Whether you’re a seasoned post-production pro, or just starting out, you’ve probably heard of DaVinci Resolve. The software is especially known for two things: its great color grading user interface and the fact that it’s free. But DaVinci Resolve has evolved over the years and become something much better - one software that offers you editing, visual effects, audio design, and color grading. Essentials in all sections are free, but if you want to use the program in full, you’ll need to upgrade to a paid version.
But first, let’s take a few steps back. Learning a new program can be daunting, regardless of your experience. This article breaks down everything you need to know when first getting accustomed to the software, especially if you’re a Windows user. It’s generally pretty similar to the iOS version, however, there are a few minor differences. This guide is for DaVinci Resolve 17.
Creating a New Project
Once you’ve launched the program, you’ll get a grey window, which is basically a space for your projects. You’ll create a new project in your local database, where you can gather and save various projects. You can create a custom database by clicking New Database.
To create a new project you can:
Click on New Project in the bottom right corner or
Right-click anywhere on the empty area
You’ll notice that next to “New Project” there’s a “New Folder” button. You can create a folder for your projects by clicking that button. This layout is similar to any other folder organization system in any OS.
When you create a project, a small window will pop up asking you to name it. Once you’re done naming it, click Create.
Importing Media
Once you’re in DaVinci Resolve, you’ll find various sections of the software at the bottom, starting with Media on the left. You can basically import your media into any of these sections, excluding Deliver, which is to export. Doing it through the Media section will give you the most space for organizing your files.
To import through Media you:
Click on Media at the bottom of the screen
Choose which drive you want to import from and expand
Find the folder with your media
Drag and drop your media
DaVinci will then ask you if you want to change the frame rate to match the frame rate of your videos. Don’t worry if you want to create a timeline with a different frame rate, you can do so in the Edit section.
In every section, you’ll find a Media Pool button in the top right corner. This is where you access your imported media. If you haven’t imported your media yet, you can right-click anywhere in the space and select Import Media.
You can also drag and drop your media in any of these spots directly from your file manager.
Creating a Timeline
A timeline is a space where you’ll edit your video. To create a timeline you:
Right-click somewhere in your media pool
Select Timelines
Click Create a New Timeline
Name your timeline
Edit your starting timecode (optional)
Click Create
You can also use the shortcut Ctrl+N.
If you want to create a custom timeline with a different aspect ratio or frame rate, you can do so while creating it. Untick the box where it says Use Project Settings and click Format. There you can create a timeline according to your needs.
You can delete a timeline by selecting the timeline in your media pool and press the Delete button.
Basic Tools
Now we’ll look at some basic editing tools in the Edit section of DaVinci Resolve. This section will give you a few more possibilities when editing than Cut — which is best used for quick projects, when you just need to, you know, cut. Edit is also the most similar to other editing programs, like Adobe or Final Cut.
If you’re already familiar with another editing software, and you want to keep those keyboard shortcuts. Here’s how you do it:
Click DaVinci Resolve in the top left corner
Select Keyboard Customization
Click the down arrow next to DaVinci Resolve
Choose your desired keyboard setup
However, in this tutorial, we’ll be using the default DaVinci Resolve keyboard shortcuts. If you’re not sure what a button will do, you can hover your mouse over the icon and some text will appear explaining what it is. You can undo any action by pressing the command, Ctrl+z.
Getting your media into the timeline: You can get your clips into the timeline with different processes. Click on your desired video. Beneath the video, you’ll see a line, which is the timeline of your video. On it, you can select an in point (where you want your video to start on your timeline) by dragging the little vertical block on the line on the desired spot and pressing I (stands for in) on your keyboard. Then drag the block a little further down and press O (stands for out). This is your out point and it determines where your video will end.
To get the clip on your timeline, simply grab it anywhere in its window screen and drop it on the timeline. You’ve now put your video and its corresponding audio into the timeline.
If you only wish to work with video (no audio), you can click the film reel icon and drag from there. If you only want to use the audio from the clip (no video,) click on the audio waveform and drag it to the timeline.
You can also drag and drop a clip directly from the media pool into the timeline. This will place the entire clip into your timeline.
Locate media folder.
Import media.
Customize your video: Next to the video window, you can find the Inspector section. This is where you can customize your video: zoom in and out, change position on the x and y-axis, rotate, etc. This is also where you can crop the video, change its speed and even do basic compositing. If you want to attempt some easy and elemental motion graphics and animation, this is also the place where you can play with keyframes and more.
Media and timeline window: If you click on Inspector again, you’ll get two video windows. The left window will display any video you select from the media pool. The right window will show you your timeline.
Cutting: You can cut your video by selecting Blade Mode or by pressing B on your keyboard. To change the blade back to selection mode, click A.
Locate the blade icon.
Dragging the video across the timeline: You can drag your video across the timeline by simply selecting the video and dragging it left or right. If you only wish to drag the video (picture), unlink the clip by clicking the Linked Selection icon, then select either only the video or only the audio, and drag it to the desired destination. If you’ve already selected both audio and video, you can unselect them by clicking anywhere on the timeline.
Zoom in and zoom out on your timeline: You can zoom in and zoom out on your timeline by pressing Ctrl++ (zoom in) or Ctrl+- (zoom out).
Transitions
Once you’ve placed your clips in the timeline, you can add transitions. Here’s how to do it:
Click Effects Library (next to Media Pool)
Go to Toolbox
Click Video Transitions
Select your desired transition
Drag the selected transition and place it on top of your cut
If you wish to delete the transition, select it and press the delete button on your keyboard.
You can also make your transition longer or shorter by dragging it left or right. You can precisely select the duration of your transition by clicking Inspector and typing in your desired duration. If you hover the mouse over the number and then click and drag left or right, you’ll automatically change the numbers.
Exporting Media
When your project is done and you want to export it, you can go to Deliver. You can create a custom export but DaVinci Resolve also offers some presets (YouTube, Vimeo, etc). You can also export your project so that it’s compatible with other editing programs.
Every option will provide you with some level of modification and they all work by the same principle. Let’s look at an example of exporting a custom video.
Filename gives you the option to name your exported file. Below, in Location, it’s where you select your file’s export location. Pro tip: if you export your file to a different location than where you edited your original editing media from, the export will be faster and easier on your computer.
You have an option to export a single clip or individual clips. If you select a single clip, you’ll get one exported video. If you select individual clips, you’ll have a folder full of individual clips from your timeline. This option is useful when you’re creating proxies.
Format is where you choose the format of your video. Below, you can choose your codec and encoder. You can also adjust the resolution and frame rate of your exported video and choose the bitrate.
Then, click Add to Render Queue. On your timeline, you can select if you want to render the entire timeline or just a section of your timeline. You can do this by clicking In/Out Range and selecting the in and out points on your timeline. To export your video, click Render all on the right side of the screen. You’ll see that the progress of the export is being shown in that section. When your render is finished, the letters turn green saying completed.
In Conclusion...
DaVinci Resolve is a powerful and versatile editing software for editors of any skill level. There are endless possibilities when it comes to editing. The path that I’ve shown you is one of many. You’ll find yourself developing your own workflow the more you’ll use it.
DaVinci is also growing more and more popular because of its seamless integration of different sections. Fusion is for VFX and advanced motion graphics, Color is for color grading, and Farlight is for audio mixing. If you wish to learn more about any of these, you can go to Blackmagic’s in-depth tutorials, where you can learn and practice.
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