Milestone map
Milestone map
3 milestones
Learn the Edit Suite and Basic Assembly
4–8 weeks (1–2 hrs/day)
Learn a professional video editing application — DaVinci Resolve (free) is recommended. Complete a tutorial programme covering: project setup, timeline assembly, basic cut and trim operations, audio level adjustment, and export settings for web delivery. Edit a short clip of your own footage or public domain footage into a 30–60 second polished cut.
Proof required
Submit a 30–60 second edited video clip with: at least eight cuts; audio that is clean and levels are consistent; and a title card at the start. Export settings must match a documented web delivery specification (e.g. H.264, 1920×1080, 30fps). Submit the export specification alongside the video link.
What gets checked
- At least eight cuts are visible in the 30–60 second clip — not a single shot with titles overlaid
- Audio levels are consistent — no sudden jumps or barely-audible sections
- Export settings match a documented web delivery specification
Resources
Foundation: start here · Depth: go deeper · Mastery: for the dedicated
Foundation
Depth
Edit Three Finished Projects of Different Types
12–20 weeks (1–2 hrs/day)
Edit three different video projects — each a different type (e.g. interview, event reel, narrative short, tutorial, music video, travel montage). Each project must be a finished edit of at least 90 seconds with colour correction applied, audio mixed, and titles or graphics where appropriate. At least one project must synchronise a music track with the edit rhythm.
Proof required
Submit three separate finished video projects (Vimeo or YouTube links), each of a different type, each at least 90 seconds. For each, include a 50-word note covering the type of project, the primary editing challenge, and what colour correction approach was applied. At least one project must be edited to music with visible cut-to-beat synchronisation.
What gets checked
- All three projects are different types — not three versions of the same format
- Colour correction is visible in each project — not flat, ungraded footage
- At least one project demonstrates cut-to-beat synchronisation with a music track
Resources
Foundation
Depth
Deliver an Edit for a Real Client or Public Audience
2–6 weeks (project-dependent)
Complete a real video editing project for someone outside yourself — a friend, a local business, a community organisation, or a content creator — or publish an original edited piece that reaches a real external audience. Deliver the final edit in the format specified by the recipient or publication platform.
Proof required
Submit: the final delivered edit (a link or delivery confirmation); a written brief from the client or a publication URL confirming the intended audience; and a 200-word retrospective covering what the client asked for versus what you would have done differently, and one thing you learned from editing for someone else's brief.
What gets checked
- The edit was delivered to or published for someone outside the candidate — not self-directed content with no external brief
- A client brief or publication context is documented — the edit was made for a specific purpose and audience
- Retrospective identifies something specific the client's brief taught the candidate — not 'it went well'
Resources
Foundation
Depth