For those who don’t know the tool: DaVinci Resolve is an all-in-one post app with pages for Edit, Color, Fusion, and Fairlight. Version 21 adds a dedicated Photo page, so stills get the same node-based treatment as motion.

A platform update, not a party trick

DaVinci Resolve 21 lands as a broad update that touches media management, editing, colour, Fusion, Fairlight, and immersive delivery. The headline is not a single new transition or a one-button grade, but an expansion of what the application wants to be: a hub that can ingest, organise, finish all media – and now also treat still photography as a first-class citizen.

Resolve already built its reputation on page-based workflows that keep tools focused while staying inside one project. Version 21 leans further into that idea. The new pieces mostly aim to save time in real sessions: faster material finding, less metadata drudgery, tighter editorial control surfaces, clearer node management, and less timeline chaos as audio tracks multiply.

The Photo page puts stills on the same rails as grades

The most visible addition is the Photo page, integrated directly into the interface. It is not a tiny import dialogue or a bolt-on viewer. It is a dedicated workspace for photo management and image editing, tied into the same grading approach used for motion.

Photographs can be imported and managed as albums, with adjustments intended to preserve original source resolution and aspect ratio while reframing and cropping. A LightBox view shows an overview of an album with grades applied, and grades can update across the collection in real time as you work. Albums can also appear as timelines on other pages, keeping access consistent when you jump between tasks.

The Photo page also supports direct image capture through tethering for select cameras, with live capture saving directly into an album. Camera settings such as ISO, exposure, and white balance can be adjusted from within the application during capture. Collaboration extends into this photo workflow via Blackmagic Cloud, with album contents, metadata, tags, grades, and effects available for multiuser work.

AI search and analysis aim at real-world editorial pain.

Resolve 21 adds new AI-driven (Because of course, nothing these days without…) media tools built around analysis and retrieval. AI IntelliSearch is designed to search for people and content after media analysis, including individual faces, specific objects, and dialogue keywords. Results can appear as clips in the media pool, targeting faster clip organisation and faster assembly decisions when you already know what you need but cannot remember where it lives.

AI Speech Generator expands the AI toolset into synthetic voice creation. Written text can be transformed into spoken audio using prebuilt voice models or a custom voice created from a sample. A unique voice can be created from as little as a 10-second clip, and speed, pitch, and inflexion can be adjusted to shape multiple performances for voiceover or narration.

AI CineFocus targets focus and depth of field adjustments. A focal point can be defined by clicking, then aperture and focal range can be adjusted to change the depth of field. Controls include aperture shape and optical effects such as bokeh, and parameters can be keyframed for rack focus style moves.

Even more ML Tools

Additional AI tools in the release include Face Age Transformer, Face Reshaper, Blemish Removal, UltraSharpen, Motion Deblur, and Slate ID, which extracts slate clapperboard details into metadata fields. The slate tool is described as working even when clips are dark or out of focus, which is exactly where human assistants are usually dragged into data-entry duty.

All of this sounds like a lot, because it is. The practical question is whether it reduces the time spent hunting, tagging, and rebuilding context. That is the part worth testing on your own footage, in your own bin structure, with your own mix of accents, lighting, and, of course, the slate handwriting. New tools and innovations should always be tested before use in production.

Cut and Edit focus on friction, not reinvention.

The Cut and Edit pages get workflow refinements centred on keyframes, curves, and graphics handling. Keyframing updates include new ease animations with loop, pingpong, and relative modes, plus simultaneous adjustments to multiple clips. The curves editor adds a normalised zoom mode that scales curves to fill available vertical space, and four-point Bezier easing supports complex retiming.

Fusion effects can now be adjusted directly in the keyframes and curves editors on the Cut and Edit pages. That aims to keep motion graphics tweaks closer to editorial timing, instead of forcing constant page hopping for small parameter changes.

For titles and text, multi-language spell check is available, a font browser window allows previewing fonts, and text tools add support for colour fonts and emoji. Character-level styling allows different attributes within a single text box.

Graphics format support also expands with native handling for OGraf HTML graphics and Lottie animations. JSON and Lottie files can be dragged into the media pool and treated like rendered animation clips, with alpha channel recognition for compositing over video.

Some of these changes are quiet, almost boring. That is the point. They target the daily grind where small delays stack up into lost hours and extra coffee.

