Absolute Beginners Course on HitFilm Express

Import media into the HitFilm Express media bin using standard formats like mp3, wav, mp4. Organize assets by creating folders for video, audio, and images, and drag, drop, and multi-select.

Navigate the viewer window in HitFilm Express with zoom, fit-to-window, and drag-to-zoom on a spot, while adjusting playback and paused resolutions and qualities, and customizing background, color channels, and exports.

Master how to merge audio and video in HitFilm Express by right-clicking to merge, syncing high quality audio with video on the timeline, then replacing the scratch audio.

Discover how to use HitFilm Express editor timeline to drag media from the trimmer into the viewer, cut and move footage, and use left-side tools to assemble your project.

Adjust the timeline scale in HitFilm Express to control visible time, starting from a default five minutes, using the slider, mouse wheel, or increment and decrement zoom buttons.

Insert footage from the media bin to the timeline, trim with in/out points in the trimmer, and use insert clip or overlay clip to place between or over clips.

Insert video and audio tracks in HitFilm Express using right-click, and rename tracks to organize your project. Insert an unlimited number of tracks, and adjust track size as needed.

Adjust video and audio track sizes from small to extra large to fit tracks, and choose a preview mode: none, start to end, or full preview for faster workflow.

Label timeline items in HitFilm Express with colors, using right-click or number keys 0–9 to assign labels. Set default colors per media type in file options; remove colors to revert.

Learn to scrub the editor timeline using the play head, spacebar, and J/K/L keys, adjust speed, and move frame by frame between edit points and timeline ends.

Master the edit timeline tools in HitFilm Express, including selection, drag, slice, slip, slide, ripple edit, roll edit, and rate stretch, to trim, move, and time clips.

Unlink the audio from the video to treat them as separate assets, then edit or trim each track independently using the unlink hotkey (control shift backslash).

Learn to create j cuts and l cuts in the editor timeline by sliding audio and video from different clips to overlap, using a simple hotkey instead of unlinking.

Master the audio with HitFilm Express's audio mixer by managing multiple tracks, meters, and master level, using the sliders on each track and solo and mute controls to prevent peaking.

Explore the controls panel to adjust clip properties, motion blur, blend mode, and transform settings on the editor timeline, including anchor point, position, scale, rotation, and opacity.

Learn to animate properties over time in HitFilm Express using keyframes, adjusting opacity with a dot indicator and various interpolation types, including constant, smooth in/out, and manual BCA handles.

Master the display timeline to keyframe rotation, position, and other properties, then refine with the value graph, editing key frames, and adjusting interpolations.

HitFilm Express provides a universal search bar across the interface, letting you type keywords like transform or scale to quickly locate items and effects, including fractal noise effect.

Apply effects directly in the editor timeline by adjusting brightness and contrast, using presets, and toggling effects on and off to preview. Explore video transitions like wipes and cross fades.

Right-click media in hitfilm express to access blend modes, motion blur, and transform options; fit to frame height or width, center, reset, and unlink or link audio.

Add text quickly in HitFilm Express with the text tool on editor timeline or composite shots, creating a 5-second layer above the video and adjusting font, color, alignment, and keyframes.

Explain variable frame rate versus constant frame rate and why HitFilm struggles with variability. Convert any uncertain footage to a constant frame rate with handbrake to avoid audio-visual sync issues.

Optimize editing performance in HitFilm Express by adjusting playback and paused resolutions and quality profiles to reduce lag, while final renders remain unaffected.

Lock tracks on the editor timeline in HitFilm Express to prevent edits in that track. Unlock when needed to modify, while still working on other tracks.

Masking in the editor timeline lets you apply mask shapes with the controls area, including subtract, invert, or deleting the mask, and key frame changes without a composite shot.

Explore composite shots, used for sophisticated visual effects, motion graphics, and color grading, featuring multi-layer timelines where each layer holds a video, image, or 3D effect.

Discover three methods to create a composite shot in HitFilm Express: from media panel, by converting a layer, or directly from an asset, with adjustable properties and timeline tabs.

Learn to build a composite shot using point, plain, grade, sound, image, and video layers. Move, trim, adjust opacity, position, scale, rotation, and explore camera and light layers.

Learn to use layer parenting to control multiple assets with a single point, and master snapping for precise placement by turning it off when needed.

Explore HitFilm Express layer blend modes to control how layers and effects merge. Use modes like normal, add, multiply, screen, overlay, hue, and luminosity to shape pixel values.

Create and animate masks in a composite shot using the mask drawing tools to form elliptical, rectangular, and freehand shapes, then adjust points and feathering.

Master keyframing in a composite shot by animating a text layer’s blur along the timeline, using value graphs, constant, smooth, and linear keyframes.

Learn to track a candle in a moving shot with a point tracker, transfer the motion data to a new point layer, and composite fire that moves with the candle.

Learn how to use a double point tracker in HitFilm Express to track two markers, apply rotation and scale to a text layer, and remove markers with the clone stamp.

Use HitFilm Express tracking to stabilize handheld footage by tracking a feature, stabilizing x and y positions, rotation, and scale, and adjusting the anchor point.

Learn to work with text in a composite shot by converting between point text and paragraph text, right-clicking to adjust the text box, justification, and anchor point.

