Learn Davinci Resolve Basics

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Learning the basics of DaVinci Resolve can provide many benefits for those interested in video editing and post-production. DaVinci Resolve is a powerful and versatile video editing software that is widely used in the film and television industry.

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What is Davinci Resolve?

Davinci Resolve is a FREE video editing software that is extremely powerful and widely used. It offers a wide range of tools and features that can help users to achieve professional-level results.

With just Davinci Resolve basics you will be able to start editing your videos for Youtube, TikTok and Instagram or Facebook Reels. One of the biggest benefits of learning DaVinci Resolve is the ability to edit, color grade, and finish videos all in one software.

As I said before, DaVinci Resolve is a free, open-source software which makes it accessible to anyone. This means that users can start learning and experimenting with the software without any financial barrier. Furthermore, DaVinci Resolve is constantly updated with new features and improvements, making it a valuable tool to learn for anyone interested in the field of video editing and post-production.

Davinci Resolve Basics for Video Editing

If you’ve ever thought about starting your own Vlog channel, making trendy Tiktok content, or filming a music video, you’ll need something to edit your clips with. Davinci Resolve offers a free version of their program and it’s quite simple to use!

When getting started, the program (just like any editing software), can be a little overwhelming. But don’t you worry. Here are the absolute basics you need to get started!

If you are a visual learner, you’ll find a video version of everything you’re about to read plus more.

Transforming (Zooming In and Out & Moving)

  1. Highlight the video clip you want to transform.
  2. On the right side of the screen, click
Davinci image of video clip icon
  1. Under the <transform> tab, press and drag your cursor on the <zoom> or <position> numbers to alter your image.
davinci image of zoom and position settings
  1. Keep an eye on your video to perfect the way you want it to look!

Cropping Video in Davinci Resolve

  1. Highlight the video clip you want to crop.
  2. On the right side of the screen, click <video>
Davinci image of video clip icon
  1. Under the <cropping> tab, press and drag your cursor on any of the scales.
Image of cropping settings in Davinci
  1. Keep an eye on your video to perfect the way you want it to look!

Speed Change in Davinci (faster or slower)

  1. Highlight the video clip you want to change speed.
  2. Right click
  3. Press <change clip speed>
  4. Make the number higher than 100 for an increase of speed, or lower than 100 for a decrease of speed
Image of speed settings in davinci
  1. Press <change>

Freeze frame in Davinci (still image of your video)

  1. Highlight the video clip you want to change speed.
  2. Right click
  3. Press <change clip speed>
  4. Check off freeze frame
image of freeze frame icon in davinci
  1. Press <change>

Changing the video orientation from landscape (Youtube videos) to portrait (Tiktok, Instagram reels, Youtube shorts)

  1. Go to the <crop> tab, located at the bottom of your screen
image of crop tab on davinci
  1. Then, at the top right, click on the <resolution> button that looks like this
Resolution image in Davinci
  1. When you press the button, the drop down menu will display a few options to choose from. To have your video in portrait mode, press <portrait>.
  2. Once you’ve successfully done that, you may transform and crop your video to fit the screen better!

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Basics of Davinci Video Tutorial

If you are a visual learner, this video tutorial of Davinci Resolve Basics explains the features above plus, how to:

  • Zooming and Moving (Transforming)
  • Cropping
  • Speed Change (Faster or Slower)
  • Create a Still Image of Your Video (Freeze Frame)
  • Add words or titles to your Video
  • Change the Video Orientation (TikTok, Instagram or Reels)

Well, I hope you liked this tutorial on basic editing with Davinci Resolve. As you can see Davinci isn’t so hard to use with some tips and a little bit of practice!

About Us

Amy & Steph

Oh hello. Hi, I’m Amy and I’ve worked for a large educational organization with over 12,000 employees for more than 30 years.  Specializing in Human Resources Management and the field of administration, I wanted to share some of what I’ve learned throughout my career and in my spare time. 

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