan Kao is a cinematographer and video editor based in Los Angeles. What started as a simple childhood hobby over 15 years ago has grown into a thriving and transformative career as a full-time freelancer in the video industry. With cinematography and post-production work ranging from commercial, documentary, and narrative pieces. He is proud to say that his work has taken him all over the world. Making and learning from mistakes along the way has allowed him to discover some unique perspectives and strategies over the years. He's also been so honored to share his knowledge and experiences on YouTube with an audience of over 200,000 subscribers. This creative community has fueled his career beyond anything he could ever imagine possible, and he's beyond excited to share even more with you, here on Skillshare! Clients include Nike, Adidas, Alo, Trip Advisor, Hennesey, and more.

Take on any project without the stress by optimizing your project management, folder organization and overall workflow. There are a lot of things Ryan Kao wishes he knew before starting his career as a freelance video editor and cinematographer. From learning editing essentials to finding his distinctive visual style to properly managing client projects and marketing himself on social media, developing skills like these have helped Ryan go on to secure opportunities with brands like Nike, Adidas, and IKEA as well as cultivate a community of almost 250K across YouTube and Instagram. Now, Ryan wants to share everything he’s learned about project management, staying organized, and how to speed up editing workflow through project templates and presets. In this class, you’ll learn how to optimize your data management, create a cohesive folder structure, and gain more confidence in your overall editing workflow. With Ryan as your teacher, you’ll: - Organize and name incoming media with a strong folder structure - Set up and organize your footage - Understand how the benefits of cloud storage and hard drives - Move through large quantities of data with ease Plus, Ryan will share a downloadable version of his folder structure so you can use it the next time you need to organize incoming media. Basic video editing knowledge and experience will be helpful when taking the class. You’ll need your computer to get started as well as any hard drives or video content to practice with. You can also bring pen and paper to take notes. Instructor bio: Ryan Kao is a cinematographer and video editor based in Los Angeles. What started as a simple childhood hobby over 15 years ago has grown into a thriving and transformative career as a full-time freelancer in the video industry. With cinematography and post-production work ranging from commercial, documentary, and narrative pieces. He is proud to say that his work has taken him all over the world. Making and learning from mistakes along the way has allowed him to discover some unique perspectives and strategies over the years. He's also been so honored to share his knowledge and experiences on YouTube with an audience of over 200,000 subscribers. This creative community has fueled his career beyond anything he could ever imagine possible, and he's beyond excited to share even more with you, here on Skillshare! Clients include Nike, Adidas, Alo, Trip Advisor, Hennesey, and more.

Have you ever wondered what exactly color grading or correction is? Or you know what it is but have always been too intimidated to try to do it yourself? Well this class is for you! In this course, taught by Fred Trevino, he breaks down color correction and grading to its most basic steps. The skills learned in this course transfer over to many programs (not just Da Vinci Resolve) so whether you work in Premiere, FCPX or any other program, you will walk away knowing how to make your images look better. This class is for any beginner who wants a crash course (just the basics) and wants to get up and running in their first grade. In this course, Fred even includes all the media used so that you can easily follow along. In this course we'll go over: * Lift, Gamma, Gain * Highlights * Shadows * Contrast * Saturation * Color Temperature * Tint * Secondaries and More! Watch the first few lessons and I'm sure you'll learn something you'll use on all your projects! About your teacher: Fred Trevino is a colorist at Beambox Studio and a Skillshare Top Teacher, grading projects for filmmakers and clients around the world. He has worked on over 60 feature films as well as hundreds of music videos, shorts, documentaries, commercials, and web spots. Fred’s corporate clients include HBO, ESPN, Shiseido, Under Armour, Sundance Channel, TruTV, and Pepsi. His work has screened at major festivals like Sundance, Cannes, and Slamdance. Based in New York City, he also enjoys street photography. Fred’s courses guide learners from beginner-level color grading to advanced industry techniques, including creating cinematic looks, matching shots, and professional workflows in DaVinci Resolve.

Is matching the toughest thing for you when it comes to color correction? Well, you're not alone! In this course, taught by Fred Trevino, we'll go over some proven tools and techniques that will make your matching skills get to the next level. This is an advanced class for those of you that already know the basics of Da Vinci Resolve, cinematography, and understand tools such as keys, scopes, as well as using windows and curves. In this class we'll cover: * Why shots don't match in the first place. * Breaking down shots so you know what needs to happen. * Good tools to use to match your clips. * Bringing it all together to match a short scene. So, if you're looking to gain one of the more powerful tools as a colorist then this class is for you! About Your Teacher: Fred Trevino is a colorist at Beambox Studio and a Skillshare Top Teacher, grading projects for filmmakers and clients around the world. He has worked on over 60 feature films as well as hundreds of music videos, shorts, documentaries, commercials, and web spots. Fred’s corporate clients include HBO, ESPN, Shiseido, Under Armour, Sundance Channel, TruTV, and Pepsi. His work has screened at major festivals like Sundance, Cannes, and Slamdance. Based in New York City, he also enjoys street photography. Fred’s courses guide learners from beginner-level color grading to advanced industry techniques, including creating cinematic looks, matching shots, and professional workflows in DaVinci Resolve.

