Shreedhar's VFX Report
8 / 1 / 2025
Shreedhar's VFX-001 cource work
INSTALLATION OF DAVINCI RESOLVE SOFTWARE
I visited the Blackmagic Design website and, after scrolling down, found the download option for both the paid and free versions. I downloaded the free version, which required a registration process that provided further installation options. I also had to agree to a set of terms and conditions before completing the installation. Once that was done, the software was ready for use.
Since I was not familiar with PC-based editing, I turned to YouTube tutorials to help me learn. These tutorials taught me about the different pages in DaVinci Resolve, how they work, and what can be done on each page. After gaining some familiarity, I began exploring the seven main pages of DaVinci Resolve: Media, Cut, Edit, Fusion, Color, Fairlight and Deliver. Each page has its own specific features, and I went through them one by one.
EXPLORING THE PAGES OF DaVinci Resolve
1. MEDIA PAGE
Once I opened the application, the project manager interface appeared, offering the option to create a new project and assign it a name. After naming the project, I was directed to the Media page, where I encountered several sections.
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MEDIA STORAGE
The Media panel allows us to import files. To do this, we simply select "Import Media," choose the files, and drag them into the Media Storage area. -
MEDIA POOL
This is where all the files imported into Media Storage are displayed. It can contain video clips, audio files, and images. Unwanted files can be easily removed from the pool. -
PLAYBACK CONTROLS
The playback controls allow users to navigate through the media files within the Media page. This helps in selecting specific clips within a video. We use the ‘I’ key to mark the start of the clip and the ‘O’ key to mark the end of the clip.
2.CUT PAGE
The Cut Page is designed for quick and straightforward editing. It has tools for trimming and adding clips to the timeline. This page is ideal for creating a rough outline of the video, with the main editing work happening later in the Edit Page. The interface includes a media pool, a preview panel, and a timeline panel, making it easy to manage the workflow.
3.EDIT PAGE
In this section, we can create the timeline, add effects, make cuts, use trim tools, and adjust audio using mixers.
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TIMELINE
The timeline is the workspace where video clips, audio tracks, and effects are arranged. We can drag and drop media files from the Media Pool into the timeline to organize them in sequence. -
MEDIA POOL
Located on the upper left side of the page, this area holds all the media files we use in our project. -
EFFECTS LIBRARY
Located on the upper right side, the Effects Library contains audio effects, transitions, and video effects. We can easily apply these effects by dragging the desired effect and dropping it where needed in the project. -
TIMELINE CONTROLS
The Timeline Controls include playback buttons, zoom sliders, and time display, allowing us to navigate through the timeline. It also enables adjustments to playback speed. -
AUDIO MIXER
The Audio Mixer provides controls to adjust audio levels, which is essential for balancing the audio within the project.
NOTE:
The tasks that can be done in the Cut page can also be performed in the Edit page. The key difference is that the Cut page is designed for quick, small edits, while the Edit page is suited for more extensive edits.
4.FAIRLIGHT PAGE
In this section, we can perform audio editing, which helps us achieve high-quality audio tracks.
We can reduce noise and add sound effects to our work on this page.
I was particularly excited to explore this page, as I was eager to learn how to remove background noise while preserving specific voices. I watched several videos and learned how to work through this process.
- First, I used the Frequency FX tool and Loudness Meters to identify the frequencies where the noise was affecting the audio.
- Next, I used the Dynamics tool to eliminate the noise. Then, I applied the Equalizer to reduce the frequency at the point where the noise was most noticeable.
- Finally, I fine-tuned the noise reduction by adjusting both the Dynamics and Equalizer settings, resulting in clear and smooth audio.
DELIVER PAGE
This is the final stage of video editing, where we can choose the resolution options for our project. We can directly export the video to the desired platform in the quality of our choice.
Before exporting, we need to select the file format and resolution (such as 1080p or 4K). After that, we choose the platform to which we want to export the project. Once these settings are configured then click on 'add to render queue' later click on render all . Then the project is ready for viewing.
Assignments:
1. TASK ON CUT PAGE AND EDIT PAGE
I downloaded some nature video clips from websites and YouTube, and gathered all the clips and audio files into a single folder. Then, using the Edit page, I dragged that folder into the Media page. I trimmed specific clips using the 'I' and 'O' buttons. After trimming, I placed the clips into the timeline by dragging them from the Media Pool. While it's possible to shift clips using the Blade tool, I didn't use it because I had already trimmed the clips as needed.
To reverse a clip, I selected the specific clip, used the shortcut key Ctrl + R, which opened a set of options, and then chose the 'Reverse the segment' option. I also adjusted the playback speed for some clips. Then, I added transitions between clips by simply dragging the desired transition style into place. I applied fade-in and fade-out effects for the intro and outro. Once my editing was complete, I moved to the Deliver page. After selecting the video format and quality, I exported the project to my drive.
Here is the final output!
2. TASK ON CUT PAGE AND EDIT PAGE
For the same previous edit, I added text at the start and end of the video. I initially faced some difficulties while trying to add text because I couldn't find the text tool. However, after referring to some tutorials, I learned how to use it.
Next, I dragged an audio file into the timeline and trimmed the music in the Fairlight page. I also added a fade-in effect at the beginning and a fade-out at the end of the audio clip.
Here is the final output!
3. TASK ON FAIRLIGHT PAGE
I was unable to work on noise cancellation in my previous works, so I thought of making a project solely based on noise reduction. For that I took a video clip which was done for a Shark tank activity. I took that video and dropped in the media page and by going to Fairligth page, by using the noise reduction tools. First, I used the Frequency FX tool and Loudness Meters to identify the frequencies where the noise was affecting the audio. Next, I used the Dynamics tool to eliminate the noise. Then, I applied the Equalizer to reduce the frequency at the point where the noise was most noticeable. Finally, I fine-tuned the noise reduction by adjusting both the Dynamics and Equalizer settings, resulting in clear and smooth audio. Here are the video clips of both before and after
Video clip before the noise reduction
Video clip after the noise reduction
4. TASK ON MULTICAM
I was very excited to work on this edit. First, I downloaded the raw video and audio files from various online sources. Then, I went to the Media page and dragged all the video and audio files from my device into the project.
I discovered another tool that saved me a lot of time—it allowed me to merge audio with video very easily. By selecting both the audio and video, I could right-click and choose the option to merge them based on their waveform. This helped me quickly sync the audio with the respective video clips.
Next, using the Cut tool on the Edit page, I selected the specific clips I needed and then merged all the selected clips together.