DaVinci Resolve 16.1: New Features & Updates for Editors

Da Vinci Resolve 16.1 announced

BlackMagic Design has announced the latest version of DaVinci Resolve. Version 16.1, now available as a public beta, features several updates to the Cut Page including the ability to place media in various folders and isolate clips from being used when viewing clips in the source tape, sync bin or sync window. Clips will be seen in all folders below the current level and as users navigate around the levels in the bin, the source tape will reconfigure in real-time.

Also in this release is a new Smart Indicator. This tool works alongside the existing smart features added in version 16. It estimates where the editor wants to add a cut or transition, allowing for quick application without the need of placing in and out points on the exact locations of the clips. The new Smart Indicator adds a small marker in the timeline so users can get constant feedback on where edits and transitions will be placed. Other tools for speeding up editing include a cut clip icon in the user interface that will slice the clips in the timeline at the CTI point.

The award for most fun name for a new feature has to go to the new “boring detector” which highlights where any shot is too long and might lose an audience’s interest. Conversely, it can also show jump cuts where the shots are too short. The analysis can constantly show which parts of the timeline are considered “boring,” helping editors refine their work. We’re not sure what Stanley Kubrick would make of such a tool, but it clearly aims to help editors working under incredibly tight deadlines.

DaVinci Resolve 16.1 gains a new sync bin, a digital assistant editor that constantly sorts through thousands of clips, finding only the clips users need and displaying them synced to the point in the timeline they are on.

The sync bin will show the clips from the cameras on a shoot, all stacked by camera number. The viewer will transform into a multi-view so users can see what options they have for clips that sync to the shot in the timeline. The sync bin uses date and timecode to find and sync clips; by using metadata and locking cameras to the time of day, customers can save time in the edit process.

The new sync bin changes how multi-camera editing can be completed. Simply scroll along the timeline, and the sync bin will display only shots that are related to the timeline clips. Users can scroll off the end of the timeline and keep adding shots. When using the DaVinci Resolve Editor Keyboard, users can simply hold the camera number and rotate the search dial to “live overwrite” the clip into the timeline, making editing even faster.

If shots are coming from cameras without timecode, the new sync window lets editors sort and sync clips from multiple cameras. The sync window supports sync by timecode, and it can also detect audio and sync clips by sound. All clips that have been synced will display a sync icon in the media pool so customers can tell which clips are synced and ready for use. Manually syncing clips using the new sync window allows workflows such as multiple action cameras to use new features such as source overwrite editing and the new sync bin.

Finally, the close-up edit feature has been enhanced in DaVinci Resolve 16.1. It now does face detection and analysis, and will zoom the shot, positioning the face of the person nicely framed.

Both tools are available immediately in beta. As usual, a free version is available along with the full version, costing $299.

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