Sri Hari's VFX Level 1 Report

17 / 8 / 2025

Report on the Installation Process of DaVinci Resolve 18

I began the installation process by visiting the official Blackmagic Design website. On the product page, I carefully scrolled down and found the download options for DaVinci Resolve 18, which included both the free and paid Studio versions. Since I only needed the free version, I selected that option.

Before the download could begin, I was asked to fill out a brief registration form with my details such as name, email address, and country. Once I submitted the form, the download link was immediately provided. I chose the version compatible with my operating system and initiated the download.

After the installer file was saved on my computer, I launched it and followed the step-by-step setup instructions. The process included accepting the license agreement, choosing the installation location, and allowing the required additional components, such as supporting drivers and codecs, to be installed. The setup took a few minutes to complete. Once finished, DaVinci Resolve 18 was ready to open.

Running the software for the first time felt exciting, but also slightly overwhelming since I was new to professional editing tools. To ease the learning curve, I turned to YouTube tutorials that guided me through the interface. These tutorials explained the seven major pages in DaVinci Resolve—Media, Cut, Edit, Fusion, Color, Fairlight, and Deliver—along with their primary function

Exploring pages on Davinci

MEDIA PAGE

The Media page is where you import, organize, and manage all your footage, audio, and images before editing. It works like a media library where you can preview clips, trim them, and set metadata. You can create bins (folders) to keep files organized for big projects. It also shows details like resolution, frame rate, and codec so you know your footage specs. Basically, it’s the starting point of any project in Resolve.

CUT PAGE

The Cut Page is a fast, simplified workspace designed to assemble a rough cut quickly, with a clear layout of Media Pool, dual viewers, and dual timelines for overview and detailed editing. I use Source Tape to browse all clips as one continuous reel, then mark In/Out points and place them with Smart Insert or Append for quick assembly. Trimming is straightforward with ripple, roll, slip, and slide edits, plus snapping to align cuts precisely. Basic transitions, titles, speed changes, and audio level adjustments are available right on the timeline for quick polish. It’s ideal for first-pass editing, while detailed effects, keyframing, and advanced audio are better handled later on the Edit and Fairlight pages.

EDIT PAGE

The Edit Page is the full-featured workspace for precise editing, with a familiar layout of Media Pool, Effects, dual viewers, and a multi-track timeline for detailed control. It supports frame-accurate trimming, advanced transitions, adjustment/compound clips, keyframing in the Inspector (position, zoom, opacity, crop), plus speed changes, stabilization, multicam, and motion graphics. Audio has mixers, clip gain, fades, and basic effects for polish before deeper work in Fairlight, making the Edit Page ideal for finishing and refining the rough cut.

FUSION PAGE

The Fusion page in DaVinci Resolve 18 is where you create advanced visual effects (VFX) and motion graphics. Instead of a timeline like Edit or Cut, Fusion uses a node-based system where each node represents a tool, effect, or image that you can connect together to build complex effects step by step. It lets you do things like green screen removal, 2D/3D compositing, motion tracking, keying, particles, and text animations. Unlike simple effects in the Edit page, Fusion gives you deep control and customization over every element in your shot. Think of it as Resolve’s version of After Effects, but with nodes instead of layers

COLOUR PAGE

The Color page is where you grade and correct your footage to control the look and mood of your project. It uses nodes (like Fusion) to stack corrections and effects, giving you flexibility. You can fix exposure, adjust contrast, balance colors, add LUTs, and do advanced tricks like tracking and power windows. It’s also used for giving your film a cinematic look. Think of it as the “digital darkroom” of Resolve

FAIRLIGHT PAGE

The Fairlight page is Resolve’s professional audio workspace. It lets you record, edit, mix, and master sound with precision. You can clean noise, add effects, balance dialogue, music, and sound effects, and even work with 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound. It has powerful tools like EQ, dynamics, ADR, and Foley options. Basically, it’s like having Pro Tools built inside Resolve

DELIVER PAGE

The Deliver page is where you export your finished video. You choose the format (MP4, MOV, etc.), codec (H.264, ProRes, etc.), and resolution (HD, 4K, etc.) based on your needs. It has presets for YouTube, Vimeo, Instagram, and more, making sharing easy. You can also set custom render settings for professional delivery. In short, it’s the final stop to render your project.

Assignments:

1. TASK ON CUT PAGE AND EDIT PAGE

I wanted to create a short project, so I went to Pexels.com and downloaded around seven nature clips that felt visually connected. Once the clips were saved, I opened DaVinci Resolve 18 and started a new project.

To stay organized, I dragged all the clips into the Media Pool so everything I needed was in one place. From there, I switched to the Cut page to quickly assemble a rough sequence. I placed the clips onto the timeline one by one, arranging them in an order that flowed naturally. As I attached them, I trimmed certain parts to keep the pacing tight and to keep the final duration close to one minute.

With the sequence taking shape, I focused on smooth visual flow. I added simple transitions where needed and used fade-in for the opening and fade-out for the ending to make the start and finish feel clean and intentional.

Once the edit felt right, I moved to the Deliver page to export the video in 1080p. I selected a standard H.264 MP4 preset, set the resolution to 1920×1080, and chose my desired frame rate to match the timeline. I named the file, picked the destination folder, added the job to the render queue, and hit Render. After export, I reviewed the final 1080p file to make sure the timing, transitions, and overall quality were exactly what I wanted.

2. TASK ON CUT PAGE AND EDIT PAGE

For this edit, I began by taking my previously created video as the base project. To make the video more engaging, I decided to add text at both the beginning and the end. At first, I faced some difficulties in finding the text tool because I was not familiar with where it was located. After exploring the options and referring to a few tutorials, I learned how to access and apply the text feature properly. Once I figured it out, I successfully placed the titles at the start and end, which gave the video a professional touch and provided a clear introduction and closure.

Next, I wanted to enhance the video with background music. For this, I used an MP3 audio track converted from YouTube. I imported the audio file into the media pool, dragged it onto the timeline, and trimmed it to match the length of my video. This addition of music made the overall presentation more engaging and enjoyable for viewers.

Finally, to make the transitions between scenes more visually appealing, I applied a spiral wave transition. This effect gave the video a dynamic look and made the shift between clips feel smooth and creative.

With these edits—adding text, background music, and a creative transition—I was able to transform my previous video into a more polished final output that feels complete and visually attractive.