Davinci Resolve 12: A tool for video postproduction ... very seriously

The ingenious producer and trainer in Media, Andrew Devis, raises in this tribune how Davinci Resolve, in addition to being an essential tool for color gradation, is a set of complete tools for all postproduction.

When we talk about solutions like Davinci resolve we always have the feeling that Blackmagic Design, in a way, it is challenging the natural order.

Because? Because Davinci Resolve is giving away, a key piece of the software industry for professional postproduction since 1984, completely free of charge. Of course, the word "free" can bring to mind an idea of product versions that are hook for more level paid updates.

With Resolve it is not simply this case. Yes, there are two versions, Davinci resolves 12 (free) and Davinci Resolve 12 study (payment below $ 900), and yes, there are differences between them.

The free version offers “Solo” output to UHD, for example, and it also does not support 3D stereo production tools or a very good tool for noise, movement and blur that is only achieved with the Studio version. Even with these small differences, the free version of Davinci Resolve is the result of a serious investigation that results in one of the most advanced postproduction tools.

What is Davinci Resolve?

For those who do not know, resolve is a solution for edition and ethalonado of professional video color with characteristics that include:
• A complete nle with ‘audio synchronization’ option, timeline, transitions and support ofx tools.
• An exceptional set of color tools based on nodes that are only limited by your imagination.
• Media management tools that can be used, for example, for a check-summed intake making sure we have all the information we had when capturing the material.
• Ability to review, search for metadata, copy, move and transcode clips, timelines, projects or files as necessary.
• Powerful tools for export / delivery accessible from a user interface that, a priori, seems simple but that comes to contain four pages: Media, Edit, Colour and Deliver.

Version 12

What about version 12? Well, following the latest version (Davinci Resolve 11) Blackmagic highlighted his intention to get very serious about the development of this solution. With the launch of version 11, a series of new editing tools were included so that instead of having to go to another non -linear editor editing and sending the result to solve for color gradation, it was now possible to edit and correct color directly inside solve.

Now, although it was a great beginning, there was still a good number of tools that were missed with respect to other nonlinear editors. However, with the new launch of version 12, the main priority of Blackmagic has been to concentrate on getting those tools that were missing and at the same time go beyond the obvious to include a series of small changes that make the experience of working with resolving be much easier, faster and more productive for editors, Data Wrangler or Data Acquisition Supervisor (DAS), colorful and much more.

The final result of all this work is that it also resolves an essential tool for color gradation is a set of complete tools for all postproduction.

For example, some audio tools were introduced in version 11. In 12, Blackmagic made sure that virtually any digital audio standard is compatible. Not only that, clearly recognizing its weakness in this area, Blackmagic has given immediate support to VST plugins, as well as the incorporation of tools such as automation modes for the control and monitoring of audio clip levels.

In addition to these changes, something that I have wanted for a long time has been included in version 12, which is the ability to synchronize audio clips. I can select an audio clip that includes camera and a corresponding audio track from my audio hardware and tell you to resolve them, which is ideal for obtaining synchronized clips quickly and easily. In addition to this, this function can be used to synchronize multi-male audio sequences, something that has been available in other editors for a long time but now it is great to see that it works in so fast and so well.

I could continue to tell endless new features of this latest version, but I think what you really have to say is that Blackmagic is clearly focused on making a production tool that can be used for all types of jobs in a single package. At the same time, I should also say that, although it is concentrated in ensuring solve as a great production tool, it is not forgetting the colorists and their color tools improving with each new version. In other words, the product is increasingly complete, deep and broad in both free versions and Studio.

But is a rose path? Of course not, there will always be things that we would like to see. For me, while the user interface has improved greatly, I would still like to have more customization options. In addition, I think we are going to see a lot of additional audio tools in the next version. For example, it is not possible to use an external disk for audio control, and one of my handicaps is that I work with companies that use AVI! This is apparently a serious sin for Blackmagic so the medium intake page does not even recognize that it exists .. so touching its sin!

Edition, ethalonado and finish

So what to do with Resolve 12? As I have commented, it seems that Blackmagic is challenging the natural order giving so powerful and well thought out production software. Although, perhaps that is part of a plan? When people start working with the free version with their powerful set of tools as soon as they want to expand production, they know that Davinci Resolve will be with them with the tools and power they need for what comes on their way.

I suppose the final question must be, is it worth investing time to learn to solve? ” The answer is emphatic ... yes!