Colour tools add deliverables, logic, and node clarity

Resolve 21 adds tools meant for finishing multiple versions from one timeline. MultiMaster trim passes allow generating multiple trim deliverables from a single timeline. When enabled, additional layers appear in the node editor for trim operations, aiming at managing different output standards in one go.

The node editor also gains a layer list view that lists nodes in rows by count. The intent is a less-crowded interface and easier node-management actions, such as switching, locking, bypassing, and removing nodes. If you have ever stared at a dense node graph at 2 a m and wondered which branch you are about to break, that alone could be a quality of life win.

Group workflows also expand with group versions, allowing alternate looks to be compared within group-based grading. The scopes can be customised to display a chosen nit range for monitoring.

Magic Mask adds a render-in-place option to cache a tracked mask as a travelling matte node that links to the active node, enabling continued work with lighter processing.

Fusion gets Krokodove and a sharper macro workflow.w

Fusion in Resolve 21 adds the Krokodove toolset as an integrated collection of motion graphics and compositing tools, described as over 70 new graphics. The tools are intended to be editable starting points, so they can be customised and used as the basis for building your own looks.

If your team has been building internal macros for years, this is the kind of content library that can speed up onboarding and prototype work, as long as you still keep a consistent house style.

Macro building also gets an updated macro editor with interface improvements, a new inspector view, and support for publishing macros for immediate use.

Fusion connects more tightly to Fairlight through an Animator modifier that can drive animation based on audio analysis. Audio levels from timeline clips or media pool sources can drive parameters for animation.

Fusion also updates its USD toolset to support OpenUSD SDK 25.11 with the Hydra 2.0 API for the renderer, along with features such as 3D matte objects and textures, texture projector and catcher tools, and global in and out controls for the USD loader.

The result is a more connected motion graphics and VFX environment inside the same project that holds your edit and grade, without forcing a round trip through exports just to try a different lower third.

Fairlight organises the chaos with folder tracks.

Fairlight adds folder tracks for audio organisation. Tracks can be assigned to a folder and collapsed into a composite view, with mini rectangles representing folder contents, including number and duration of clips. Folders can be expanded back to individual tracks when detailed work is needed.

A mixer should not have to scroll for days just to find the one track somebody muted in the wrong place. This kind of structure also plays nicely with the reality of modern sessions where deliverables, versions, and language tracks multiply faster than anyone wants to admit. Anybody wants in on the bet when Connected Conform gets re-invented?

Immersive delivery keeps getting attention.

Resolve 21 continues immersive workflow development with VR180 and VR36, delivering presets for Meta Quest and YouTube. Immersive orientation can be handled using spherical Panomap rotation with pitch, tilt, pan, yaw, and roll adjustments. ILPD retargeting data can be applied in Fusion for stereoscopic handling and compositing.

Apple Immersive workflows add support for foveated rendering for improved playback and viewer experience on Apple Vision Pro. If your shop lives entirely in flat frames, you can ignore this. If you deliver immersive content, having presets and orientation tools inside the same project beats stitching together a toolchain of specialised “utilities”.

A few more practical add-ons

Resolve 21 adds a Picture-in-Picture effect that lets you quickly resize and position a clip over another clip as a floating frame, with adjustable parameters such as size, placement, frame rounding, and drop shadow. This fits nicely with “Fast turnaround” YouTube / podcast productions, or if you want to record a tutorial – maybe about this tool in Resolve, for maximum recursion?

IntelliScript expands screenplay import support for Final Draft and plain text formats, creating a cut by comparing script text to transcribed audio, then allowing refinements with standard editing tools.

Metadata handling improves with star ratings and tagging (useful for photos), plus new media pool columns to expose those fields for filtering takes.

Availability and pricing

DaVinci Resolve 21 is available as a public beta now. The software is offered as a free download, and DaVinci Resolve Studio is listed at $295.

Resolve 21 is big enough that you should treat it like any major platform. Shift: install it alongside your stable version, throw real projects at it, and see where it helps and where it still trips over the weird corners of your projects. It is easy to get distracted by confusing AI features and shiny new pages, but the real win is whether the day-to-day work gets smoother.

https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

The post Blackmagic Design turns DaVinci Resolve 21 into a photo app first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

Before we start: We typed this during the live stream, so watch out for deeper and more precise News and Articles about Resolve 21 and Fusion 21. (And the removing of some typos the day after)

The 100G shift: fewer cables, still redundant

Blackmagic Design is using NAB 2026 as a coordinated move to a new SMPTE 2110 ecosystem built around 100G networking. The goal is to reduce cabling complexity while keeping redundancy, monitoring, and routing features in a footprint that fits broadcast racks and mobile units.

