Changing Frame Rate in DaVinci Resolve: 3 QUICK Tricks

How to Change the Frame Rate of Your Footage in DaVinci Resolve

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What Is Framerate (FPS)?

Framerate (or frames per second) is, to be honest, the rate at which consecutive images called frames appear on a display. It's essential because it directly influences how fluidly your video plays back. On the other hand, a lower framerate can make your video seem choppy or jittery. By the way, DaVinci Resolve allows you to change the framerate of your project, which can be handy for achieving the desired effect or for ensuring compatibility with specific video formats.

Adjusting the Framerate

So, you've got DaVinci Resolve up and running, and you're ready to dive in. As far as I know, the first thing you'll need to do is open your project settings. From there, you'll be able to adjust your timeline framerate as well as your playback framerate.

It seems that DaVinci Resolve treats these two framerates independently, so it's crucial to understand what each one does. The timeline framerate (often called the project framerate) is the framerate your project will be exported at. This article explains in-depth the export settings of DaVinci Resolve, including how the framerate affects the final video output.

On the other hand, the playback framerate is what you see while you're working on your project in the software. In other words, it's what you see when you hit play on your timeline. In most cases, you'll want this to match your project framerate, but there might be situations where you might want to reduce it to improve software performance.

Framerate and Video Effects

Now, let's delve a little deeper. Framerate isn't just about the smoothness of your video; it can also be a creative tool. For instance, have you ever noticed how some action movies have super smooth fight scenes? That's often due to a high framerate.

One common effect used in editing that relies heavily on framerate is speed ramping. This is where a clip starts at one speed, then speeds up or slows down before returning to the original speed. This effect is a great way to add drama or emphasis to a specific part of your video. In my opinion, it's an effect worth learning, especially as it's straightforward to achieve in DaVinci Resolve.

Moreover, you can use different frame rates to add different moods to your footage. For instance, higher frame rates often make footage look smooth and hyper-realistic, while lower frame rates can add a cinematic, dreamy quality. Just remember, to ensure smooth playback, you might want to denoise your footage in DaVinci Resolve.

Potential Pitfalls

All things considered, there are a few potential pitfalls to be aware of when changing your framerate in DaVinci Resolve.

Firstly, changing the framerate mid-project can lead to synchronization issues between your video and audio. You might find that your audio clips suddenly don't line up with your video clips anymore. To overcome this, you can unlink the audio and adjust it separately to match the new video framerate.

Secondly, changing the framerate can sometimes lead to unwanted video effects. For example, if you increase the framerate, you may inadvertently create a sped-up effect, whereas decreasing it could lead to a slow-motion effect. As a result, I’d suggest experimenting with different framerates to see what works best for your specific project.

FAQ

How do I change the frame rate of a video resolve?

To change the frame rate of a video in DaVinci Resolve, you'll need to go into your project settings. This can be done by clicking on the gear icon at the bottom right of the interface. Once there, under the 'Master Settings' tab, you can adjust the 'Timeline Frame Rate' to your desired frame rate. You might as well adjust the 'Playback Frame Rate' to match. Remember, changing frame rate mid-project can lead to synchronization issues, so you'll need to unlink your audio and adjust it separately if needed.

How do I change to 60fps in DaVinci Resolve?

If you want to change to 60fps in DaVinci Resolve, you just simply follow the same steps mentioned above. In the 'Master Settings' under project settings, change the 'Timeline Frame Rate' and 'Playback Frame Rate' to 60. However, remember that a higher frame rate like 60fps can make your videos look super smooth, which might not always be what you want. So, in my opinion, you should experiment and see what works best for your specific project.

How do I change my DaVinci Resolve from 30fps to 24fps?

Changing your frame rate from 30fps to 24fps in DaVinci Resolve is done in the same way as mentioned above. Head to the project settings, then under the 'Master Settings' tab, change the 'Timeline Frame Rate' and 'Playback Frame Rate' to 24. Now, you might be wondering, "Why 24fps?" Well, 24fps is often used in cinema because it creates a slightly dreamy quality that many filmmakers find appealing. That said, it's always a good idea to preview your video at this frame rate before finalizing it.

What is the default frame rate for DaVinci Resolve?

As far as I know, the default frame rate for DaVinci Resolve depends on the preferences you set when you first install and open the software. However, a common standard frame rate that is often the default is 24fps, as this is a common frame rate used in the film industry.

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