Explore creating three-dimensional environments in HitFilm within a composite shot by turning two-dimensional layers into three-dimensional objects, adding planes and lights, and animating with cameras, motion paths, and keyframes.

Learn how motion blur enhances realism by enabling it in the composite shot properties, adjusting shutter angle, shutter phase, and max samples, and balancing quality with render performance.

Learn to use ram preview in HitFilm Express to playback complex composite shots with multiple effects smoothly by loading footage into memory, enabling accurate previews before rendering.

Learn how to speed your HitFilm Express workflow with pre rendering, creating proxies of keyed green screen shots and composite shots to accelerate exports.

Locking layers in a composite shot prevents accidental changes or deletions, with the option to unlock and edit again.

Explore the HitFilm Express effects tab, browse categories, search effects, and learn how free options, add-ons, and grade layers unlock infinite possibilities in composites.

Master 360 degree video effects by wrapping footage around a sphere with the 360 viewer and video transform, and create a star field background with fractal noise for space scenes.

Explore HitFilm Express audio effects to shape sound with reverse, balance, cathedral reverb, and echo. Use the equalizer presets and pitch controls to simulate room sizes and tonal changes.

Explore gravity, throwing, and acceleration as built-in behavior effects you can apply to any layer in HitFilm Express, not part of add-on packs, and adjust their direction and wind-like acceleration.

Explore the blur effects in HitFilm Express, including angle blur, motion blur, lens blur, and zoom blur. Each effect adds direction, softness, or lens realism for dynamic scenes.

Master color correction effects in HitFilm Express to unify shots across varied lighting by using auto color, auto contrast, auto levels, brightness, contrast, color balance, and curves.

Learn color grading effects in HitFilm Express to craft final looks with precise control, using presets like hue cycle, day for night effect, hue colorized effects, and vignette adjustments.

Explore a suite of distort effects to bend, shift, and alter layer details, including bulge, displacement, heat distortion, magnify, mosaic, twirl, and witness protection.

Explore how generate effects create new visual elements, from cost sticks effect distortion to dimension rift portals, fractal noise, reflection, and glow.

Explore gradients and fills in HitFilm Express, including four color, two point, and radial gradients. Adjust colors, blend with the original layer, and tweak size, position, and shape for effects.

Explore grunge effects to simulate old or damaged video, including flicker, grain, half tone, jitter glitches, fixed noise, scan lines, shake, and stutter for frame freezing.

Master keying effects in HitFilm Express, including chroma key, hue and rgb key, luminous key to remove backgrounds and refine edges using view mat, mat cleaner, spill removal, light wrap.

Discover how to craft light-based effects with lights and flares, including lens flares, glows, and light rays, using auto light flares, hotspot control, thresholds, and customizable glow colors.

Explore particles and simulation effects in HitFilm Express, focusing on lightning and electricity with trunks, branches, twigs, and rain on glass using wave, twitch, growth, speed, jitter, and scale settings.

Explore quick 3d effects in HitFilm Express, including bonfire, debris, fire explosion, fluffy cloud, missile smoke, rain, sci fi shockwave, sparks, and storm cloud, with adjustable density, color, and motion.

Apply the parallax effect to create 3D depth in a 2D layer within the hit film express environment, using a height map or host texture, with blur for smoother depth.

Sharpen images using standard tools in the sharpened folder and the sharpen effect to bring out fine detail. The un sharpen tool provides an alternate method for highlighting detail.

Explore HitFilm Express stylized effects for extreme color grading by combining techniques, including cartoon, embossed, find edges, glow darks, oil painting, photo Rama, pulsed arise, solar rise, threshold, and tint.

Explore temporal effects in HitFilm Express, including echo, time displacement, and time reverse. Use motion trails for fake motion blur and adjust speed with rate stretch or speed duration.

Learn to improve video quality with cleanup effects, clone stamp tools, and tracking in HitFilm Express, using a clone mask and a plane to fix issues and de-interlace interlaced footage.

Explore warp effects in HitFilm Express to stretch, distort layers, including GoPro presets for fisheye distortions. Use perspective, polar, quad, sphere, BCA warp, and vortex warp tools to reshape footage.

Create, organize, and reuse HitFilm Express presets to save effect settings across 3D and 2D workflows, with folders, import/export, and exact layer properties for quick recreation.

Publish properties in composite shots to create templates for titles or lower thirds, editable on editor timeline. Export templates to hard drive or import preinstalled templates from the media panel.

Learn to export a project in HitFilm Express, manage presets, and monitor progress in the four-panel export screen. Choose between exporting the in-out work area or the entire timeline.

Explore online resources for hit film express, including the user guide and forum, plus YouTube channels like the effects home official channel and hit film university with in-depth tutorial playlists.

Explore HitFilm Express, a powerful non-linear editor with advanced visual effects and compositing features. Use the Q&A section to request effects and receive tutorials and course-wide videos.

Demonstrates HitFilm Express 14's new features, including the light theme, integrated export, enhanced masking and color tools, and expanded effects and text options for streamlined workflows.

Master HitFilm Express 15 with enhanced masking tools, crop pan and zoom, GoPro SFX reframe, image sequence imports, and new hotkeys for panel control.

Explore HitFilm Express 16 with a revamped export frame, built-in voiceover recording, h two six five decoding support, quick track renaming, sync scrolling, and cleanup of unused assets.