The centre of gravity is a new class of native 2110 switchers, designed around 100G links rather than baseband trunks. The ATEM 4 M/E Constellation IP moves the Constellation line into a 100G design with 32 inputs and 28 outputs. It includes standards conversion on every input, four multiview outputs, 16 ATEM Advanced Keyers, four DVEs, and two SuperSource processors. A larger three-rack-unit model targets bigger sports and broadcast work with 64 inputs and 52 outputs.

Infrastructure gets a matching 100G backbone

A pile of new rack hardware is positioned as glue between the new switchers and the wider world. Blackmagic SDI Expander 8x12G converts a 100G connection into eight 12G-SDI inputs and eight 12G-SDI outputs, aimed at bridging IP cores to SDI edges. Blackmagic Studio Bridge 10G PWR aggregates eight separate 10G Ethernet connections into a 100G link and adds 90 watts of PoE per port, intended to power multiple Studio Camera Pro 6K systems from a single bridge. The Ethernet layer here leans on IEEE 802.3 Ethernet concepts, and the power spec ties into Power over Ethernet as a technology class.

For recording and replay, HyperDeck ISO Recorder 100G is recording eight channels over a 100G workflow to network storage. A key workflow promise is that Resolve can access files while they are still recording, which pitches a tighter handoff between acquisition and post.

Routing and timing details are also called out in the wider 2110 fabric. Blackmagic Ethernet Switch 820 expands the 2110 infrastructure with eight 100G ports, PTP clock distribution, NMOS control, and redundant power. The timing note points to PTP as a production-critical building block, while the control layer references NMOS for device discovery and orchestration in IP facilities.

Storage and removable media aim at replay and shared post

The replay path is paired with new storage and media hardware intended to sit in the middle of shared workflows.

Blackmagic Cloud Store Ultra is a faster dual-100G storage design intended to sit at the center of Resolve replay and shared post workflows. Blackmagic Media Dock Ultra uses Blackmagic Media Modules in a rackmount form for removable high speed storage, pitching a more controlled way to move media in and out of a facility or truck without improvising around generic drives.

There is also a new rack utility converter designed to keep a 2110 system calm when the outside world does not behave. Blackmagic Up/Down Cross 100G is an eight channel standards converter intended to shield a 2110 system from mismatched incoming formats. In practical terms, it is presented as a buffer between the promise of clean IP routing and the messy reality of mixed feeds. Monitoring and local control also get attention in rack-first environments. ATEM Monitoring Rack Panel 20 and 40 combine monitoring outputs and control panel functionality so a rack can retain local ATEM operation even in newer ventilated rack designs.

Cinema cameras keep getting pulled into live

A camera software update adds an ST2110 Live mode to URSA Cine 12K, pitching it as a live production camera while leaning on digital film image quality language, plus built in color correction and dedicated LUT handling for 2110 output. The clear throughline is that the cinema camera becomes another node in the same IP plant, not a separate island that demands special cabling and conversions.

New accessories are also listed for broadcast lens and operator needs. URSA Cine Studio Viewfinder is introduced, along with a Sony B4 mount and a lens control cable intended for broadcast lenses and production demands.

High frame rate 2110 as a future workflow teaser

One future track focuses on high frame rate production over 2110. The pitch is that 100G Ethernet is not just about more channels, but also higher frame rates, with workflows aimed at 240 fps or even 480 fps capture.

To support that direction, a URSA Cine 12K LF 100G and a Blackmagic Studio Bridge 100G are previewed. The same infrastructure is intended to feed Resolve replay with high frame rate media, while using Up/Down Cross 100G to derive standard frame rate feeds for the rest of the system. This is the point where the platform story becomes very literal: acquisition, conversion, replay, and shared storage all orbit the same 100G core.

Immersive production plans: live 3D and more switching

A second future track targets immersive production with a live chain built around URSA Cine Immersive 100G. The outlined chain includes a URSA Cine Live Encoder module, plus HyperDeck and DeckLink updates for immersive handling. A future ATEM Solaris switcher family is also in the works for full 3D and immersive switching.

