Stage 2 of 8 · 6 lessons · ~4 weeks

Video fundamentals AI does not replace

The skills that decide whether an AI video is usable: hooks, story structure, shot choice, pacing and editing, sound, on-screen text and brand consistency.

Start: Hooks and the first second

Lessons· one lesson for each topic, in this order

Start with· follow one of these

ToolFree
DaVinci Resolve
Blackmagic Design · Beginner
The official Beginner's Guide teaches editing, colour and sound on a free editor professionals use
GuideFree
Google Fonts Knowledge
Google Fonts · Beginner
Free, short lessons on choosing and using type, from Google Fonts: readable text on every asset

Practise

TikTok Creative Center (Top Ads)
Study top ads for hooks and pacing, then recreate one shot for shot
Meta Ad Library
Pick three ads in one industry and rebuild them to learn their structure

Keep handy

Adobe Color palette generator
Build palettes from harmonies or a photo, and check contrast and colour-blind views before delivery

Also worth your time

Made to StickReadPaid
Why some ideas are remembered: simple, unexpected, concrete stories are what good hooks are made of
In the Blink of an EyeGo deeperPaid
A film editor's short classic on why and when to cut, which applies directly to stitching AI clips

Before moving on: Three 15-second edits made from the same set of clips or stock footage, each with a different hook, with captions and a brand colour and font, plus a short note on which you would test first and why.

Tauseef's advice

Learn to edit before you learn to generate. An editor who understands hooks and pacing can make three average AI clips into a good ad; a generator without editing skills makes thirty beautiful clips that never become one. Recreate real ads shot for shot: it is the fastest teacher there is.