pacotacoshell wrote:What I did when I started editing was I just messed around with it for a few days and figure out what does what. Google can also help you with cool shortcuts, like the S key splitting one clip into two and so on.
And obviously, obtain Avatar to edit with

Even though I'm a Mac, learning principles are similar. Find a tool and continuously use it on stock footage to burn it into muscle memory.
Repetition for emphasis. But one thing to also get a good grasp on us masking. Develop an awareness of how to draw it out and how the lines bend. Playing with stock footage is fun because the video doesn't matter. I can completely fail at masking one object but it won't matter now. But the more I do it, the more natural it feels.
For effects, go down the list in order and apply it to a clip every time. If you find a cool one, stuff it into favorites. Become aware of the preset effects you have and create an arsenal of ones you want to remember. And again, try it on stock footage to see how it plays out.
Almost as hard as fighting a Holy Paladin.