The scope here matters because it frames immersive as a live pipeline problem, not just a post problem. It also implies that switching, capture, encode, and I/O need to be designed together if the goal is real-time immersive production.

Fairlight Live: software mixing with broadcast expectations

Audio is treated as a major pillar of the NAB 2026 story, centered on Fairlight Live. It is a software based live audio mixer designed for broadcast, ATEM integration, SMPTE 2110 workflows, and surround, spatial, and immersive audio.

Channel scale is positioned as elastic, with support for hundreds or thousands of channels depending on the host computer. It is said to work with standard computer audio and USB devices, and includes broadcast functions such as cue playback, talkback, snapshots, routing tools, and third party plug-in support.

To pair with the software, Fairlight Live Audio Panel hardware is launching in 10, 20, and 40 fader versions. The intent reads as a familiar split: compute and software can scale quickly, while tactile control stays purpose-built and consistent.

DaVinci Resolve 21: Photo page, AI tools, broader umbrella

DaVinci Resolve 21 is the main software release, a large update that spans a new Photo page, multiple AI tools, improvements across Edit, Cut, Color, Fusion, and Fairlight, immersive and VR work, and more than one hundred new features overall. (More on that tomorrow, and a test is soon to follow!)

The Photo page brings the application’s film color grading toolset into photography. On the AI side, IntelliSearch is a object, face, and content based media search. Both in bins, certain types of media, trqanscripts, and media-libary-wide. We all have that one folder ….

AI Clip Analysis and AI Slate ID are included, with AI Slate ID reading slate metadata, and writing those into the file metadata – so, the first ingest pass is quickly filled with all availble stuff from set, but do keep an assitant with a non-medical handwriting, or use a digital slate. An AI Speech Generator is also on board, generating spoken audio from written text, whoich is claimed to learn a new voice with just a few seconds or minutes of training. We’ll try that soon, with our best southern bavarian accent.

Edit and Cut updates include improved keyframing, better curves, and a new font browser. Color gains multi-master trim pass grading, node editor improvements, larger node stack options, group grade versions, and updated immersive workflows.

One notable packaging detail is the integration of the Krokodove effects package into Fusion and Resolve, adding more than 70 built-in Fusion effects. That is a pragmatic kind of news, because built-in effects tend to survive long projects better than scattered third-party installs.

Since they are Fusion-based, you can use them as is, or confiugure and personalise them to your hearts desire. Or use them as a jumping off point to create your own.

Fusion 21: deep tech work, not just polish

Fusion 21 is one of the biggest technical updates in the package, and the list is dense in the best and worst way. It adds a Fairlight Animator modifier, plus a new macro editor. Multi Inspector controls allow editing shared properties across multiple nodes. Lens distortion analysis gets improvements.

The native 3D renderer gains Cryptomatte output, tying into the broader Cryptomatte standard for ID mattes. There are relief map tools, full layer support in the Deep toolset, and a Deep Colour Corrector.

On the scene description side, Fusion 21 includes OpenUSD SDK 25.11 with Hydra 2.0 for Storm. There are also new projector and capture nodes for USD, plus stereoscopic and immersive workflow updates. Speed Warp is now listed as available inside Fusion, and there are UI changes, variable mapping, and support for OGraph HTML graphics and Lottie animations. The overall theme is that Fusion is being treated as a serious systems piece inside Resolve, not a bolt-on compositor with a few convenience features.

Pricing and the usual reality check

The larger point across this whole slate is coherence. The product updates line up as a platform push that tries to make live IP infrastructure, replay, storage, cameras, audio, and post feel like one continuous system. That does not remove risk. New tools and new workflows should be tested in your own pipeline before they touch a live show, a tight delivery, or anything with real money attached.

The post Resolve 21, Fusion, Fairlight Live, and many, many boxes! first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

Even if you really want to, you have your workflow and rarely have the time to really get to know the new software. In the end, I was tired of getting slowed down by a constantly crashing software and not being able to render without artefacts. I thought the time spent on these issues with Premiere would have been better spent switching, especially since I was already colour grading in Davinci Resolve. To make the transition easier, here are some tips for switching from Premiere Pro to Davinci Resolve so you can get started as quickly and efficiently as possible:

Project Manager: Wait, where did I save my project?

One big difference between Davinci Resolve and Premiere Pro is how projects are managed. For this, the first thing you will see when opening the software is the Project Manager. This is the place to create and manage your projects. I’m honest: when switching, that was something that needed some time to adapt to, but it’s worth it.

