18 Essential DaVinci Resolve Workflow Enhancements for Faster Editing, Color Grading, and Audio Post-Production

Jacob Nordin

Enhancing Editing Speed and Organization [00:27]

• 1. Select Left/Right of Playhead and Close Gaps [00:27]
  • This feature allows for rapid selection of all clips either before or after the playhead, useful for making space in the timeline without affecting subsequent clips.
    • On Mac, the default shortcuts are Option+Command+Y to select left and Option+Y to select right.
    • To quickly remove all empty spaces (gaps) between clips, map "Delete Gaps" to a custom shortcut (e.g., Command+D).

      

      

      

• 2. Shuffle Clips [01:16]
  • Rearrange clips in the timeline without disturbing the overall timeline structure.
    • Select a clip and press Shift+Command+Comma to move it left or Shift+Command+Dot to move it right.
    • Alternatively, hold Shift+Command and drag a clip, and Resolve will automatically push other clips aside.

      

      

      

      

• 3. Trim to Playhead [01:51]
  • A highly efficient shortcut for trimming clips to the playhead's position.
    • Remap "Ripple Start to Playhead" to Q and "Ripple End to Playhead" to W.
    • This allows for fast editing by playing, stopping, and trimming without using the blade tool.

      

      

      

      

• 4. Dynamic Project Switching [02:36]
  • Copy elements between different projects seamlessly.
    • Enable "Dynamic Project Switching" in the Project Manager by right-clicking.
    • This allows multiple projects to remain open, enabling instant switching and asset transfer.

      

      

      

• 5. Viewer Background [03:01]
  • Adjusting the viewer background helps identify clip edges, especially with dark footage.
    • Open "Timeline View Options" and navigate to "Viewer Background".
    • Choose a contrasting color like red or a checkerboard pattern to prevent accidentally exporting visible background edges.

      

      

• 6. Power Bins [03:41]
  • Store frequently used assets (sound effects, overlays, transitions) that remain accessible across all projects.
    • To enable, click the three dots in the media pool and select "Show Power Bins".
    • Drag adjustment clips or other media into a power bin for universal access.

      

      

      

• 7. Dynamic Zoom [04:12]
  • Add simple, non-keyframed zoom effects to clips.
    • Enable "Dynamic Zoom" in the Inspector.
    • Use the on-screen controls (green box for start composition, red box for end) to define the zoom.
    • Click "Swap" to reverse the zoom direction (e.g., zoom in instead of out).

      

      

• 8. Timeline Playback Resolution [04:54]
  • Improve choppy playback performance when working with heavy color grades or high-resolution footage.
    • Go to "Playback" -> "Timeline Playback Resolution".
    • Select "Half" or "Quarter" resolution to temporarily lower the viewer's resolution, ensuring smoother playback without generating proxies.

      

      

Advanced Color Grading Techniques [05:25]

• 9. Export Presets [05:25]
  • Create and save custom export settings for various platforms or purposes.
    • In the Deliver tab, configure desired export settings (e.g., for YouTube, Instagram).
    • Click the three dots next to the render settings and select "Save as New Preset."
    • Add frequently used presets to "Quick Exports" for one-click rendering directly from the Edit page.

      

• 10. Hide Layers from the Color Page [06:10]
  • Prevent adjustment clips from being selected on the Color page, making grading individual clips easier while keeping adjustments active.
    • In the timeline view, Alt (or Option) + click on the specific layer you want to hide from color page selection.
• 11. Shared Nodes [06:44]
  • Apply a single effect or adjustment across multiple clips, with all instances linked to one central node.
    • Right-click on a node and select "Save as Shared Node." Blue arrows indicate it's shared.
    • Right-click on a node in another clip, go to "Add Node," and select the shared node from the list.
    • Shared nodes are locked by default; right-click to unlock for editing.
    • Useful for effects like noise reduction that can be toggled off globally for smoother editing and then enabled before export.

      

      

      

• 12. Power Grades [07:58]
  • Save and reuse entire color grades, including all nodes, keyframes, and effects, across different projects.
    • Right-click on a graded video clip and choose "Grab Still."
    • Drag the still from the Stills Gallery into a "Power Grade" folder.
    • To apply, middle-click on the power grade still or drag it onto a new clip's node tree.

      

      

• 13. Groups [08:41]
  • Group clips together to apply shared adjustments to multiple clips simultaneously.
    • Select clips, right-click, and choose "Add to New Group."
    • Pregroup: Adjustments here apply before individual clip adjustments (e.g., camera color space transform).
    • Postgroup: Adjustments here apply after individual clip adjustments across the entire group (e.g., output color space transform, overall look).

      

      

      

      

• 14. Chroma Warper [09:53]
  • A powerful color grading tool for precise hue adjustments.
    • Open the Color Warper tool on the Color page.
    • Click and drag directly on the image to change specific colors (e.g., a jacket).
    • Switch from "Normal" to "Point-to-Point" mode for isolated color selections, preventing unwanted shifts in other colors.
    • Excellent for correcting skin tones by aligning them with the skin tone line in scopes.
    • Sliders for "Chroma Range" (broadens/narrows selection) and "Exposure" (brightens/darkens selected color).

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

• 15. Cinematic Haze [11:07]
  • Add realistic haze or fog effects using the depth map of the footage.
    • Apply the "Cinematic Haze" effect in the Color page.
    • White areas in the depth map show fog, while black areas remain clear.
    • Adjust parameters like halos around bright areas and add light rays to emphasize light sources.
    • "Air Disturbance" can enhance realism. Decrease opacity for a subtle, believable effect.

      

      

      

Streamlining Audio Workflow in Fairlight [13:34]

• 16. Fairlight Busses [13:34]
  • Group multiple audio tracks (e.g., voice-over, music, sound effects) to control them as a single unit.
    • Go to "Fairlight" -> "Bus Format" and add a new bus (e.g., "Music").
    • In the mixer, assign individual audio tracks to the created bus.
    • Assign the new bus to "Bus 1" (main output) to hear the audio.
    • Apply EQ, compression, or volume adjustments once to the bus, affecting all routed tracks.

      

      

• 17. Fairlight Configuration Presets [14:34]
  • Save your entire Fairlight setup, including track layouts, buses, and effects, as a preset.
    • Go to "Fairlight" -> "Preset Library".
    • In the dropdown, select "Fairlight Configuration Presets" and click "Save New."
    • Load this preset in new projects to avoid rebuilding the mixer from scratch.

      

• 18. Audio Normalization for YouTube [15:06]
  • Optimize audio loudness for YouTube to prevent automatic dynamic range compression and ensure consistent playback.
    • In the Deliver page, under the "Audio" tab, check "Normalize Audio."
    • Select "YouTube" from the loudness standard presets.
    • Resolve automatically adjusts the audio to YouTube's target loudness (-14 LUFS).
    • Still requires balancing individual audio tracks for a consistent overall mix.