This content originally appeared on Envato Tuts+ Tutorials and was authored by Andrew Childress
Want to slow down your footage with dramatic effects? Let’s learn how to use the powerful Speed Warp effect in DaVinci Resolve.
DaVinci Resolve is a powerful video editing app. It’s used by everyone from hobbyist filmmakers to studio creatives. With it, you too can apply amazing effects to any video that you’re working with.
One key skill to build in DaVinci Resolve is creating slow motion effects. In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to master slow motion with Speed Warp in DaVinci Resolve. Speed Warp is a unique feature that lets you create dramatic slow motion effects with ease.
Let’s get started!
What is Speed Warp in DaVinci Resolve?
Before diving into Speed Warp and how to use it, it pays to learn exactly what the tool is.
In essence, Speed Warp is a feature that optimizes video clips for slow motion. It accomplishes this by analyzing a clip frame-by-frame. Between the existing frames, Speed Warp actually creates new frames. These become the bridge atop which you can add slow motion effects.
By adding these new frames, you can generate better, more cinematic slow motion. Gone are the days of choppy, jerky slowed videos. Thanks to Speed Warp, these cool effects are as smooth as silk.
Why Use Speed Warp in DaVinci Resolve?
Above, we defined Speed Warp. As you can tell, it’s an essential ingredient in your editing toolkit. But why and when should you use Speed Warp in DaVinci Resolve?
Consider how slow motion really works. Imagine, for example, that you’ve shot a video at 60 frames per second (fps). The basic process for slowing a clip in DaVinci Resolve is to use the Clip Speed. If you set the Clip Speed to be slower on a high-frame-rate video, you’ll still get smooth and dramatic slow motion.
But now imagine if you want to slow footage recorded at a lower frame rate, like 24fps or 30fps. Using Clip Speed alone will result in jerky, unwatchable footage. But don’t fret! By adding Speed Warp to the equation, you can add dramatic slow motion even to low-FPS clips.
Speed Warp is a valuable feature in DaVinci Resolve for any video. But it should always be used if you’re adding slow motion to a video recorded below 60 fps. Consider it an essential step in your editing workflow. Want studio-grade results? You just cannot ignore Speed Warp in DaVinci Resolve in 2024.
How to Use Speed Warp to Master Slow Motion (Step by Step)
Let’s dive into the heart of our tutorial guide. We’ll use Speed Warp to prepare a clip for slow motion. It’s an easy process that’s quick and straightforward to complete. I’ll walk through each part step by step to help guide you.
As you learn, you’ll see a stock video clip in use. Want to download it to follow along? Click here to source the footage from Envato Elements. It’s a beautiful landscape that we will use as a teaching tool.
1. Add Footage to the Timeline to Slow
Begin by opening a project in DaVinci Resolve. Projects are the working files where you will make all of your edits and changes. You can choose an existing project, or create a new one.
With Resolve open, you’ll find yourself on the main screen. At the very bottom, find the toolbar. Here, there are several buttons that let you control the workspace page that you’re using. The third button is labeled Edit.
When you click Edit, you’ll be taken to the Edit page. This is the nerve center for DaVinci Resolve editing. On the left, you’ll see the Media Pool. This is where you’ll add footage to edit.
Browse to a stored video file on your computer. Drag it over the Media Pool, then drop it into place. In a few moments, DaVinci Resolve will import the video file.
Below the Video Preview, you’ll see the Timeline. In Resolve, the Timeline controls the timing and sequence of video and other media clips. To learn how to use Speed Warp in DaVinci Resolve, drag the clip from the Media Pool onto the Timeline. Drop it into place, and you are all set!
2. Launch the Inspector Panel
Find the video clip on the Timeline. Then, click on it once to select it. It now becomes the “active” clip - in other words, it’s ready to be edited. You’ll now want to activate Speed Warp for this clip.
Speed Warp in DaVinci Resolve can be found on the Inspector panel. This panel works across the app, and it controls the parameters of a given object. Here, of course, the object is the selected video.
With the clip still selected, find the Inspector tab button. It’s located in the far upper right corner of your DaVinci Resolve screen. Click on Inspector, and it will open. At the top of the Inspector panel, make sure to select the Video button. This takes you to all of the options you can choose for this selected clip.
3. Choose and Apply a Speed Warp Effect
On the Inspector panel, you will see an array of options to select from. For this clip, your goal here is to turn on Speed Warp. To find Speed Warp, read down the list of grouped options.
