Intro to Editing

Before the end of the editing unit, I'd like to learn how to create gun sparks, how to mix sound so that it's muffled at some points and clear at others, and tips for crating an intro that displays the title in a three dimensional way, as if it's part of the footage. I plan on creating an action sequence at some point during the year, so I want to make sure that I can add explosives that look real and aren't too cheesy. I saw similar videos had this effect last year, especially the "Iron Gun" series, so I'm hoping it's part of the lesson plan and we get to it as well this year. Also, I like adding a background track to my videos, but there are times when I don't want it to overpower some scenes, so I'd like to learn how to muffle it at those parts, without stopping it completely. In addition, I'm always looking for a way to make my intros more interesting to hook the viewer, so hopefully I can learn some techniques for displaying my titles in a fresh and entertaining way.