This lesson walks through the essential tools you’ll use in almost every VFX project: the Selection tool for moving and adjusting layers, the Pen tool for creating masks and shapes, and the Timeline for keyframing animations and effects over time. It also introduces key panels like the Effects & Presets panel (where you search and apply visual effects) and the Layers panel (where you manage stacking order and blending). Getting comfortable navigating between these tools and panels quickly is what allows you to work efficiently once you start building real compositions.