Near the bottom of the list, locate the Retime and Scaling group. You may need to activate it by clicking on the red radio button. With Retime and Scaling active, open it up and explore the options inside.
To learn how to use Speed Warp in DaVinci Resolve, only the top two options are important here. They’re labeled Retime Process and Motion Estimation.
Start by opening the Retime Process dropdown. Inside are four options: Project Settings, Nearest, Frame Blend, and Optical Flow.
Optical Flow is a powerhouse feature in DaVinci Resolve. It’s the rendering engine used to estimate motion. In other words, Optical Flow is the technology that adds those “extra” frames into your video to smooth slow motion that you apply. To turn it on, select Optical Flow from the Retime Process dropdown menu.
Next, go to the Motion Estimation dropdown, right below Retime Process. Here, you’ll see several options listed. The two that matter to us here are Speed Warp Faster and Speed Warp Better.
As you might expect, Speed Warp is a very resource-heavy tool. You’ll need a powerful computer, and using Speed Warp can take some time.
The two options here give you a bit of a choice:
- Speed Warp Faster will render your videos more quickly. But you might not achieve results that are completely smooth when you add slow motion. Use this option if you’re in a hurry, or just want a quick preview.
- Speed Warp Better will render much more slowly. The tradeoff is improved performance and a smoother look to a slowed video. This is best used when you have more time, and always when you export a finished project.
Make your selection, and click to apply it. Here, let’s use Speed Warp Better to demonstrate.
4. Slow the Footage with Clip Speed
Just like that, Speed Warp is now activated for our selected video clip. Keep in mind: as I mentioned earlier, Speed Warp doesn’t create slow motion by itself. Instead, it enables the slow motion effect to work better.
Now, you’ll need to add slow motion by changing the clip speed. This is DaVinci Resolve’s default method for slowing down video clips. You can learn more about this feature here:
To add slow motion to this clip in DaVinci Resolve, make sure that you have it selected on the Timeline once again. Then, right-click on it once. From the popup list of options, find Change Clip Speed and click on it.
Resolve launches the Change Clip Speed menu. By default, you’ll see that the clip speed is set to 100%. This tells you that the speed hasn’t been adjusted yet, and is at the original pace as recorded.
To add slow motion to this video, choose a value less than 100%. Here, for example, try a clip speed value of 50% - slowing it down by half.
Apply it, and play back your finished video. You’ll see slow motion effects applied, without the jerky motion you would otherwise have experienced. This is the beauty of Speed Warp in action!
Note: you may not see the full benefits of Speed Warp on the Preview. Rendering a finished video file always provides the best results, especially for longer videos using Speed Warp Better.
Learn More About DaVinci Resolve (Tips and Tricks)
Slow motion effects are but one of many features packed into DaVinci Resolve. As an editor, it's always a great idea to grow your skills. Learn new things and explore creative options hidden inside the app. When you do, you'll be able to produce better videos faster than ever before.
Sometimes, it can be daunting to know where to begin. Not to worry - we've got you covered. Check out these top DaVinci Resolve tutorials from Envato Tuts+. In no time, you'll have even more new skills ready to use in your next edit!
How to Quickly Add Transitions in DaVinci Resolve (+5 Top Templates)
How to Insert & Add Video Clips Between in DaVinci Resolve
How to Reduce Sibilance and Hiss in Audio With DaVinci Resolve—De-Essing in Fairlight
How to Cut Video in DaVinci Resolve (Complete Guide)
How to Change the Resolution in DaVinci Resolve
Explore DaVinci Resolve’s Speed Warp Tools Today
In this tutorial guide, we explored the art and science of slow motion in DaVinci Resolve. Slow motion works its best when you create it using the immensely powerful Speed Warp tool. Speed Warp lets you create silky smooth slow motion effects with ease. It does this by adding new "bridge" frames to an existing clip.
Apply Speed Warp to a clip using the Inspector panel. Then, lower the clip speed using Resolve's Change Clip Speed menu. When you do, you'll see Speed Warp at work. Even videos shot at a low frame rate will still play smoothly when slowed down. These are visuals that you simply cannot achieve by slowing clips alone.
This content originally appeared on Envato Tuts+ Tutorials and was authored by Andrew Childress
Andrew Childress | Sciencx (2024-05-25T12:23:36+00:00) Mastering Slow Motion with Speed Warp in DaVinci Resolve: A Comprehensive Guide. Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2024/05/25/mastering-slow-motion-with-speed-warp-in-davinci-resolve-a-comprehensive-guide/
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