Editing videos can be time-consuming, especially if you want your videos to have a consistent look and style from start to finish. To do this, you’ll have to apply the same effects on every part of your video over and over again. Like me, If you’ve had enough and are looking for tools to simplify your work, Adjustment Clips might be just the thing.
Adjustment clips are a fast and revised way to apply one or more effects and grades to a range of clips which you can drag to the timeline, can be named and rendered to cache. It is great for color correction, effects layering, and transitions between cuts while easing up editing workflow.
With Adjustment Clips, you gain precision in applying effects, fine-tuning colors, and enhancing your videos. I’ll share practical tips to keep your work organized and efficient, plus solutions to common editing roadblocks. Stick around for my Adjustment Clips ninja tricks that can truly level up your video editing skills.
Non-Destructive Editing: Adjustment Clip in DaVinci Resolve Explained
If you’re in the field of video editing, there’s this tool in DaVinci Resolve 18 that will make your work way easier. It’s similar to the adjustment layers you’d find in Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro, where you can apply changes and effects to multiple layers at once.
To use, simply place the clip onto your timeline, and it impacts all the layers underneath, providing a consistent look across your tracks. You can find it in the Effects bin of the Toolbox library. (1)
ACs are your safety net, ensuring that no destructive edits are made to your original clips or videos. Think of them as a protective layer above the content for your talking head video, safeguarding your valuable footage from any unintended changes.
When you want to save time every time you make a quick edit, they’re something you can use all the time. They’ll keep your edits safe and your creative video tips flowing.
Ways to Use Adjustment Layer or Clip in DaVinci Resolve
Adding Adjustment Layer to Timeline
One simple step to have the clip is by adding it to the track. To do this you can access the Effects library which is located in the toolbox, or simply go to the search bar for quicker access.
Once you’re in the Effects bin, select the ‘Adjustment Clip’ box, which is conveniently placed at the top. Star this option, so it becomes effortless to find in the future. Finally, to apply the effect, just drag and drop it onto any track positioned above your other clips.
Applying Effects & Color To Your Videos
For you who are diving into the world of video editing, applying color grades and some effects can elevate your video clip to new heights.
Begin by dragging a new adjustment clip into the panel, and then selecting your desired effects from the library. Once you’ve made your choice, simply drag and drop them onto the adjustment clip.
If you ever change your mind or want to experiment with a different look, you can easily remove the effects by deleting the associated clips. You can perform these steps whether you’re on the edit page, color page, or even the fusion page.
Prefect Flow – Adjusting Length of Effect Clip
When refining your video edits, adjusting the length of effects is crucial for achieving that perfect flow. If you’re aiming to apply effects uniformly across a group of layers or even an entire sequence, the process is quite intuitive.
Start by grabbing the ends of the adjustment layer or clip and dragging them to your desired point. This allows you to set the specific duration for which you want the effects to play out.
Once done, the effects will only be covering the length within that set duration, ensuring that your entire edit isn’t inadvertently affected.
Keeping Tidy – Renaming The Adjustment Clip
Renaming elements in your video project isn’t just about tidiness; it’s about ensuring an organized tracking system. This becomes particularly essential as your project grows in complexity.
To do this, head over to the Inspector. From there, make your way to the File section. Here, you can give the ACs any name you want. It’s a good practice to choose a name that reflects the effects you’ve applied to it.
Reaching Consistency – Copying and Pasting
When editing videos, there’s a neat trick to save time and ensure uniformity. If you’ve perfected an effect on one adjustment layer or clip and want to insert the same effect over other sequences, it’s easy to do so. Here’s how:
First, click on the adjustment clip (AC) that has the effect you want to duplicate. While doing so, hold down the Alt key (or the Option key if you’re on a Mac). With the key pressed, click and drag the AC. This action will create a copy of it.
Now, all you need to do is position this copied AC over the section where you’d like the same effects applied. This method not only makes your editing more flowing but also ensures consistency across your edits.
Saving The Clip for Future Use
If you’ve created an AC that you believe might come in handy later, consider saving it for future use. To do this, simply drag the AC to the media pool. (2)
This ensures it’s safely stored and remains untouched, even if you make changes to your current sequence. When you need that clip again, just retrieve it from the media pool and drag it back to your sequence.
Color Grading With Adjustment Clips
When you’re on a video project, there might be instances where you want to add colors to give multiple clips a unified look and feel. Perhaps you’re aiming to layer some extra color adjustments or trims on top of existing individual clip grades, and it requires the same base color correction to make them look balanced.
One efficient way to achieve this is by applying a LUT (Look-Up Tables) which ensures a consistent appearance across a sequence or even a selected track.
Start by placing the AC to your sequence. Then, navigate to the color page. Here, you can apply and change the color grade that fits your vision.
Once applied, you’ll notice that all underlying clips take on this new color grade. This technique is particularly handy when you want a temporary grade, especially when you want to avoid the flat look of log footage.