While Premiere Pro projects are saved as files where you decide where, Davinci Resolve works with managed Libraries. These are structured containers that serve as a central repository for all project data. Libraries are managed via the Project Manager and can be hosted on your computer, on a networked server or in the Blackmagic Cloud. To switch between the three options, simply click on the one you choose in the top left corner of the Project Manager.

If you tend to make copies of your project on your computer to keep backups, this will change your workflow. But we’ll take a look at that later. For now, it’s important to know that projects saved in your active project library can easily be exported to your hard drive as a .drp file for a manual backup or transfer to another system. To export your project, right-click it and choose export.

Libraries come with some advantages. My favourite one: multiuser collaboration. I can’t describe how useful this is! Editors, colourists, VFX artists and sound engineers – everybody can work with the same project file on different workstations. Even at the same time, in the same timeline. Brilliant and timesaving.

Also speeding me up: powerbins. These are useful when working with media I use in multiple projects. They make media easily accessible across different projects, as long as it is in the same Project Library.  

Pages: Where do I start?

When switching from Premiere Pro, you’ll probably be used to using Dynamic Linking to get your edit into Audition, After Effects and Media Encoder to complete your postproduction process. In Resolve, this is what the Pages are for.

These follow the typical postproduction process from ingest to delivery, which provides a great advantage: you can have your whole postproduction in just one software. No exporting timelines for audio postproduction, visual effects or colour and no translation issues between software. There’s no need to manage multiple project files or export assets to get them from one project into another. Changes made in one page are instantly accessible in others, and you can quickly go back and forth as needed to change things.

I think to start, it’s important to say: Most things can be achieved in the Edit Page. Don’t get scared away by the masses of pages and functions! There are different ways to achieve your goal when editing, and you will get around very well, mostly by starting in Edit Page. Lots of functions from other pages are also available there. If you like, you can even turn off pages you don’t want to use in the preferences. To still give you a bit of orientation, here’s a quick overview of what the different pages are for:

The Media Page is for ingesting and organising. Right next to it we find the Cut page, which is an editing interface designed for speed. In the Edit Page, we have the traditional editing interface, which should be very familiar to you, coming from Premiere Pro. Quite different from After Effects is Fusion, the node-based workspace for compositing and VFX. The Colorpage – quite self-explanatory – is made for colour grading. Fairlight is the page where you can mix and master your audio after editing to then, finally, render your video out in the Deliver Page.

Interface basics: Where to find what you need

It will probably need some time for you to adapt to what’s different. One of the things that took me a while to get used to was the fixed panel places. While we’re used to being able to move everything around freely in Premiere Pro, Davinci Resolve allows only view windows to pop out and be moved freely throughout all pages. But once I adapted, it made total sense where everything is.

In the Edit Page, one big part of the window is the timeline in the lower part of the screen. Above that, we’ve got the source viewer and timeline viewer. Note: When your screen is too small or your screen resolution is too low, you might only see one viewer. Don’t worry, you can easily switch between those pressing Q.

In the Edit Page there are nine panels you can open and close by clicking their buttons located in the upper part of the screen. The ones on the upper left side will then open on the left and vice versa. The Media Pool on the upper left will give you fast access to your footage. It’s the same Media Pool as in the Media Page which we’ll look at later. The Effects panel, the index, and the mixer should be intuitive when switching from Premiere, though the feature I love most in the panels is the Inspector on the upper left side.

It could be compared to the effects controls in Premiere but has basic effects like crop already integrated, as well as more advanced effects like stabilisation, speed change, retime, and scaling.

Even though most panels are fixed, you can give yourself some more space by closing the panels you don’t need. Depending on whether you have opened multiple panels from both sides or not, they can be full-screen height or half-screen height. Accidentally messed up your UI? Don’t worry. You can quickly reset your UI layout in the menu Workspace > Reset UI Layout.

You’ll find dual-screen mode, full-screen Timeline, and, using Resolve Studio, permanent full-screen video out in the same menu.

Live Save and Project Backups

When working in Premiere Pro I often feared software crashes. I tried to save after every single thing I did because autosaving just didn’t cut it. Davinci Resolves Auto Save, which is called Live Save, is on a completely different level. I never fear that something is gone! I’ve got way fewer issues with the software crashing, but if it does, I know that what I did last will be there.

