DaVinci Resolve editing: film post-production guide

Table of Contents

Express Checklist Before Starting an Edit

• Hard drive connected via Thunderbolt/USB-C (avoid slow drives for 4K footage).
• DaVinci Resolve up to date (check Studio vs Free version).
• Main footage Framerate (fps) identified (24, 25, 50, etc.).
• Project Settings configured BEFORE importing the first clip.
• 'Live Save' option enabled in user preferences.
• Cache Location set to a fast drive (SSD).
• Keyboard configured (DaVinci, Premiere, or Avid shortcuts).

Project Settings

Timeline Resolution & Framerate

Set 'Timeline Frame Rate' to your main footage cadence. Once media is imported into the timeline, this setting is often locked. For resolution, work in HD (1920x1080) even for 4K sources to ease the load, and switch to UHD just before export.

Playback & Monitoring

Ensure 'Video Monitoring' matches your Blackmagic card output (e.g., 1080p25) to see the image on the reference monitor. If the image is black on the video output, this is often where the issue lies.

Media Management

Proxies and Performance

Generating Proxies

For heavy codecs (H.265, 8K RAW), select your clips, right-click > 'Generate Proxy Media'. Choose a lightweight format like ProRes 422 Proxy or DNxHR LB.

Managing Proxy Playback

Go to Playback menu > Proxy Handling. Choose 'Prefer Proxies' to use lightweight files, or 'Disable Proxies' to force original playback (e.g., to check sharpness).

Common Bugs and Solutions

Media Offline

Symptoms:

Red screen with 'Media Offline'.

Cause :

Moved files, disconnected drive, or drive letter change.

Fix:

Select red clips > Right-click > Relink Selected Clips > Point to your footage root folder. If that fails, check 'Ignore file extension' or change relink method.

Cannot Change Framerate

Symptoms:

'Timeline Frame Rate' box is grayed out.

Cause :

You have already imported media into the project.

Fix:

Create a NEW project, set the framerate CORRECTLY, then copy-paste your bins from the old project (Dynamic Project Switching).

Playback Stuttering

Symptoms:

Playback stops or skips frames.

Cause :

Drive too slow, GPU saturated, or H.264/H.265 codec too heavy.

Fix:

Generate Proxies or 'Optimized Media'. Lower playback resolution (Playback > Timeline Proxy Resolution > Half/Quarter).

Slow or Unstable Interface

Symptoms:

Laggy clicks, interface delays.

Cause :

Database (Project Library) too large or corrupted.

Fix:

Backup the database. Optimize database via Project Manager. Avoid having 50 complex timelines in a single project.

Proxies Not Linking

Symptoms:

You generated proxies but playback remains slow.

Cause :

DaVinci is not using proxies or they were generated with a different framerate.

Fix:

Check Playback > Proxy Handling > Prefer Proxies. Verify proxies have the SAME framerate and SAME timecode as originals.

Crash on Startup or Open

Symptoms:

Software closes instantly.

Cause :

Outdated GPU drivers, incompatible plugins (OFX), or conflicting USB devices.

Fix:

Update GPU drivers (Studio Driver for Nvidia). Unplug non-essential USB devices. Disable OFX plugins on startup if possible.

Export Problems (Render Fail)

Symptoms:

Export stops at a random percentage.

Cause :

GPU overloaded, corrupt clip at that specific moment, or full drive.

Fix:

Reduce render speed (File > Render Speed > 50 or 10). Uncheck 'Stop render when a frame or clip cannot be processed' (risky but useful for debug). Identify the problematic clip.

Correctly Preparing for Grading

Color Management

Define your color space (e.g., DaVinci YRGB) from the start. Do not change it mid-way. If editing Log footage, apply a viewing LUT via 'Project Settings > Color Management > 3D Lookup Table Interpolation' or directly on a timeline node, NOT on clips themselves to maintain flexibility.

Best Practices Before Color Page

Simplify your timeline (Collapse). Remove unnecessary shots. Check for black holes. Duplicate your editing timeline to keep an 'Edit Lock' version before moving to grading.

General Best Practices

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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