Jitha's VFX-001 Coursework

5 / 1 / 2025

Installation of DaVinci Resolve

For downloading the software, either search for DaVinci Resolve in the web browser and open the website with the title ‘Blackmagic Design’ or just click on this link- https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/in/products/davinciresolve

Then click on free download and download DaVinci Resolve (not DaVinci Resolve Studio) by choosing the appropriate version of the operating system under use.

Understanding and using the media page

i) Import video

• Click on ‘Media’ option on the left bottom corner
• Click on Media Storage Media storage section contains all the files in our system
• Select the desired drive then the desired file
• Drag and drop the desired file into the Media Pool section Media pool section contains all the clips in our project

ii) Organise the clips under media page by utilizing the bins

• Regular bins act as folders for grouping the clips
• We can add scene, shot & take info., keywords, description text etc. to clips and then provide the same information to the smart bins while adding them, then the added smart bins will be automatically populated with the media files based on the metadata rules set by us.
• The footages added to power bins stay in those bins forever and can always be accessed i.e. power bins are common for all projects thus the files which need to be used in many projects can be added to power bins.

iii) Drag and drop the clips from the media pool into the timeline

• Inspector is used for adjusting the properties of the clips. In case of video, we can zoom, change position, rotate or crop different scenes. In case of audio, we can adjust volume, pitch etc.

• Clone tool can be used for copying the files in the source folder into the destination folder

• Mark Clips- Marking clips using "in" and "out" points lets us refine the portion of the clip we want to use in the edit.

• Markers and flags are basically reference indicators. However, markers can mark clips in our timeline or source viewer whereas flags mark the entire clip, as well as other clips in the timeline that share the same source clip. Annotations are used for leaving any comments or feedbacks on clips.

• Files which are synced are automatically put into sync bins which are used for multicam editing. Multicam editing is used for editing the projects with many no. of cameras. Multicam viewer lets us see all cameras playing back at the same time.

• DaVinci Resolve also allows multi user collaboration

EDIT  PAGE

Ways adopted to edit the clips

• INSERT  : inserts a clip into the timeline at the location of the playhead and pushes everything else down to make room for it. If the playhead is in the middle of a clip, it will split the clip and place the new clip in the middle.

• OVERWRITE : places a new clip on the timeline at the location of the playhead, writing over whatever clip or clips were there before.

• REPLACE : Replaces a sinle clip on the timeline with one of the exact same length. The "out" point of the clip we are editing into the timeline will be changed so it fits perfectly, making it the same duration as the one it replaces.

• FIT TO FILL : takes the portion of the clip that you have marked and adds a speed change to speed it up or slow it down. The speed change is automatically calculated so it fits into the space you have selected on the timeline.

• PLACE ON TOP : used for adding titles, graphics or creating picture in picture effects.

• APPEND AT END : places the source clip after the last edit on your timeline, regardless of where the playhead is located.

• RIPPLE OVERWRITE : replaces a shot of one length with a shot of a different length. Longer clips replace the clip in the timeline and push everything down to make room, while shorter clips pull things in so there are no gaps.

• Using split clip option, on the left side of screen, we can split the clips

• Using cut option, available in Edit option on the left top corner of the screen, we can remove the unwanted portion of the clip

• Similarly copy, paste etc. options are also available in Edit

Tools used to automatically trim and tighten the clips:-

• Roll: A roll trim works on both left and right sides of an edit at the same time.

• Ripple: Rippling will extend or shorten the beginning or end of a clip. When you ripple an edit point, everything to the right of the edit is pushed down the timeline or pulled in to accommodate the clip’s new duration.

Transitions and effects

• On the right top corner of the screen, transition as well as effect options are available
• The desired transition/effect has to be dragged and dropped into the timeline, over the clip in which it has to be applied

Add title in the video

• Click on the Titles option on the top right corner of the screen
• Select the desired type, drag and drop it in the timeline, just above the clip where it has to be shown
• Then use the inspector to type the text and adjust parameters such as font, size, colour etc.
• We can also add subtitles and texts

Audio adjustment

• Select the clip
• Then select Inspector option to adjust volume, pitch etc.  

TASK 1

CUT PAGE

WORK DONE

• Added transitions, titles/texts etc. to improve the visual story telling
• Used split option to split the clips
• Used cut option to further remove the unwanted clips
• Increased volume of the video (from inspector section)
• At the end part of my project, video was eliminated i.e. in the inspector section I’ve given zoom=0 thereby retaining the audio…along with the text
• Have also done cropping and positioning of scenes (from inspector)

TASK 2

Actual video: Death Note | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix

My work:

• Major difference between cut page and edit page is that 'edit page is used for large edits whereas cut page is generally used for small edits'

FAIRLIGHT PAGE                                          

TASK 3

Actual video - DC MOTOR

After using fairlight, noise has been reduced

My work -

• Fairlight effects are used for audio mixing
• Frequency analyser and loudness meter can be used to detect the frequency and loudness at which the noise affects the audio
• For cleaning up and repairing sounds, go to 'Effects' where Fairlight FX plugins are available
• Fairlight FX plugins include De-esser to minimise annoying ‘s’ sound, De-hummer for removing humming sounds, noise reduction plugins etc.
• We just need to drag and drop these fairlight plugins into the clips…we can add as many plugins as we need to a clip and upto 6 per track
• When we drag and drop the noise reduction plugin, its window opens up for making adjustments. It basically detects noise in the selected clip automatically. We can also teach it by selecting noise and click on ‘Learn’. Further anything that matches that noise will be removed from the clip.
• Equalization and dynamics processing(expander, gate, compressor & limiter dynamics processing) can be done for fine tuning/sweetening the audio clips
• Sound effects library is also available

DELIVER PAGE

• In deliver page, firstly fill details like name of project, location where it has to be saved, resolution etc.
• Then click on ‘Add to render queue’
• In the render queue, click on ‘Render all’
• Once it shows ‘Completed’, the project would be saved in the location specified

THANK YOU!!