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Course 15 · Create course 04

Shoot & Edit Professional-Looking Videos

Use light, composition, camera control, sound, and editing to create stronger photos and short videos with any capable camera.

Before you start

Charge devices, clear storage, clean lenses, and find the manual controls available.

See everything you’ll need
What you’ll leave with

A consistent 12-image photo story and a polished 60-second video built from an intentional shot plan.

Start course Start without an account. Sign in to save lesson progress across devices.

Your project

Start with the practice files. Build your project one lesson at a time.

Practice files are free without an account. Sign in to save your project record in My Proof: a description, checklist, and optional work link. Keep the original files in your own app or notebook; saving a project record does not upload them.

  1. Get your materialsDownload the practice worksheetUse the downloadable worksheet or toolkit alongside the lesson instructions.
  2. Make your projectView the project checklist Work in your own notebook, document, or software. Use the supplied practice examples when you prefer.
  3. Keep a private recordSave a project record Sign in to save a description and checklist, then return to update them.
Optional course overview

Watch an introduction.

This overview from Adorama · Master Your Craft introduces ideas you’ll practice in the lessons.

Watch directly on YouTube
Adorama · Master Your CraftHow to Set Exposure in Manual ModeYouTube
Course handbook

Know the route before you begin.

Here’s what you’ll need and what you’ll make. You can return to this guide during any lesson.

Who this is for

For a beginner using a phone, mirrorless camera, or DSLR who wants intentional photographs and short video. The course emphasizes light, composition, exposure, focus, coverage, editing, export, and ethical asset handling over collecting gear.

Prepare before lesson one
  • Charge devices, clear storage, clean lenses, and find the manual controls available.
  • Choose one simple subject and one photo-plus-video story to practice across the course.
  • Confirm consent, location rules, and rights for people, property, music, and graphics.
  • Create dated folders for originals, project files, exports, licenses, and backups.
Your final project

Finish with proof you can use.

A 12-image photo story and 60-second video with a shot plan, controlled brightness and focus, clear sound where needed, organized originals, edits you can undo, licensed materials, checked exports, and written feedback.

Save a project record in My Proof
See project checklist and review criteria
  • A five-frame light study of the same subject with notes on direction and mood.
  • A nine-frame composition study using three viewpoints and three shot sizes.
  • A controlled series showing frozen motion, intentional blur, shallow depth, and deep focus.
  • A labeled footage set with complete visual coverage, primary sound, natural sound, and room tone.
  • A finished 60-second cut plus a 12-image sequence that works without captions.
  • A checked high-quality master, copies for the intended platforms, an organized backup, and four notes for improving the next project.
Three ideas to help you along the way
Three useful ideas

The rules behind the steps.

01

Light describes the subject

Direction, size, distance, contrast, color, and exposure shape what viewers notice before a preset does.

02

Composition creates attention

Framing, layers, scale, line, timing, and background control guide the eye and clarify relationships.

03

Editing serves intent

Selection, sequence, color, sound, and pacing should strengthen the original meaning without misleading viewers.

What do these words mean?
Key words

Key terms worth knowing.

Aperture
The lens opening that affects exposure and depth of field, expressed as an f-number.
Shutter speed
How long each photo or video frame gathers light, influencing motion rendering.
ISO
A camera signal-amplification setting that affects brightness and visible noise; it does not create light.
White balance
The interpretation of scene color so neutral and intentional colors render consistently.
Codec
A method for encoding and decoding video or audio data, separate from the file container.
Your route

6 lessons.
One useful project.

Work in order the first time. Each lesson makes something the next lesson can use.

  1. 1
    Up next

    See the light

    Recognize direction, quality, contrast, color, and intensity before choosing settings.

  2. 2
    27 min

    Compose with intent

    Arrange subject, background, edges, scale, and viewpoint to direct attention.

  3. 3
    34 min

    Control exposure and focus

    Choose settings based on motion, depth, noise, and creative priority.

  4. 4
    36 min

    Plan and capture video

    Record coverage, sound, and continuity that can form a complete short story.

  5. 5
    40 min

    Edit for meaning

    Select and order images or clips to create clarity, rhythm, and emotional change.

  6. 6
    24 min

    Export, archive, and review

    Deliver technically correct files and preserve the project for future use.

Use the tools

Tools to help you practice.

See all tools
Text worksheet

Your course practice worksheet

A text worksheet with this course’s lesson tasks, space for your answers, and a project checklist.

Source transparency

Sources and further study.

Explore the references behind the lessons and take your learning further. Source notes explain access and reuse.

Adobe — Photography basics
Blackmagic Design — Training
Ready when you are

Start with the first useful move.

You’ll always know what to do, what to make, and where to go next.

Start lesson one