A complete beginner’s course in Resolve

You will be taken through the steps needed to get started with both the editing and color features within DaVinci Resolve version 17. You can follow along during the 20 minute classes using the same techniques as Warren on the same footage.

What will I be editing and coloring?

You will edit a Colorado fly fishing sequence, that was shot on the Blackmagic 6K Pocket Cinema Camera. Learn how to add speed ramps, re-frames and cool text animations. Once the sequence is edited you’ll color correct it before rendering to your desired social media or TV destination.

Take this course to understand the post process and take control

Warren’s real world experience as a colorist and teaching classroom classes helps the way he transports techniques into online training classes. Movie content on a website or social media has become a vital part of marketing any business or individual. Resolve is free, so it is a great application to get started.

This course is ideal for photographers, DITs, DPs, VFX artists, editors, directors, and producers

Whether you need to make a 30 second promo for social media, a small TV commercial, corporate video, or your passion project short film, this course is ideal for you. It will also give DPs, directors and producers a better understanding of the complete post production process in order to take your skills to the next level. This course will give you the the foundation and confidence to get started with color grading.

CLASS 01: RESOLVE OVERVIEW

• ‘What is a Colorist?’ intro movie.
• Learn about Warren as he walks you through Resolve version 17.
• Where can you get the software and how do you install it?

CLASS 02: EDITING

• Getting started with Resolve.
• How to set up the Resolve user preferences.
• Bringing Blackmagic Raw footage into the Media Pool.
• Looking at the Metadata and clip info for our BRAW fly fishing clips.
• Creating a basic timeline.

CLASS 03: EDITING

• Editing a small sequence together.
• Reviewing all your camera rushes.
• The project settings.
• Changing resolutions and frame rates.
• Choosing a clip to start your edit.
• Insert, over-right and replace commands.
• The Slip and Roll tools.

CLASS 04: EDITING

• Start to fine tune your edit.
• Turing on Live Save and make a backup folder to store your projects.
• Adding video layers.
• Zooming into your footage with keyframes.
• Replacing your initial edit decisions.
• Using the Inspector to change the properties of a clip.
• Changing clip speed.
• Adding an end Logo.

CLASS 05: PRIMARY COLOR CORRECTION, PART 1

• Creating a new primary timeline.
• The scopes explained.
• The important relationship between the scope and the viewer.
• Setting 10bit RGB values on your Color Picker.
• Making the picture B/W to judge contrast.
• Using the Color Picker to evaluate your levels.

CLASS 06: PRIMARY COLOR CORRECTION, PART 2

• Primary controls explained, including Lift Gamma Gain and the Offset Control.
• Balancing a shot with a bad color temperature.
• Do the same with an underexposed clip, how much can you do?
• Can we bring back over exposed footage?
• Grabbing a still frame into the Gallery

CLASS 07: PRIMARY COLOR CORRECTION, PART 3

• Using the Color Chart Match mode.
• Copying that grade to other clips.
• Contrast Pivot, Hue and Color temperature.
• Using the Grey Scale ramp to understand the tools.
• An overview of the Primary tools using the fishing footage.

CLASS 08: SECONDARY COLOR CORRECTION

• Always balance in the first Node.
• Why do we use or even need secondary grading?
• Changing the color of a single object in the scene.
• Fine tuning the isolation area with Matte Finesse.

CLASS 09: COLOR

• Doing a Primary balance with Custom Curves.
• Fix a color temperature issue with Curves.
• Adding a LUT.
• Secondary Hue Curves explained.
• What exactly does Hue v Hue do?

CLASS 10: COLOR

• Using the Scene Cut Detector to break a baked sequence.
• How to change the color or exposure during a clip.
• Why do we need Power Window shapes?
• What are the different Power Windows and when do we use each one?
• Basic tracking of a Window shape v manually moving with keyframes.

CLASS 11: THE COLOR GRADING CHALLENGE

• Grade a baked sequence to practice what you have learnt so far.
• Warren gives you his thoughts on how to grade the sequence.
• Matching shots with the Gallery still store and the Split Screen.
• When to use each of them.
• Play at double speed to check consistency.
• Use the Lightbox feature to see a thumbnail of each clip in your timeline.

CLASS 12: FINISHING

• Finishing and outputting in the Delivery page.
• Finalizing your grade.
• Duplicating your timeline.
• Creating a golden hour look.
• Copying grades from one clip to another.
• What are your output options?
• ProRes or H264 for web delivery?
• Exporting for Instagram.
• Smart reframe for automatically centering the hero object in the shot.