To restore the backups, right-click the project in the Project Manager. This won’t overwrite the current project version you’re working in. If you’re used to copying your Premiere Pro Sequence to revert to an earlier version of your edit, you may like to check out the Timeline backup function. It works just like Project Backups and can be activated and customised in the same spot. To restore a Timeline Backup, right-click on the timeline in either the media panel or Media Page. Just note: Timeline Backups will be stored locally, even when working on Network or Cloud Libraries, so they will only be accessible on the system where they were created.

Media Page: Import and Media Organisation

The one time I’d highly recommend switching pages is when importing media into your project. Even though it is possible to import media on all pages except Deliver, the Media Page offers many options for importing and managing your media.

The Media Page is split into Media Storage and Media Pool. The upper-left is Media Storage, which might be familiar to you if you used the Media Browser in Premiere Pro. It’s effectively a file browser for finding or exploring files on drives mounted on your computer. What I find very useful about this: you can quickly review or check footage in the viewer in the top-right corner of your screen, even without importing. A little extra: hovering over the footage lets you scrub through and preview without loading a clip into the viewer.

The lower part of the screen is your Media Pool – the project-specific repository for all the assets you’re importing or creating in Resolve, like footage, audio files, timelines, etc. On the left side, you’ll find the current projects bin list with the master bin. It’s the top level of your projects’ folder structure where all the other bins containing your project’s footage are listed. The right side shows the inside of the currently opened bin.

To get your footage into Resolve, simply drag and drop it from Media Storage, Finder, or Explorer into the Media Pool. If doing so on the Media Storage Bin list, the folder structure will be translated into the bin structure of your project. When adding to the right side, all the footage will be unpacked into the current bin

But there are other import options that let you stay in Resolve, leading to the same results: when you navigate to your folder in the Media Storage and right-click it, you’ll see the option to import your footage folder and all its subfolders into the current bin. This I find useful when working e.g., with Sony in camera folder structures, where you don’t want all the extra bins. Alternatively, you can choose “add folder and Sub folders into Media Pool (creating bins)” to get your complete folder structure as sub bins in the current bin. This is helpful if you already have your folders sorted out on your hard drive and want to copy the structure into Resolve.

Ways to create and work with proxies

Depending on the footage you’re working on, you might want to render some proxies. This is one particularly strong thing in Resolve and speeds me up quite a bit. You’ve got two options: if you’ve already set up your project and imported your footage, it’s super easy to create proxies by right-clicking on some highlighted footage and choosing proxie media > generate proxy media from the project settings.

In this case, it will automatically create proxies for the highlighted clips and save them in the location that is set in the project settings > master setting when scrolling down to working folders.

The Quality of the proxies can be defined in the same menu at optimised media and render cash. The proxy resolution is defined in relation to the original resolution. Possibilities are, for example: original, half of the original, a quarter of the original, etc. By default, it’s set to “choose automatically”, which will generate at the current set timeline resolution. When working with proxies, you can switch fast between disabling All proxies, preferring proxies and preferring camera originals, in the Timeline viewer.

You can also see whether proxies are attached by the white (for high-resolution) or purple (for proxies) icon on your clip, which will be visible in the thumbnail of your clip in the media pool.

If you really want to speed up your preparation process in advance, you should look into the Blackmagic Proxy Generator, an external tool which will automatically be installed with Davinci Resolve. It gives you the opportunity to render proxies in advance, without even having to get your project set up before. The proxies will then automatically be attached when importing the footage into a project.

This process will ensure you can go straight into editing when setting up your project. The strongest part of this tool is the watch folder function, which continues to scan your chosen folders for additional footage even after generating proxies. Very useful when you keep adding footage to folders you’re already working with.

Organising footage with scene metadata and smart bins

After you’ve added everything to your bins, it’s time to organise your footage. With Premiere Pro, I used to either restructure footage directly in bins, which made everything messy quite quickly, or sort my footage into sequences. In Resolve, I recommend using the scene metadata and smart bins. I know that Premiere Pro also lets you create smart bins using metadata, but it wasn’t intuitive enough for me to use back then. Resolve on the other side makes it super easy:

On the Media Page, click one clip or highlight multiple, then navigate to the top-right to close the audio panel. This will give your open Metadata panel more space. Choose “shot and scene” from the three-dotted menu. There, you’ve got lots of options to set metadata. One thing I like to use in this context is Clip colour, since it gives me an easy way to differentiate between different footage, for example, interviews with different people. Other than that, you can set metadata and let Davinci Resolve create smart bins based on it. For a start, I’d recommend you use Keywords. To do so, enter a Keyword you want to sort your footage by into the Keyword cell.

