You don’t need any of the technical jargon.
Don’t be overwhelmed by all the modules, you can hide most of them away.
With just Exposure module and Filmic RGB module, try the following:
- Using the Exposure module, adjust the image until the midtones look good. Ignore highlights and shadows, don’t worry about clipping here.
- Using the Filmic RGB module’s highlight adjustment slider, move it until your highlights look good.
- Using the Filmic RGB module’s shadows adjustment slider, move it until your shadows look good.
You should now have an image has good global contrast, and should be ready for local adjustments, if necessary.