Hi everyone! 
My name is Daniel and I’m currently studying the basics of Unreal Engine, following some of Stephen Ulibarri’s courses.
My goal:
Besides learning the fundamentals, I really want to focus on:
• Level Design
• Realistic Lighting
• Video Making (Sequencer, camera work, high-quality rendering)
The visual style I’d like to achieve is as realistic as possible, similar to Pasquale Scionti’s videos, which I find absolutely stunning in terms of mood and lighting.
My current level:
Right now I can create some simple models in Blender, so I have a basic understanding of 3D modeling, but I’m new to Unreal Engine and I want to build a clear, structured learning path step by step.
I’d really appreciate any advice on:
• What’s the best order of topics to learn? Should I jump into lighting and Sequencer right away or focus first on building small, solid environments?
• What first projects would you recommend to really learn by doing? For example: recreating a single room, an exterior shot, or a scene inspired by a reference?
• Are there any must-have resources (courses, playlists, YouTube channels) for pushing realism and making short, cinematic shots?
• Any common mistakes to avoid when focusing on lighting and video making in UE?
• Do you recommend doing post-production directly in Unreal, or is it better to export and finish in DaVinci Resolve/After Effects?
Extra:
If anyone is open to sharing personal experience (first projects, lessons learned, realistic timelines) I’d really appreciate it — also any scene references, look breakdowns or workflow tips would be pure gold!
Thanks so much to anyone who takes the time to share their advice. I hope this thread can help other beginners too!
Happy creating, everyone! 