When you’re satisfied, you have a couple of choices. You can proceed with finalizing the color grading or, if you’re content with the look, just keep it with the layer.
Styling Texts and Tracking with Fusion Page
Inserting text graphics and tracking can make your video more engaging, and using the ACs provides a dynamic way to achieve this. Especially when you want to incorporate effects into a frame style that might not be evident on the fusion page, such as freeze-frame or zooming frame.
Begin by adding an adjustment clip, then switch over to the Fusion tab. Utilize the tracker tool and link your text to this tracker. To further enhance the effect, animate the text using key frames. This allows you to tailor the animation style to your specific needs and vision, creating a personalized touch to your project.
Other uses of ACs in the fusion page are to make realistic transitions effects like whip pans or expressions effects.
The new adjustment clip effect can be inserted, trimmed, and moved above one or more layers in the timeline. Any of the controls in the inspector can be used to affect all layers underneath. You can even insert ResolveFX to the AC, so the effect is applied to all tracks at once. (3)
Offering Flexibility on Resolve FX and Open FX Plugins
Most of the Resolve FX, as well as third-party effects like blur, digital glitch, or video camera, can be seamlessly applied to these layers. It is more flexible to use an adjustment clip instead of nested compound clips, allowing for a more streamlined editing experience.
Start by adding the adjustment clip. Once in place, you can drag your chosen effects directly onto this adjustment clip. If you wish to apply an effect uniformly over several clips, simply extend the adjustment clip to cover the desired range. You can also consider combining multiple filters for more elaborate effects like bass shake.
Adding Effects with Inspector Parameters
When you know how to add dynamic effects like a zoom-in, snap, or that immersive cinematic feel within your video, you can use inspector parameters and apply it to the adjustment clip where you want.
First, select the AC and then open the inspector located in the top right. Within the inspector, you’ll find a suite of transform controls at your disposal, including Composite, Transform, Cropping, and Dynamic Zoom. Depending on your vision, manipulate the zoom, position, or rotation to achieve the desired effect.
To ensure smooth and consistent movement effects, it’s wise to create a keyframe by increasing the zoom parameter. And if you’re aiming to extend this transformation across multiple tracks for a uniform look, simply stretch the AC over the desired range.
Add an Adjustment Layer to Optimize Your Workflow
Sometimes we get so caught up in making a quick trim in videos, and we forget to put filters we need on those cuts.
Since you cannot put the effects directly across a cut of two clips, placing an adjustment clip above and across the edit points allows you to put effects precisely between cuts. It’s a practical approach: start by eliminating any unneeded cuts, and then layer on your chosen effects.
By using this layer, you can quickly pinpoint where effects have been added across the sequence. With ease, you can turn effects on or off or reapply them, giving you the adaptability you require as your project progresses.
Organizing Adjustment Clips with Power Bins
In certain editing environments, some features are hidden by default and aren’t immediately visible within projects. To access them, navigate to the media pool option menu and select ‘Show Power Bins’. Once activated, the Bins will appear on the left side of the media pool.
For enhanced convenience, especially if you’re across multiple projects, just grab the adjustment clip effect into the Bins. This allows you to have cross-project access, ensuring a smoother and more efficient editing experience.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Playback with Render Cache
Issue: Experiencing no playback in the Deliver page, which results in an increased estimated time.
Solution: The recommended approach is to utilize the render cache. However, if this proves ineffective, it’s beneficial to treat the AC as a Fusion effect. This operates similarly to a built-in adjustment clip.
Frame Numbering Mismatch
Issue: There’s an incorrect frame count in the Fusion tab after inserting an AC to the sequence track.
Solution: To address this, drag the AC back to the media pool, then re-add it to the track. This action should correct the frame count discrepancy.
Scaling Issues
Issue: When using an AC in a lower-resolution timeline to scale higher-resolution clips, there’s a noticeable loss of resolution.
Solution:
- First, scale the higher-resolution clip directly.
- Copy the settings with Ctrl+C.
- Use Alt+V to paste these settings onto another clip.
- From the available options, select and apply the desired settings to ensure the resolution quality remains intact.
Other Limitations
Issue: One limitation is that there’s no option to choose specific clips to be influenced by the adjustment clip (AC). By default, all clips positioned underneath the AC are affected. Additionally, you cannot add transitions to AC, which can interrupt the visual continuity.
Solution:
For clips that you don’t want to be altered by the AC, simply position them above the adjustment clip on the timeline. This ensures they remain unaffected by the adjustments made to the clips below.
As for the transition issue, it’s essential to be mindful of this limitation when planning your edits to ensure a smooth visual flow.
Conclusion
Learning how to use the right editing tools can speed up your editing process and make tasks simpler. Adjustment clips are a non-destructive way to edit your cuts without making them look a little raw while also offering a lot of room for creative exploration. Most importantly, they can help improve the final video’s quality, making it more appealing to viewers.
Reference(s):
- https://documents.blackmagicdesign.com/UserManuals/DaVinci_Resolve_18_Reference_Manual.pdf
- https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve/edit
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