[dylan604]

practice practice practice. if you're using ffmpeg as a one of project, then you'll never grok it. if you're using ffmpeg as a daily tool doing many things, you'll almost start to think you grok it, but then still learn something new about it. whatever your current need of ffmpeg is right now, it is probably such a small subset of what it can do that you'll forever be amazed at what other people are doing with it.

if you're stuck on something and can't find an answer, keep trying to rephrase your question. i'd put money down that it is highly unlikely you are the first person attempting whatever you are doing, and it is very likely someone else has had issues like you.

sometimes, searching for the exact error message isn't as useful as one would hope, but with enough time you'll start to recognize how/why those errors are what ffmpeg is struggling with but it is actually something related that you need to address.