Welcome to EditMentor, the online system that teaches the art of visual storytelling.

While EditMentor is really easy to learn and use, this quick guide provides all the basic information needed to get started quickly, along with links for more details.

Topics Included Below:

The Orange Chat Icon in the bottom right corner of EditMentor links to all our Help Articles with dozens of articles, definitions and explanations.

If you cannot find the answer in our Help Articles, EditMentor experts can be contacted through the Chat by clicking "Send Us a Message."

The Dashboard view is unique to each user and provides a snapshot of the progress. It includes available courses and the status of completion for each lesson. It also indicates the score for each lesson completed.

Each EditMentor course is broken into individual lessons on specific topics. Within each lesson are a series of challenges that teach and reinforce the lesson.

Lessons also include links to help articles with expanded details on each topic.

The Timeline combines video, audio, and graphics to construct a film. A series of videos and audio laid out on the timeline is called a sequence.
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Video clips on the track are brown, while audio clips on the track are blue.

In the upper left corner of the timeline is the Timecode for the sequence. Timecode is based on the playhead's position and indicates the exact moment of the film.

The Playhead is the orange bar that moves as the sequence is played. The left and right arrow keys ⬅️➡️ on the keyboard move the playhead one frame, either back and forth, on the timeline to find an exact frame.

The Media Library is located in the top left corner of the EditMentor interface. This is where the media (aka "footage") is stored and organized for a project. Many times, the media files are organized in folders. Filmmakers use this panel constantly to find the shots needed to build their story.

Using the Media Library

The Display Monitor is where footage can be reviewed to determine the best takes to use in a sequence.

The Display Monitor changes based on what panel you have selected, the Timeline or the Media Library, and the location of your playhead in the selected panel.

There are several types of challenges within an EditMentor lesson. After reading the lesson text, begin a challenge by pressing the orange Start Challenge. The majority of challenges will take place in the EditMentor Interface. Make sure to read the challenge text carefully to see what the question is asking and what tools are required to be used.

Once you have completed the challenge, press the Submit Answer button. Your score and answers will be revealed. The View All Possible Answers button provides detail into the correct, partially correct and incorrect answers. Students can Try Again if they would like to repeat the challenge to get a higher score.

Below is a breakdown of the different challenges types within EditMentor:

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In a Marker Challenge, you need to identify a moment in the timeline, based on the question being asked in the challenge text.

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In an Interactive Marker Challenge, multiple-choice questions are found inside the glowing orange triangle markers located on the timeline. When you click on a triangle, you'll be presented with a multiple-choice question to answer on the timeline. You will need to consider details like timecode, the position of an edit point, or why the marker is placed where it is.

A blue checkmark will appear once the question is answered. When all the questions in that challenge are answered, the answers can be submitted and reviewed.

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In a Delete Challenge, shots are selected on the timeline and either Deleted or Rippled Deleted to improve the story. Both Delete tools can be found on the Tools Palette.

Shots can be selected by clicking on the clip or by drawing a box around the clip with the mouse.

The Delete tool removes a clip in the timeline and leaves a gap. The icon looks like two dotted brackets.

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In a Trim Challenge, clips are shortened or extended on the timeline by using the correct trim tool.

The trimming tools are located in the Tools Palette to the left of the timeline.

​Trim Tool Icons from Left to Right:

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In a Multiple Choice Challenge, questions are answered in the lesson panel or challenge information box.

The “Start Challenge” button allows access to the Editing Interface, if the question is based on something in the Media Library or on the Timeline.

Many of the Multiple Choice Challenges have more than one correct answer. Typically, these questions include the line, “select all answers that apply.”

After completing the lesson, the Lesson Complete box will appear and provide the overall score. It also includes:

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