My name is Olaf De Fleur, and I am a do-it-yourself filmmaker with over two decades of experience. Through my film career, I've directed actors like Academy Nominee Florence Pugh (Black Widow, Little Women), James Cosmo (Braveheart), Johnathan Price (Brazil), Michael Imperioli (Sopranos), and JJ Field (Captain America), just to name a few. In this class, I'll share all the tools that I've learned by completing seven feature documentary films. In this step-by-step guide to Documentary Indie Filmmaking, you'll teach yourself how to complete a short documentary film independently through manageable action steps. This course is for anyone who is just starting or has done a couple of documentary projects; in either case, this class will deepen your understanding of documentary filmmaking. I'll share the fundamentals of what I've learned - for you to discover your unique style. All you need for this class is a camera, something to write on, and a computer to edit your film. Here are some of the things you'll learn in this class: * Experience hands-on a complete documentary film process * The fundamentals of documentary filmmaking * Develop your style as a visual storyteller * Receive documentary production tips that can save you from unnecessary agony * Complete a documentary film on a micro-budget We'll start with your documentary Idea, talk about my favorite development tools, Theme, Genre, and the Fairy Tale tool. We'll discuss Production, Cinematography, and Directing before hitting the post-production phase. I'll be inviting you to do tasks and challenges along the way. This course will not only demystify the documentary process, but it'll also illuminate your creative strengths and help you identify areas of improvement and opportunities. Let's get started! Instructor bio: Olaf de Fleur is an award-winning filmmaker from Iceland with over 20 years of experience and twelve feature films to his name. He has worked with acclaimed actors such as Florence Pugh (Little Women), Jonathan Pryce (Brazil), and Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad). Passionate about teaching the fundamentals of visual storytelling, Olaf helps learners build confidence and develop their creative voice. Alongside directing and writing, he teaches at film schools, speaks publicly, and offers creative coaching — always aiming to make filmmaking approachable, inspiring, and practical.

To make a film, where to begin? Start with 10 seconds. This simple constraint is a Creative Superpower—It clears out the noise: expectations, overthinking, pressure to impress. What’s left is focus, instinct, and play. The lessons in this course, taught by Olaf De Fleur, don’t tell you what to find. They help you find it. This course is beginner-friendly and designed to build your confidence. No gimmicks or shortcuts—just a clear, creative process to help you grow as a visual storyteller. The Big Takeaway - You’re pushed to make bold creative choices, revealing your voice and unlocking visual experimentation. Each short becomes a building block, sharpening your instinct for story, composition, and meaning. The Opportunity - A 10-second film becomes a micro-laboratory for observing your creative instincts. Like sketching, it reveals patterns and impulses you can expand into longer works. Your Future - By the time you take on bigger projects, your filmmaker identity will already be sharpened and defined. Class Topcis: * Theme Discovery: Learn how to identify and develop a meaningful theme that gives your ten-second film emotional depth and direction. * Creative Warm-Up: Begin with a playful, pressure-free approach that centers you before diving into filmmaking techniques. * Action-Based Ideation: Embrace an instinctive, movement-first method to find your film idea by doing, not overthinking. * Three-Act Microstructure: Understand how even a ten-second film can follow a full story arc with a beginning, middle, and end. * First Film Challenge: Create your first ten-second film using clear, simple visuals and sound to communicate your idea. * Directing With Intuition: Practice directing with clarity, emotional insight, and trust in your creative instincts. * Visual Style Development: Explore camera choices and movement to shape the tone and feeling of your story. * Lighting Essentials: Use simple techniques with natural or available light to enhance your film’s look and mood. * Edit and Sound Walkthrough: Watch real-time editing sessions to see how timing, rhythm, and sound bring a short film to life. * Remake and Reflect: Apply what you’ve learned by remaking your film and witnessing how much you’ve grown. Teacher's Note: "This is my new filmmaking course. Over the years, I’ve gathered a lot of experience—not just through making films, but also by teaching them. To be hones, when I first came up with the idea for this one, I thought it was kind of silly. Maybe even a clickbait I wouldn’t normally go for. But the more I explored it, the more I realized: this might actually be a powerful idea. It was eye-opening. Even with all my experience, it sparked something new. So now I believe this could be an amazing entry point for anyone curious about filmmaking. Enjoy! :) Your teacher, Olaf de Fleur Instructor bio: Olaf de Fleur is an award-winning filmmaker from Iceland with over 20 years of experience and twelve feature films to his name. He has worked with acclaimed actors such as Florence Pugh (Little Women), Jonathan Pryce (Brazil), and Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad). Passionate about teaching the fundamentals of visual storytelling, Olaf helps learners build confidence and develop their creative voice. Alongside directing and writing, he teaches at film schools, speaks publicly, and offers creative coaching — always aiming to make filmmaking approachable, inspiring, and practical.