Looking to seriously improve my video editing skills — any advice on techniques + where to find practice footage?
I’ve been editing videos for a while now (mostly short-form content — Reels/TikToks) but I feel like I’ve hit a plateau. I want to level up and actually get good, not just “decent.”
A few things I’m trying to figure out:
On the skills side:
• What are the most impactful editing techniques I should focus on first? (pacing, cuts, color grading, sound design…)
• Are there specific exercises or challenges you did that actually made a noticeable difference?
• Any YouTube channels, courses, or creators you’d recommend for learning seriously?
On the practice side:
• Where do you guys get footage to practice on when you don’t have your own?
• Free stock sites are cool but the clips feel generic — is there a better way to get raw, cinematic footage to work with?
• Did any of you re-edit existing films/music videos just to practice? Is that a good method?
I’m using DaVinci Resolve mainly, but open to any advice regardless of the software.
Would really appreciate any honest feedback from people who’ve been through this grind. Thanks