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Accessibility statement
An image to illustrate Storytelling with video editing short course
The course introduces you to the basics of video editing. You'll receive a temporary licence to install a copy of Adobe Premiere Pro and will be guided through the process of creating a short video project using materials the course provides. By watching instructional videos, you'll learn how to add titles, rearrange clips, apply cuts, transitions, and a soundtrack. You also gain an understanding of the impact of these techniques on a video’s ability to tell a story and learn something of the history of editing.
This short course focuses on practical skills acquisition, specifically skills in video editing. Using Adobe Premiere Pro, and a set of video templates, you'll progress through a range of situations that require editing while considering the impact of these editing choices on storytelling.
The learning is divided into six weeks of content focused on the following areas:
Week 1: What is video editing?
You'll learn about the practice of video editing and what this means as a profession, the role of specialist editing software and where video editing sits within a larger process of production. The first week acclimatises you to new terminology and the basic tools within Premiere Pro.
Week 2: Cuts and transitions
This week focuses on cuts and transitions, providing helpful tips and techniques for implementing edits in the correct place. You'll see how professional video editors apply cuts and transitions within a practical context, known as ‘using B-roll’, to demonstrate a common and widely used convention within the video editing industry that brings spoken dialogue and stories alive through additional imagery.
Week 3: Video editing styles
In week 3 you'll explore the flow and ordering of video material, all of which is facilitated through cuts. You'll learn about an ordering process, known as ‘sequencing’ and how you can use this technique to create a new story. You'll also learn about conventional editing styles and rules belonging to the world of continuity editing that video editors use as the foundation to create powerful narratives.
Week 4: Audio in video editing
This week is all about how sound can bring video editing intentions and storytelling to life. Sound harnesses immense power to make onscreen action believable and enticing. Sound alone is a mode of communication that can convey meaning and deepen engagement with a subject or scenario, so by combining audio with visual content, a whole new world of imagination and possibilities become available through the act of audiovisual synchronisation.
Week 5: Text and titles in video editing:
Week 5 will show you how to insert text into your video creations and will guide you through the various text uses common to video editing. You'll learn about specific functions, from introducing visual content before we get to see it, to labelling purposes or providing extra narrative detail. Text can also help signpost the viewing experience, act as section dividers or can tell us when a video has finished.
Week 6: Finalising and sharing your video
The final week will touch upon the area of visual enhancement via a few basic creative ideas that you can apply to video content, and which have dramatic results. You'll learn about finalising and exporting your video content, showing you how to share your work with others on video sharing platforms.
After completing this course, you will have gained:
Knowledge and understanding of:
Cognitive skills with the ability to:
Key skills with the ability to:
Practical and professional skills with an ability to:
The course introduces techniques of video editing that are used in a variety of vocational settings, from social media campaigns to more advanced commercial applications.
There is no tuition on this course and all study is self-directed. However, a Study Advisor is present to facilitate discussion within the online forums.
There's no formal assessment, although there will be three ‘review and reflect’ points built into the course which you'll use to reflect on your understanding.
You’ll study for around 8 hours per week for 6 weeks. In total this course will require around 50 hours to complete.
All learning materials, exercises, and study support are delivered entirely online. You’ll be provided with a temporary licence for Adobe Premiere Pro editing software that will last for at least the duration of the course. You’ll also have access to a course website, which includes:
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the academic regulations, which are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website.
There are no entry requirements for this course.
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact us.
The course is delivered online and makes use of a variety of online resources. If you use specialist hardware or software to assist you in using a computer or the internet, you can contact us about the support which can be given to meet your needs.
StartEndRegister byEngland fee
No current presentation
We accept American Express, Mastercard, Visa and Visa Electron.
If this course is geared towards your job or developing your career, you could ask your employer to sponsor you by paying some or all of the fees. Your sponsor just needs to complete a simple form to confirm how much they will be paying and we will invoice them.
The fee information provided here is valid for short courses starting in the 2025/26 academic year. Fees typically increase annually. For further information about the University's fee policy, visit our Fee Rules.
This course will next start in the 2026/27 academic year and will open for registration on the 1st of May.
This course will next start in the 2026/27 academic year and will open for registration on the 1st of May.
Level info