Then navigate to the bottom-left of your screen to find the Smart Bin List. By default, there should be a bin for Keywords. Davinci Resolve automatically generates one smart bin for every keyword you set before. By clicking on ‘Keywords’, a menu with all the smart bins will open.

Personally, I love this feature because it lets me keep my original folder structure while allowing me to sort my footage more intuitively. It also allows me to have the same clip in different bins, e.g., for location and person, which speeds up my process. With all this said, you should have everything you need to make your first steps in the software. Next up: how to get your Project Settings and Timeline right to start your first edit in Davini Resolve.

The post Getting your bearings: Switching from Premiere Pro to DaVinci Resolve first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Jana Johnston.

For those who don’t know the tool: Blackmagic Design develops cameras, broadcast gear, and postproduction software including DaVinci Resolve, Fusion, and Fairlight. The Blackmagic Camera Setup utility keeps their cameras’ firmware up to date, adds new features, and includes the Blackmagic RAW toolset used in Resolve and other DCC workflows.

PYXIS learns to cool itself

Version 10.0 of Blackmagic Camera Setup, released just now, introduces a dynamic fan control system for the Blackmagic PYXIS 12K. The camera now adjusts its cooling behaviour automatically while recording.

Pre-record and expanded audio arrive

Both the PYXIS 6K, PYXIS 12K, and the URSA Broadcast G2 gain a pre-record mode, allowing the capture of a few seconds before the record button is pressed, a practical addition for live and documentary work. All three models also now support four-channel audio recording, mono headphone monitoring, and a 0% opacity option for frame guides, giving operators the ability to clear overlays entirely when composing shots.

API, proxies and lens support updates

The update adds new Camera Control REST API commands, aimed at remote operation and integration with external systems. Blackmagic also adds an option to inhibit proxy recording, which could be useful for locked-down or multi-camera workflows. For the URSA Broadcast G2, 10.0 also improves Blackmagic Cloud integration and B4 lens compatibility. Blackmagic has not detailed the nature of these improvements, and they are not independently verified at press time.

RAW utilities and system requirements

The installer continues to bundle Blackmagic RAW Player, RAW Speed Test, RAW SDK, and RAW plugins for host applications. The update supports macOS 14 (Sonoma) and macOS 15 (Sequoia) on both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs, as well as Windows 10 and Windows 11 64-bit systems. Blackmagic lists 8 GB RAM as the minimum for macOS.

Updfated PYXIS Manual

At the same time, BMD updated and released a new manual for the PYXISI Camera – geht the full PDF here for free or have a look if you think about getting one of them. https://documents.blackmagicdesign.com/UserManuals/BlackmagicPYXISManual.pdf?

Practical reminder

As always, users should verify firmware stability and feature compatibility before deploying updates in active production environments. Never update during production, which we heartily recommend, because yesterday a Windows-Update made this news you are reading a hectic morning duty instead of a relaxed last evening thing. Also: Check yourt backups, while you are at it.

The post Blackmagic Camera 10.0 brings fan brains and pre-record tricks first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

Blackmagic Design has released DaVinci Resolve Studio 20.2, available at no charge to existing users via the Blackmagic support site. While project libraries remain backward-compatible with Resolve 19.1.3, any project created or opened in 20.2 cannot be reopened in 19.1.3. Blackmagic therefore recommends full project library backups as well as individual project backups before migration.

URSA Cine Immersive Workflows

Resolve 20.2 extends the immersive video toolset for productions shot with URSA Cine and intended for Apple Vision Pro playback. Content can now be streamed directly from the Fusion page to Vision Pro, and the PanoMap node has gained immersive options. World pose rotations and flips are supported, stereoscopic 3D renders can be output in full side-by-side or top-bottom formats, and node stacks can now be used in stereoscopic workflows. The release also introduces immersive EXR workflows with full metadata retention, which is particularly relevant for VFX turnovers and stereoscopic finishing.

Cut Page: Replay Handling

For the Cut page, Blackmagic has addressed live-production workflows. Replay stinger transitions now behave more reliably in interlaced timelines, while replay editor and ATEM switcher feedback during replays has been improved.

