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The Editing Guide
Beginner → Professional

A premium, structured masterclass to learn anime AMV editing, video editing, sound design, and color grading — the SJW.VIBE way.

Explore Roadmap Back Home

Roadmap

Your learning path

  1. Step 01

    Beginner

    Foundations, interface, first cuts.

  2. Step 02

    Intermediate

    Transitions, effects, beat sync.

  3. Step 03

    Advanced

    VFX, keyframing, motion tracking.

  4. Step 04

    Professional

    Workflow, delivery, real projects.

Level 01

Beginner — Foundations

Choose Your Editor

CapCut, Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve or After Effects — pick one and commit.

Master the Timeline

Cut, trim, ripple, slip and roll. Speed comes from muscle memory.

Shortcuts First

Learn 10 core shortcuts before touching any effect.

Watch & Rebuild

Pick one edit you love. Recreate it beat for beat.

Level 02

Intermediate — Rhythm & Style

Beat Sync

Mark every beat. Cut on transients, not on silence.

Transitions

Zoom, whip, mask, luma. Motivate every transition.

Layer Stacking

Overlays, glows, textures — depth reads as premium.

Speed Ramps

Ease into the build. Snap on the drop. Feel the rhythm.

Level 03

Advanced — VFX & Craft

VFX Compositing

Screen replacements, particles, energy trails.

Motion Tracking

Anchor text, glows and elements to real movement.

Advanced Color

Curves, secondaries, split tones. Own your look.

Sound Layers

Bass drops, whooshes, risers — the invisible upgrade.

Level 04

Professional — Workflow

Workflow Systems

Presets, templates, project structure. Ship faster.

Delivery Standards

Correct codecs, bitrates and aspect ratios per platform.

Client Projects

Briefs, revisions, deadlines, and version control.

Signature Style

Your edits should be recognizable in 3 seconds.

Pro Tips

  • Less is more — restraint reads as premium.
  • Cut to the rhythm, not the lyrics.
  • Color is 50% of the feeling — grade before you polish.
  • Sound design separates amateurs from pros.
  • Reference constantly. Reverse-engineer edits you love.
  • Export, watch on a phone, then judge — most viewers do the same.

Avoid These Mistakes

  • Over-using presets and stock transitions.
  • Ignoring audio levels — spikes and unmixed music kill retention.
  • Random cuts with no rhythmic intent.
  • Crushing blacks and clipping highlights in the grade.
  • Skipping references before starting.
  • Exporting at the wrong resolution, frame rate or bitrate.

Export Settings

Delivery cheatsheet

YouTube 1080p

Codec
H.264 (High) or HEVC
Bitrate
8–12 Mbps (SDR) / 10–15 Mbps (HDR)
FPS
24 / 30 / 60

YouTube 4K

Codec
H.264 / HEVC / AV1
Bitrate
35–45 Mbps (SDR) / 44–56 Mbps (HDR)
FPS
24 / 30 / 60

Reels / Shorts / TikTok

Codec
H.264 (High) MP4
Bitrate
10–16 Mbps at 1080×1920
FPS
30 or 60 (match source)

Audio Master

Codec
AAC-LC 320 kbps or WAV
Bitrate
-14 LUFS integrated, -1 dBTP ceiling
FPS
48 kHz / 24-bit source

Resources

Tools we recommend

Mobile

Best editors for phones and tablets.

CapCut

Professional

Professional all-in-one mobile editor for reels, shorts, social media content, advanced templates, AI tools, motion graphics, and fast content creation.

VN Editor

Beginner → Intermediate

Clean timeline editor with excellent keyframes, LUT support, smooth editing workflow, and professional exports.

Alight Motion

Advanced

Advanced mobile motion graphics editor specializing in keyframing, masking, visual effects, vector animation, and professional motion design.

KineMaster

Intermediate

Reliable multi-layer mobile editor with chroma key, blending modes, precision trimming, and advanced editing tools.

Desktop

Professional editors for PC and Mac.

DaVinci Resolve

Beginner → Professional

Free industry-grade suite combining editing, node-based color grading, Fusion VFX, and Fairlight audio in one application.

Adobe Premiere Pro

Intermediate → Professional

Industry-standard timeline editor for long-form, commercial, and social work with deep Creative Cloud integration.

Adobe After Effects

Professional

Professional compositing and motion graphics tool for anime FX, tracking, rotoscoping, and complex keyframe animation.

Blender (Motion Graphics / VFX)

Professional

Free open-source 3D suite for motion graphics, camera tracking, simulation, and node-based compositing.

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