Congratulations: You’ve Chosen to Learn About the Most Powerful, Free, Desktop Video Editing Software
DaVinci Resolve: A Free Video Editing Software
Congratulations on choosing to learn about the most powerful, free, desktop video editing software. DaVinci Resolve is a full-featured application that offers extensive tools to edit video, manipulate sound, apply effects, add titles, perform color correction, and so much more. In this article, we will guide you through the basics of using DaVinci Resolve.
Getting Started with DaVinci Resolve
- Start a New Project
To get started with DaVinci Resolve, launch the application and click on "New Project" at the bottom right of the interface. Give your project a name and click on "Create." The next step is to import your footage. You can do this by right-clicking on the "No Clip in Media Pool" section and selecting "Import Media" from the menu. You can also drag and drop your clips from your file system onto the Media Pool section.
Basic Editing
Once you have imported your footage, you can start building your edit. Mouse over any of your clips’ thumbnails and move the cursor left and right to skim through your footage quickly. Once you’ve found the right clip, double-click on the thumbnail to add it to the Viewer section. You can then drag the in and out points to select the portion of the clip you want to use. Finally, drag the clip from the Media Pool or Viewer onto the Sequence (the bottom half of the interface).
Working with Pages
DaVinci Resolve has many workspaces, known as Pages. The "Cut" Page is a basic interface that allows you to perform simple edits, but it has limitations. To access more features, click on the icon to the right of the "Cut" Page icon to move to the "Edit" Page. This is a more complicated interface that offers features such as zooming in and out of the timeline and resizing the timeline to fit the available space.
Adding Titles
To add a title to your project, click on the "Effects" tab and select the "Titles" option. Mouse over the available titles until you find the one you like and drag it onto the Sequence. To customize the title, select it in the Sequence and go to the Inspector section to change the wording and font.
Applying Transitions
To add a transition between clips, click on the "Video Transitions" option in the "Effects" tab. Mouse over the transitions to preview them and drag the one you like onto the timeline between two clips. You can also adjust the transition parameters in the Inspector.
Delivering Your Project
To share your finished project with others, click on the "Deliver" Page and select the "H.264 Master" option. Give your export a name, set a location to save the file, and click on "Add to Render Queue." Finally, click on the "Render All" button to export your project.
Conclusion
DaVinci Resolve is a powerful and free video editing software that offers a wide range of features and tools. With this guide, you should be able to get started with using the application and create your own video projects.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is DaVinci Resolve free?
A: Yes, DaVinci Resolve is free to use, but it’s subsidized by Blackmagic Design’s hardware sales.
Q: What is the difference between the "Cut" Page and the "Edit" Page?
A: The "Cut" Page is a basic interface that allows for simple edits, while the "Edit" Page offers more features such as zooming and resizing the timeline.
Q: How do I add a title to my project?
A: To add a title, click on the "Effects" tab and select the "Titles" option. Mouse over the available titles until you find the one you like and drag it onto the Sequence.
Q: How do I apply a transition between clips?
A: To apply a transition, click on the "Video Transitions" option in the "Effects" tab and drag the transition onto the timeline between two clips.
