Davinci Resolve Technical Info

Moving media form iPhone:

Davinci Resolve interface, layout, media import, and basic editing:

Notes from video”

## 1. Start a Project

– Open **DaVinci Resolve → Project Manager**
– Select **New Project**
– Name it clearly:
– `Lastname_ProjectName`
– Click **Create**
– Maximize the application window

## 2. Resolve Pages

– **Media:** Import and organize clips
– **Photo:** Still-image editing
– **Cut:** Quick, simplified editing
– **Edit:** Full timeline editing
– **Fusion:** Effects and compositing
– **Color:** Color correction and grading
– **Fairlight:** Audio editing
– **Deliver:** Export the finished video

## 3. Import Media

– Open the **Media page**
– Drag clips from Finder into the **Media Pool**
– Import multiple clips at once
– On a Mac, press **Spacebar** to preview a file
– Resolve may ask whether to change the project frame rate

## 4. Project Settings

– Set the project’s:

– Resolution
– Frame rate

– Ideally, match the best camera footage
– Example: **4K, 60 fps**
– Higher quality means:

– Larger files
– More processing power

– Use lower settings if the computer struggles

## 5. Inspecting Clips

– Hover over clips to skim them
– Use **Transport Controls** to play or stop
– Open **Metadata** to check:

– Resolution
– Frame rate
– Duration
– Codec—H.264 or H.265

## 6. Edit Page Layout

– **Media Pool:** Imported clips
– **Viewer:** Preview clips or the Timeline
– **Inspector:** Change selected clip properties
– **Timeline:** Assemble and edit the video
– The **Interface Toolbar** shows and hides panels

## 7. Add Clips to the Timeline

– Drag a clip from the Media Pool to the Timeline
– Resolve creates:

– A video track
– An audio track

– **Horizontal = time**
– **Vertical = layers**
– The red line is the **playhead**

## 8. Basic Timeline Editing

– Place clips side by side to play in sequence
– Drag a clip’s edge to shorten or extend it
– Use the **Blade tool** to split a clip
– Copy and paste clips to repeat footage
– Use Timeline zoom to see more or less time

## 9. Non-Destructive Editing

– Timeline edits do not damage the original file
– You can:

– Trim
– Cut
– Delete
– Move
– Restore footage

– The source media remains unchanged

## 10. Video Tracks and Layers

– Higher video tracks appear in front
– Lower tracks appear behind
– Overlapping clips can create **picture-in-picture**
– Move clips between tracks to change stacking order

## 11. Inspector: Transform

– Select a Timeline clip
– Use **Transform** to adjust:

– Zoom
– Position X and Y
– Rotation
– Anchor Point

– Controls can also be adjusted directly in the Viewer

## 12. Cropping and Compositing

– Crop from the left, right, top, or bottom
– Add softness to feather the crop
– Scale and reposition cropped clips
– Stack several clips for picture-in-picture layouts

## Big Picture

– **Import** media
– **Set** resolution and frame rate
– **Arrange** clips over time
– **Trim and cut** without damaging originals
– **Layer, transform, and crop** clips
– **Deliver** the finished video

 

Resources:

 

https://2pop.calarts.edu/technicalsupport/category/post-production/davinci/

Exporting and Archiving

DaVinci Resolve: Exporting, Archiving, and Submitting Your Project

  • Check the timeline: Remove stray clips beyond the intended ending to prevent long stretches of black in the exported video. Play through the ending to confirm playback stops where expected.

  • Confirm project settings: Open File → Project Settings and check resolution and frame rate. For this assignment, use 1920 × 1080 HD at your timeline’s frame rate. If delivering a project in 4K, restore the project’s 4K resolution before exporting.

  • Name and organize your files: Use your name, assignment, and semester—for example, Davis_SelfPortrait_Fall26. Create a clearly named project folder to hold both the finished video and project archive.

  • Configure the export: Open the Deliver page (rocket icon), select your destination folder, and use:

    • Single Clip

    • MP4 format with H.264 codec

    • Timeline Resolution or 1920 × 1080

    • Timeline Frame Rate

    • Automatic quality

    • AAC audio with the existing constant bitrate setting

  • Avoid upscaling during export: For a 4K delivery, change the project resolution first instead of simply choosing Ultra HD in the export settings. The tutorial also mentions H.265 as an option for 4K.

  • Render the video: Click Add to Render Queue, then Render All. Rendering combines the timeline’s clips, edits, and effects into one finished video file.

  • Review the exported file: Watch the entire video and check the sound before submitting. On a Mac, select the file in Finder and press the spacebar to preview it.

  • Archive the editable project: Open Project Manager using the home icon, right-click your project, and select Export Project Archive. Give it a descriptive name and save it inside the same project folder as the rendered video. Include Media Files and Render Cache.

  • Allow enough storage: Archives can be large because they include the linked media. Remove unused clips from the project to reduce archive size. On a Mac, use Get Info to check folder size. Keep the archive until grading is complete.

  • ZIP the complete submission folder: Right-click the outer project folder and choose Compress. The ZIP must contain the rendered video, the editable project, and all its media; the project file alone does not include linked footage.

  • Upload to OneDrive: Open the instructor’s shared folder link and upload the ZIP. Keep the computer awake and wait until the upload finishes.