Your First Edit in DaVinci Resolve 20: Project to Final File

1. Install Resolve, create a project and protect your work

Download DaVinci Resolve from Blackmagic Design and create a separate project for the job. A useful project name is better than another “Untitled Project” when you return weeks later.

Before importing a large amount of media, configure Live Save and Project Backups. Live Save protects recent work, while backups give you older restore points when a project takes a wrong turn.

1. 1Open Project Manager and create a new project.
2. 2Check your cache location and available GPU/memory in Preferences.
3. 3In User → Project Save and Load, configure Live Save and Project Backups for your workflow.

2. Make the important timeline decisions before editing

A common beginner mistake is to start cutting and only later discover that the project uses the wrong frame rate. Decide the timeline frame rate before serious editing. Resolution is more flexible, but choosing a sensible working format early still keeps the project predictable.

If 4K media is heavy, do not lower source quality just to make Resolve responsive. Use Proxy Media or Timeline Proxy Resolution so the edit stays fast while the original media remains available for final delivery.

1. 1Open File → Project Settings.
2. 2Choose the timeline frame rate for the source and delivery target.
3. 3Set a practical working timeline resolution.
4. 4Use proxies or proxy resolution for demanding codecs and high-resolution footage.

3. Import and organize the Media Pool

Even a short video becomes easier to edit when camera files, audio, graphics and music are separated into bins. Longer jobs benefit from dedicated B-roll and version bins.

1. 1Import media into the Media Pool.
2. 2Sort files into bins by purpose.
3. 3Review the footage before cutting and mark strong takes or problem areas.
4. 4Create a clearly named timeline such as 01_rough_cut.

4. Build the rough cut before adding decoration

Do not start with Glow, elaborate titles or grading. First make the story work: remove mistakes, repeats and dead space, reorder sections and judge the pace.

Learn J/K/L, edit navigation and Trim Start/End to Playhead. Those commands are often faster than reaching for the Blade tool for every cut. Blade is useful, but it should not be your only editing method.

• First: meaning and structure.
• Second: pacing and pauses.
• Third: B-roll, graphics, audio finishing and color.

5. Basic audio, picture and titles

Balance dialogue before adding music. Remove obvious noise, fix large level differences, then place music underneath. For picture, correct exposure and white balance before chasing a stylized LUT.

For a first project, simple Text or Text+ with strong contrast is enough. Use transitions when they communicate a change in time, place or structure—not because the library contains them.

6. Deliver and quality-check the export

The Deliver page is not just the last click. Verify resolution, frame rate, codec, audio and file naming. After rendering, open the exported file outside Resolve and inspect the beginning, middle and end.

1. 1Choose an appropriate preset or configure export settings manually.
2. 2Confirm resolution, frame rate and audio.
3. 3Add the job to the Render Queue and render.
4. 4Open the final file in a normal player and check sound, titles, sync and the ending.