5 Easy VFX for Pro Editors (Step-By-Step Tutorial)

If you’ve ever sunk hours into a big, showy effect—only to realize it doesn’t actually help your edit—you’re not alone. After two decades cutting broadcast commercials, I’ve learned that the simple visual effects are the ones pros reach for every day. In this video, I walk you through five easy VFX you’ll actually use, and how each one can instantly level up your edit.

1. Use Masking to Improve Performances
I start with my all-time lifesaver: masking. In a commercial with Brett Favre, the best take of his performance didn’t match the best take of the other actor. Because the camera was locked off, I simply masked around Brett and combined the two shots—giving me perfect performances and full control of their timing.

2. Use Masking to Combine Takes
Next, I break down a deceptively simple shot of a cat knocking over glitter. What looks like a single take is actually several layers: a clean plate, a masked-out cat trainer, multiple glitter plates, and lots of keyframed mask adjustments. When you understand layering, you can build the exact shot you imagined.

3. Use Speed Changes on Narrative Shots
Speed changes aren’t just for montages. I show how we sped up an auctioneer by 20%—then corrected the pitch—to boost the comedy. You can also speed-tweak parts of a shot, like a cat jump, for a subtle energy lift without drawing attention.

4. Use Looping When You Need More Frames
When a great shot ends a few frames early, looping is your friend. Duplicate the last few frames, reverse them, and you’ve just extended the moment seamlessly. This old-school trick still works beautifully when movement is minimal.

5. Use Subtle Digital Camera Moves
Finally, I cover adding intentional digital movement. A gentle 2–4% push-in can make static shots feel more cinematic—especially on masked or composited shots. The key is subtlety.