Windows once came with a fairly capable video editor called Movie Maker, but it was discontinued in 2017. After some delay, Clipchamp arrived as the new default video editor on Microsoft’s operating system, and it comes with a variety of useful features that let you put together some impressive-looking footage.

If you’re new to Clipchamp, or just want to dive into what it has to offer, I’ve put together a few tips to help you get the most out of it. It’s suitable for any kind of basic filmmaking, from putting together your family vacation highlights package to making your first short film, and it’s not difficult to get the hang of.

Unfortunately, unlike Movie Maker, Clipchamp isn’t completely free. Many of the basic features can be used without paying, but you’ll have to pay to export videos in 4K and without a watermark, and a premium subscription will get you a whole lot more filters, effects, and stock content. The premium plan costs $12 per month or $99 per year.

As friendly as Clipchamp is, it can be a little daunting to jump into an empty timeline. A better way to get started is to load up one of the templates (like TikTok or Birthday) that you can access from the Templates tab on the home screen.