5 DaVinci Resolve Effects and Techniques to Create a Cinematic Film Look

Alex Jackson

This video tutorial demonstrates five advanced effects and techniques within DaVinci Resolve to help videographers achieve a professional, cinematic film look for their videos [Image 3]. These tools can dramatically alter the mood and visual style of footage, offering creative control without requiring expensive physical equipment.

1. Cinematic Haze [0:26]

• Purpose: Adds realistic atmospheric haze and volumetric light rays to a scene, enhancing depth and creating a desired cinematic mood. It's presented as one of DaVinci Resolve's most underrated tools.
• Application Steps:
  • Create a new node in the Color page, positioning it before the Color Space Transform (CST) output node if using a color managed workflow (e.g., DaVinci Wide Gamut) [Image 5].
  • Search for "Cinematic Haze" in the Effects Library and drag it onto the new node.
  • Depth Mapping:
    • The effect uses internal depth mapping. Use Shift+H to view the depth map (white areas are close, black areas are far, grey areas are in between).
    • Adjust "Far Limit" and "Near Limit" sliders to define the range where the haze will be applied [Image 8]. For a realistic look, allow some haze to subtly affect the subject, avoiding a completely clean foreground.
    • Adjust the "Gamma" slider to fine-tune the feathering of the haze effect.
  • Atmospheric Scattering (Haze Properties):
    • Control the "Density" and "Resolution" of the haze.
    • Change the "Color" of the haze to match the scene's lighting (e.g., warmer for sunset, cooler for a misty morning) [Image 6].
  • Light Rays (Sunbeams):
    • Enable "Light Rays" to generate artificial light beams within the haze.
    • Adjust "Source Threshold" to select the brightest areas from which rays emanate (e.g., a lamp, a window).
    • Set "Ray Direction" and "Arc Angle" to control the angle and spread of the light rays.
    • Refine the look with "Length," "Softness," "Brightness," and "Saturation" sliders.
• Considerations:
  • Use sparingly to maintain realism; excessive use can look artificial.
  • The Cinematic Haze effect is resource-intensive and can slow down playback. It's recommended to disable the node during editing and re-enable it before export.

2. Radial Blur (Flou Radial) [3:17]

• Purpose: Creates a circular blur effect around the edges of the image with a subtle rotational distortion, reminiscent of vintage lenses like the Helios 44M. This effect is popular for talking-head videos or interviews.
• Application Steps:
  • Reset previous effects on the clip.
  • Search for "Flou Radial" (Radial Blur) in the Effects Library and drag it onto a new node [Image 10].
  • Masking:
    • Create an elliptical or circular mask around the subject's face/center of interest.
    • Feather the mask edges generously to create a smooth transition.
    • Invert the mask to apply the blur effect to the surrounding areas, leaving the subject clear [Image 12] (Before) vs [Image 11] (After).
  • Effect Adjustment:
    • Adjust the "Intensité du flou" (Blur Intensity) to control the strength of the radial blur [Image 9].
• Creative Impact:
  • Draws attention to the center of the frame.
  • Adds a unique, dreamlike, or vintage aesthetic.
  • Simple and quick to apply for a noticeable creative touch.

3. Prism Blur (Prisme Flou) [4:43]

• Purpose: Generates a distinct distortion and chromatic aberration effect, particularly around the edges, contributing to an "imperfect" yet artistic and stylized cinematic look.
• Application Steps:
  • Reset previous effects on the clip.
  • Search for "Prisme Flou" (Prism Blur) in the Effects Library and drag it onto a new node [Image 13].
  • Masking:
    • As with Radial Blur, create an elliptical or circular mask around the subject to prevent distortion of their face [Image 15].
    • Feather the mask edges and invert it to apply the prism blur to the background and edges [Image 14] (After).
  • Effect Adjustment:
    • The video highlights that it’s important to create the mask first.
    • Parameters for adjusting the effect are present, allowing for customization of the distortion and color separation [Image 16]. The presenter mentions default settings work well or can be adjusted to preference.
• Creative Impact:
  • Creates a modern, stylized, and slightly surreal visual.
  • Adds depth and separation between the subject and background through color fringing and distortion.

4. Vignette + Lens Distortion (Vignette + Distortion) [7:02]

• Purpose: Combines a strong vignette with a subtle, inverted lens distortion to give images a retro, dynamic, and wider-angle feel, often associated with vintage optics.
• Application Steps:
  • Reset previous effects on the clip.
  • Vignette:
    • Create a new node and name it "Vignette."
    • Search for "Vignette" in the Effects Library and apply it to the node [Image 29].
    • In the parameters, open "Advanced Options."
    • Reduce "Adoucissement" (Softness) to create a more pronounced, marked vignette rather than a soft one.
    • Adjust "Taille" (Size) and "Anamorphisme" (Anamorphism) to shape the vignette's intensity and form.
  • Lens Distortion:
    • Create another new node and name it "Distortion" [Image 33].
    • Search for "Distorsion d'objectif" (Lens Distortion) in the Effects Library and apply it [Image 31].
    • The effect might initially crop the image; adjust the "Distorsion" slider (e.g., to a negative value) to invert the distortion, making the image contours stretch outwards.
    • This creates a dynamic, wide-angle lens effect [Image 30].
• Creative Impact:
  • Adds a retro or vintage film aesthetic.
  • Dynamizes the image, making it feel as if captured with a very wide or unique lens.
  • Works well for specific shots, especially when speaking directly to the camera or to differentiate certain moments in a video.
  • These two effects can be combined into a compound node for easier management.

5. Soft Light Gaussian Blur Hack (Petit hack) [8:39]

• Purpose: A quick hack to achieve a soft, dreamy, and glowing "mist filter" effect directly in DaVinci Resolve, without needing a physical filter on the lens.
• Application Steps:
  • Reset previous effects on the clip.
  • Create a new node.
  • Search for "Flou Gaussien" (Gaussian Blur) in the Effects Library and apply it to the node [Image 36].
  • Change Blend Mode:
    • Right-click on the node and navigate to "Mode de fusion" (Fusion Mode).
    • Select "Lumière Tamisée" (Soft Light).
  • Adjust Opacity (via Alpha Output):
    • The standard "Intensité" (Intensity) and "Fondu de l'ensemble" (Master Fade) controls on the Gaussian Blur effect will not affect the opacity when in Soft Light blend mode.
    • To control the opacity of this effect, go to the "Key" tab on the Color page.
    • In the "Cache alpha" (Alpha Cache) section, reduce the "Gain" slider to decrease the overall opacity and intensity of the soft light effect. Setting it to 0.700 is suggested for a balanced look [Image 34] (Before).
• Creative Impact:
  • Instantly softens the image, making it appear dreamier and more ethereal [Image 37] (After).
  • Enhances vibrancy, contrast, and saturation in a subtle way, creating a more "alive" image [Image 35] (Before) vs [Image 39] (After) [Image 38].
  • A simple yet effective technique for a distinctive visual style, popular for portraits or establishing shots.