Slow-motion is a fantastic tool for adding dramatic flair to video projects, whether it’s capturing the intensity of a sporting event or enhancing the emotional impact of a scene in a TV drama.
With DaVinci Resolve, you have several methods at your disposal to incorporate this effect seamlessly into your editing endeavors.
We’ll explore some of the most effective techniques, ranging from simple to advanced, providing you with versatile options to elevate the visual storytelling in your projects.
DaVinci Resolve Slow Motion
If you’ve ever wished you could capture a moment in slow motion but missed the chance, or if you have high-frame-rate footage and want to slow it down, DaVinci Resolve offers various methods to achieve that effect.
Whether you’re aiming for a variable speed effect or just want to slow things down, Resolve has options for both free and paid versions.
The key is adjusting the playback rate of your footage to a slower frame rate than the original recording, allowing the software to recreate or duplicate frames to create the slow-motion effect you desire.
How To Add Slow Motion Effect In DaVinci Resolve?
Here is a step-by-step guide which covers how to add a slow motion effect in your videos using DaVinci Resolve. Let’s get started!
Setting a clip’s frame-per-second playback rate using ‘Clip Attributes’
If you want to make a video play in slow motion even though you recorded it at a high frame rate, you can do it easily with Clip Attributes. Here’s how:
- Go to the Media Pool, Cut Page, or Edit Page in your editing software.
- Find the clip you want to adjust and right-click on it in the bin.
- Choose ‘Clip Attributes…’ from the menu that appears.
- In the ‘Video’ tab, look for the ‘Frame Rate’ option.
- Select your desired frame rate from the dropdown menu. For slow motion, choose a lower frame rate, like 24 frames per second.
- Click ‘OK’ to apply the changes.
Now, your clip will always play at the new frame rate you’ve chosen, giving it that smooth slow-motion effect.
Just remember that if you’ve already added the clip to a timeline, making this change might affect how it looks in the timeline, so it’s best to do it before you start editing.
Using the ‘Fit to Fill’ command to set a constant frame rate speed effect
Imagine you have a video clip that’s either too short or too long for the spot you want it in your project. To fix this, you can use a cool trick called “Fit to Fill.”
Here’s how it works:
- First, go to the Edit page of your editing software.
- Pick the part of your video clip that you want to use by setting the start and end points. This is your “In” and “Out” point.
- Then, in your timeline where you want to place this clip, also set the start and end points, again using the “In” and “Out” commands. This tells the software how long you want your clip to be in the final project.
- Now, you can either drag your clip from the source window to the timeline and choose “Fit to Fill” from the options that pop up, or you can use the Edit menu and select “Fit to Fill.”
And that’s it! Your clip will now adjust its speed to fit perfectly into the space you’ve chosen on your timeline. Easy!
Setting a constant frame rate slow motion on the Cut Page
Setting a constant frame rate slow motion on the Cut Page in Resolve is easy! Here’s how you do it:
- Go to the ‘Clip’ menu and choose ‘Change Clip Speed’.
- Look for the ‘Tools’ menu under the viewer, and you’ll find ‘Speed’ controls there.
- To slow down the clip, hover over the speed text box and drag it to the left. This makes the clip appear longer in the timeline, giving you that smooth slow-motion effect.
- If you prefer, you can also type a specific number directly into the Speed Text Box.
- Want to go back to normal speed? Just hover over the speed icon and click to reset it.
That’s it! You’ve got yourself some sweet slow-motion footage with a constant frame rate. Enjoy creating your masterpiece!
Setting a constant rate slow motion on the Edit Page
To make your video play in slow motion with precise control, go to the Edit Page in your editing software. Here, you’ll find more options for tweaking your slow-motion effect compared to the simpler Cut page.
First, select the shot you want to adjust in the timeline. Then, either right-click on it or use the Clip menu to choose ‘Change Clip Speed’.
In the ‘Change Clip Speed’ menu, you’ll see a few new settings:
- Speed / Frames per second / Duration: These let you adjust the playback speed of your clip. Changing one of these values will affect the others. You can type in specific numbers or use the slider to adjust the speed.
- Freeze Frame: Want to freeze a moment in your video? Just tick this box, and the entire clip will freeze on the selected frame.
- Reverse Speed: Check this box if you want your clip to play backward at normal speed.
- Ripple Sequence: Enabling this option extends the duration of your slow-motion clip while keeping the first and last frames intact. It shifts everything after the clip to accommodate the longer duration.
By using these options on the Edit Page, you can fine-tune your slow-motion effects exactly how you want them, giving your videos a professional touch.
Using Retime Control
If you want to make a cool slow-motion effect in your video, like when something goes from normal speed to super slow and back again, you can use a feature called “retime” in DaVinci Resolve.
Here’s how to do it:
- Select the clip in your timeline where you want the effect.
- Right-click on the clip and choose “retime” or go to the “Clip” menu and select “retime”.
- Now, you’ll see some controls on the clip itself in the timeline.
- Find the spot where you want the slow-motion to start and click “Add Speed Point”.
- You’ll see some markers appear. You can set the speed before and after this marker.
- If you want the speed change to be smooth, right-click on the clip again and choose “Retime Curve”. This brings up a big curves interface.
- Click on the keyframe of the Speed Point you added. It’ll highlight.
- Then, choose the alternate box at the top, which changes the curve to a bezier.
- Now, you can adjust the bezier to control how long the transition from normal speed to slow-motion takes.
- Play around with different settings, adding more Speed Points, and tweaking the curves until you get the slow-motion effect you want.
- That’s it! Have fun experimenting with your variable-rate slow-motion effect.
Conclusion
In conclusion, mastering slow motion in DaVinci Resolve opens up a world of creative possibilities for enhancing your video projects.
Whether you’re aiming to intensify action sequences or evoke powerful emotions, the diverse range of techniques explored in this guide empowers you to achieve professional-grade results.
By understanding the various methods and tools available, you can confidently incorporate slow-motion effects into your editing workflow, elevating the visual storytelling of your videos to new heights.
So, dive in, experiment, and unleash the full potential of slow motion in your projects with DaVinci Resolve.