DaVinci Resolve 21
DaVinci Resolve 21: media preparation, review, and delivery
Ask GLMedia about video editing and post-production. We can review source material, versions, and formats to plan delivery.
Model and use
Tell us what you want to communicate and which material is available. With the deadline and intended destination, we can review scope and prepare a post-production proposal before the script is final.
DaVinci Resolve 21 combines editing, color, effects, and audio. A free edition and a Studio edition with additional features are available; record which you use and its exact version.
This guide helps prepare postproduction work. Camera format, project, and delivery are related choices that should be checked with a sample.
Media, workstation, and delivery
- Media
- Prepare originals and working copies in identifiable folders. Record which files are on local disks and which use shared storage.
- Workstation
- Record operating system, GPU, software version, and required plug-ins. The official codec table separates conditions by platform and edition.
- Delivery
- Define destination, aspect ratio, resolution, frame rate, audio, and subtitles. Separate the review file from the requested master.
What to prepare
Share the video’s purpose, available media, approximate duration, and date. We can help organize an initial selection before all elements are ready.
Gather text, names, logos, and credits for inclusion. Agree on who reviews editing, factual details, and sound, and how versions will be identified.
Basic preparation
- Record Resolve edition and version before opening a copy of an existing project. Preserve the previous working state.
- Test representative clips from each camera and recorder. Record format, codec, audio, and location as well as file extension.
- Check that the project can find media. If using proxies, verify links to originals before delivery too.
- Agree on project and final file formats with the recipient. Prepare a picture, text, sound, and subtitle sample where applicable.
- Save the project and prepare media backup. Test that the planned recovery or transfer copy opens and finds its files.
- Export a sample and inspect it outside the timeline. Check start, end, duration, content, and audio before producing the complete file.
Technical questions and show decisions
- The project shows Media Offline: how do we check what is missing?
- Do I need Studio because a file will not open?
- Is a completed render ready for delivery?
- Can we prepare screen videos before all footage or the final running order is available?
- Should I request a full event record, a recap, or social versions?
The project shows Media Offline: how do we check what is missing?
Check that the disk or folder exists and is accessible, and identify missing clips. If location changed, the manual describes relinking options in the Media Pool.
Work on a copy and check clip correspondence before accepting changes. An offline display alone does not establish that the original is lost.
Do I need Studio because a file will not open?
First identify codec, profile, operating system, version, and edition. Check the exact combination against the official format list; camera name or extension is insufficient.
Separate import, playback, and delivery format. We can review a sample before choosing conversion or additional tools.
Is a completed render ready for delivery?
Inspect the generated file in the destination player or system. Compare picture, sound, text, and duration against the approved version.
For an error, note its location and whether it also appears in the timeline. Preserve the previous version while preparing and checking a correction.
Can we prepare screen videos before all footage or the final running order is available?
Yes. Start with the objective, a tentative script, references, and a sample of existing footage. List required pieces, where they enter the show, and who confirms text, names, and logos. Identify what can move forward and what awaits new footage or decisions.
Compare adapting an existing piece with creating a new edit, with a review cut before final delivery. For screens, agree on the pixel map or aspect ratio, resolution, frame rate and audio with the team preparing playback. If that system is not yet defined, identify those decisions and schedule a file test before the full rehearsal.
Should I request a full event record, a recap, or social versions?
Follow the intended use: a full record preserves the event’s sequence; a recap selects moments to tell a story; short pieces focus on a message and destination. We can compare these options or combine deliverables with different priorities.
The proposal defines selection and editing, image and sound treatment, text or subtitles where relevant, reviews and final files. Check framing, readability and audio in the version prepared for each destination. Timing, credits and material still to be supplied are agreed around a sample and the actual workload.
Checks by symptom
| Symptom | Check | What it helps distinguish |
|---|---|---|
| Media Offline | Location and access for affected clips. | Media path or link. |
| Unrecognized file | Codec, profile, platform, and edition. | Combination compatibility. |
| Incorrect delivery | Final file against timeline and review. | Editing or export. |
Limits and precautions
Preserve originals and recoverable copies before updating or reorganizing folders. Verify backup contents before removing another copy.
Test version, plug-in, or format changes on a representative copy outside active work. Preserve results and a way to resume the previous state.
Agree on credits, sources, and authorized material before final approval. Technical and editorial reviews must refer to the same final version.
Official documentation
- Resolve 21 product
- Studio edition differences
- DaVinci Resolve reference manual
- Official 21.1 format and codec list
- Version-specific support and notes
- Blackmagic Design — Resolve media management and delivery
Check that the manual and codec list match the installed version. Review operating system, edition and hardware conditions for the formats you plan to import and deliver.
Help us improve this guide
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