10 Essential Tips for New Editors in DaVinci Resolve

If you're diving into video editing with DaVinci Resolve, you know how powerful yet intricate this software can be. Whether you're a seasoned editor or just starting, a few small adjustments can make a big difference in your workflow. From setting up backups to managing proxies, these tips will save you time and frustration. In this article, I'll share 10 essential quality-of-life tips that will streamline your editing process, keep your projects organized, and help you avoid common pitfalls. Follow these guidelines, and you'll be editing with greater efficiency and peace of mind.

Be sure to check out the accompanying YouTube video below, where I demonstrate each step directly in DaVinci Resolve.

1. Always Enable Backups

Before starting any project, make sure to enable backups. Go to Preferences > User > Project Save and Load, and toggle on all three options: Live save, Project Backups and Timeline Backups. This ensures your work is constantly being saved, giving you the ability to recover past versions if needed. To restore a backup, right-click the project in the Project Manager and select Project Backups. From there, choose the version you want to recover. Trust me, this feature can be a lifesaver.

2. Set the Project FPS Before Starting

Make sure to set the correct project frame rate (FPS) before you begin editing. Go to File > Project Settings > Timeline Frame Rate and choose the appropriate FPS under Timeline Frame Rate. The default is 24 FPS, which is standard for film, but you might need 25 FPS for Europe or 30 FPS for the US. Remember, once you’ve created a timeline, you can’t change the FPS. If you need specific settings for certain timelines, deselect Use Project Settings when creating the timeline and manually adjust the settings. Be cautious: any changes made to settings after timelines are created will only affect the default timelines, not the custom ones you've set up.

3. Enable Color Management Early

Activate color management at the beginning, even if you plan to disable it later. Go to File > Project Settings > Color Management and select DaVinci YRGB Color Managed under Color Science. This ensures your clips are automatically converted to REC709, which is useful for generating proxies that are already color corrected. Once your editing is done, you can revert to DaVinci YRGB with DaVinci WG/Intermediate for Timeline Color Space and REC709 Gamma 2.4 for Output Color Space. For more detailed settings, check out my video on proper DaVinci configurations.

4. Optimize Proxy Settings

By default, DaVinci Resolve’s proxy generation settings can produce unnecessarily large files. To optimize file size, go to File > Project Settings > Master Settings and set the Proxy Media Format to DNxHR LB (for Windows) or Apple ProRes Proxy (for Mac). Adjust the Working Folders to store proxies on the same hard disk you're using, ensuring they are saved in an appropriate location. DaVinci Resolve will automatically create a ProxyMedia folder. Once configured, select all the files you want to convert, right-click, and choose Generate Proxy Media. Though the process may take some time, it significantly smooths out editing, especially when toggling between Proxy and Original Files using the PXY button in the Viewer.

5. Organize Files and Folders

An organized project is an efficient one. Start by creating dedicated folders for different types of content, keeping all files neatly arranged. For instance, use folders like TIMELINES, GRAPHICS, MUSIC, STEMS, VFX, and STOCK. When organizing video files, create a main VIDEO folder, then subfolders for each day (e.g., DAY01). Within these, set up folders by scene, using a consistent naming convention for easy identification. For example, use 101 for day one, scene one; 102 for day one, scene two; 201 for day two, scene one, and so on—so scene 13 of day 9 would be 913. After the scene number, add a brief description of the content. For documentary footage, consider a date format like 24-09-06 (for 2024, September 6th), followed by a descriptive label.

6. Properly Name Your Timelines

Always name your timelines as if someone else might need to edit the project after you. Include the client name, project type, version number, and any relevant comments for clarity. Your timeline names should follow this format:

Client_projectName v1 comment

Make a habit of duplicating timelines at the start of each day or before making major changes, and increment the version number each time. This approach maintains a clear edit history and prevents confusion about which version is the latest—the most recent version will always have the highest number.

For example:

Client_projectName v1 rough

Client_projectName v2 sync

Client_projectName v3 broll

Avoid vague or messy names like Timeline1_mod.Def.Final; a year from now, you won’t remember what’s inside.

7. Utilize Timeline Backups

Did you know DaVinci Resolve offers backup for individual timelines? You can access this feature in the same settings window where project backups are managed. To restore a previous version, simply right-click on the timeline, select Restore Timeline Backup, and choose from the available backups. This feature is especially useful for revisiting earlier edits without affecting the main project, giving you more flexibility and peace of mind.

8. Quick Export for Faster Sharing

On the Edit tab, there’s a quick export button at the top of the viewer. You can use this to create a quick shareable file by selecting a preset and destination folder. For more control over export settings, head to the Deliver Tab.

9. Use Clip Colors to Organize Your Timeline

One easy way to keep track of clips is by color-coding them. Select all clips from the same scene, right-click, and choose Clip Color. Pick colors that reflect the content or mood; for instance, if a scene has a bluish tone, opt for a cool color like blue or cyan.

This color-coding will appear in the timeline, allowing you to quickly identify and organize footage, making it easier to see how scenes are arranged at a glance.

10. Monitor and Manage Cache Clips

Beware of cache clips, as they can quickly consume your hard drive space. To manage caching, go to Playback > Render Cache and select Smart (for automatic caching) or User (to manually choose which clips to render in the timeline). Since cache files can be quite large, consider adjusting the Render Cache Format from Uncompressed 10-bit to a more efficient option like DNxHR HQX. To do this, go to Project Settings > Master Settings > Optimized Media and Render Cache and select your preferred codec under Render Cache Format.

Make it a habit to regularly clear out cache data by going to Playback > Delete Render Cache and keep an eye on how much space it's using. For a more thorough clean-up, you can delete cache files across all DaVinci projects by using Manage Cache Data.

Conclusion

I've been editing since 2005, and following these tips has helped me avoid losing projects and saved countless hours of work. Implement them into your workflow, and you'll find yourself editing more smoothly and efficiently. Happy editing!