Edit Page: Sync, Ripple, Metadata

Editing gains a series of workflow refinements. Sync lock controls now ripple edits independently of the auto-select function, while ripple trimming has been redesigned to maintain sync across edit actions. The trim editor automatically opens during dynamic trimming, though users who prefer a single-viewer mode can switch in preferences. Track headers offer improved source and destination patching, and an audio menu action makes it possible to detach synced audio from video while retaining timeline sync. Custom metadata fields can now be created and populated in the timeline, multicam clips with speed changes can be flattened correctly, the source timeline viewer supports audio track soloing, and destination patching can be reset to default through a dedicated sub-menu.

Cut & Edit Pages: Keyframes, Guides, Audio

The Cut and Edit pages now include direct menu actions to move keyframes up, down, left, or right. The timeline curve and keyframe editor has gained a toolbar for common actions, while shift-click toggles multiple parameter states and alt-click enables exclusive toggling. Guides now support individual colours and lock states, and their position can be set in either pixel or percentage units. Fusion, transform, and effect overlays now take precedence over guides under the mouse, ensuring smoother manipulation of elements. Voice-over countdowns have been enhanced with audible beeps, and audio bus automation written in Fairlight now survives ripple edits on the Cut and Edit pages. A ripple delete silence command has been introduced for tightening dialogue or narration, and transcription and voice convert analysis are now up to twice as fast on macOS.

Fusion Page: Multilayer Rendering and Speed

On the Fusion side, guides can now be edited directly in viewers. MultiText has improved alignment and transformation controls, while USD tools support animated image inputs. The 3D renderer now includes multilayer support, and the USD renderer can output multilayer AoV (arbitrary output variable) channels. Performance has also been increased, with the surface tracker running up to twice as fast.

Colour Page: AI Fog and Better HDR

Resolve 20.2 introduces an AI-based Resolve FX called Cinematic Haze, which simulates atmospheric scattering with depth-based fog. Light rays can be extended from existing sources, and air disturbance can break up the fog into smokier turbulence. Light effects now support glow driven by alpha sources, while a new command makes it possible to navigate clips by number. Node colours can be reset for multiple selected clips, advanced colour panels now retain side panel states after restart, and HLG output has been improved when using viewer display profiles. Both RCM and CST conversions now conform to ITU BT.2408 for HLG and PQ. Performance has again improved, with the Resolve FX surface tracker running at double the previous speed.

Codecs & I/O: Big Additions

Resolve 20.2 expands codec and I/O support considerably. The update introduces native Apple ProRes RAW decoding on macOS, Windows, and Linux, as well as encoding support for Samsung APV. Sony ARW still image files can now be decoded, ARRICORE clips are supported, and single-frame WEBP and GIF files can be imported as stills.

General Improvements

General usability gains include a new skim function: pressing and holding the C key moves the playhead under the mouse in viewers. Exported DRT timelines now include linked Fusion comp media. Data burn-ins and render file names can now include current date and time tags, and the scripting API has been extended to support subtitles in render jobs and to allow setting clip names in the timeline and media pool. Performance and stability improvements round out the release.

Minimum System Requirements

For macOS, DaVinci Resolve 20.2 requires macOS 14 Sonoma or later, at least 8 GB of RAM (16 GB if using Fusion), and an Apple Silicon system or a GPU with Metal support. Windows users require Windows 10 or later, 16 GB of RAM (32 GB for Fusion), a GPU with 4 GB of VRAM supporting OpenCL 1.2 or CUDA 12.8, and recent AMD, Intel, or NVIDIA Studio drivers (570.65 or newer). Windows on ARM is now supported with Windows 11 ARM, a Snapdragon X Elite processor, and 16 GB of RAM, with 32 GB recommended for 4K or Fusion. Linux support requires Rocky Linux 8.6, 32 GB of RAM, and a discrete GPU with at least 4 GB of VRAM plus drivers supporting OpenCL 1.2 or CUDA 12.8, with NVIDIA Studio driver 570.26 or newer.

Stability Reminder

Blackmagic Design advises users to back up both project libraries and individual projects before upgrading. Postproduction teams should validate Resolve 20.2 in test environments before integrating into live workflows, especially where new sync, ripple, and immersive EXR features could alter established pipelines.

The post DaVinci Resolve 20.2: Ripple Discipline, ProRes RAW, and AI Fog on Demand first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.