DaVinci Resolve (originally known as da Vinci Resolve) is a color grading, color correction,

visual effects Visual effects (sometimes abbreviated VFX) is the process by which imagery is created or manipulated outside the context of a live-action shot in filmmaking and video production. The integration of live-action footage and other live-action foota ...

, and audio post-production video editing application for

macOS macOS (; previously OS X and originally Mac OS X) is a Unix operating system developed and marketed by Apple Inc. since 2001. It is the primary operating system for Apple's Mac computers. Within the market of desktop and la ...

Windows Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for se ...

, and

Linux Linux ( or ) is a family of open-source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991, by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged as a Linux distribution, whi ...

, originally developed by da Vinci Systems, and now developed by Blackmagic Design following its acquisition in 2009. In addition to the commercial version of the software (known as ''DaVinci Resolve Studio''), Blackmagic Design also distributes a free edition, with reduced functionality, simply named ''DaVinci Resolve'' (formerly known as ''DaVinci Resolve Lite'').

Development

Original da Vinci Systems development (2003–2009)

The initial versions of DaVinci Resolve (known then as ''da Vinci Resolve'') were resolution-independent software tools developed by da Vinci Systems (based in

Coral Springs, Florida Coral Springs, officially the City of Coral Springs, is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. The city is located approximately northwest of Fort Lauderdale. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 134,394. It is a ...

), who had previously produced other color correction systems such as da Vinci Classic (1985), da Vinci Renaissance (1990), and da Vinci 2K (1998). The system was first announced in 2003 and released in 2004. It began with three possible configurations: the Resolve DI

digital intermediate Digital intermediate (typically abbreviated DI) is a motion picture finishing process which classically involves digitizing a motion picture and manipulating the color and other image characteristics. Definition and overview A digital intermediat ...

color correction tool, the Resolve FX

tool, and the Resolve RT

2K resolution 2K resolution is a generic term for display devices or content having horizontal resolution of approximately 2,000 pixels. In the movie projection industry, Digital Cinema Initiatives is the dominant standard for 2K output and defines 2K resolu ...

processing tool. These initial versions were integrated exclusively into dedicated hardware controllers. The systems leveraged parallel processing in an InfiniBand topology to support performance during color grading. This was initially implemented using proprietary hardware cards; however, the

4K resolution 4K resolution refers to a horizontal display resolution of approximately 4,000 pixels. Digital television and digital cinematography commonly use several different 4K resolutions. In television and consumer media, 38402160 (4K UHD) is the domi ...

Resolve R series (such as the R-100, introduced in 2008, and the stereoscopic 3D R-360-3D, introduced in 2009) replaced this proprietary hardware with

CUDA CUDA (or Compute Unified Device Architecture) is a parallel computing platform and application programming interface (API) that allows software to use certain types of graphics processing units (GPUs) for general purpose processing, an approach ...

-based

NVIDIA Nvidia CorporationOfficially written as NVIDIA and stylized in its logo as VIDIA with the lowercase "n" the same height as the uppercase "VIDIA"; formerly stylized as VIDIA with a large italicized lowercase "n" on products from the mid 1990s to ...

GPUs. In 2009, Australian video processing and distribution technology company Blackmagic Design bought da Vinci Systems, retaining and expanding the engineering team for Resolve but eliminating support-based contracts for the tool. In October 2009, Blackmagic Design CEO Grant Petty speculated in an interview that the price of Resolve could likely be reduced to below $100,000.

Blackmagic Design versions (2010–present)

At NAB 2010 in

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Veg ...

, in April 2010, Blackmagic Design announced three new pricing models for Resolve, with a new software-only macOS version retailing for $995, the macOS version with the Advanced Control Surface (previously branded as ''Impresario'' by da Vinci Systems) retailing for $29,995, and licenses for the Linux version (supporting multiple-GPUs for increased performance) retailing at $19,995 (with the most advanced configuration available retailing for under $150,000). Before this change, the pre-built versions of Resolve were the only available options, selling for between $200,000 and $800,000, which was common industry practice at the time. In September 2010, version 7 (restyled as ''DaVinci Resolve'') was the first to be released by Blackmagic Design under the new pricing model, and the first release for macOS. It included a redesigned user interface,

Apple ProRes Apple ProRes is a high quality, "visually lossless" lossy video compression format developed by Apple Inc. for use in post-production that supports video resolution up to 8K. It is the successor of the Apple Intermediate Codec and was introduced ...

support, and support for the RED Rocket digital video decoder boards manufactured by Red Digital Cinema. The pricing model changes continued in June 2011 with the release of version 8: As part of this new version, Blackmagic Design announced a free, reduced-functionality edition of the software (known as ''DaVinci Resolve 8 Lite''), alongside the continuing commercial options. Version 8 also introduced

OpenCL OpenCL (Open Computing Language) is a software framework, framework for writing programs that execute across heterogeneous computing, heterogeneous platforms consisting of central processing units (CPUs), graphics processing units (GPUs), d ...

acceleration support and

XML Extensible Markup Language (XML) is a markup language and file format for storing, transmitting, and reconstructing arbitrary data. It defines a set of rules for encoding documents in a format that is both human-readable and machine-readable. T ...

integration with non-linear editor (NLE) applications. Subsequently, version 8.2 (December 2011) further expanded the software's scope (which was previously available only for macOS and Linux) with the first Windows release, beginning with a public beta. Version 9 (2012) included redesigned user interface elements, added metadata editing options, and expanded the range of supported cameras and file types. The following year, version 10 was released, increasing the amount of information imported from

, AAF and EDL files, and adding OpenFX plug-in, JPEG 2000 and

AVI Avi is a given name, usually masculine, often a diminutive of Avram, Avraham, etc. It is sometimes feminine and a diminutive of the Hebrew spelling of Abigail. People with the given name include: * Avi (born 1937), Newbery award-winning Americ ...

support. Version 10 was also the first to include basic video editing features alongside the color correction functionality, such as the trimming of clips. Released in August 2014, version 11 added audio mixing, media organization features, and further video editing features, enabling the software to function as a standalone non-linear editor (NLE) for the first time, in addition to integrating with other NLEs. Subsequently, version 12 (announced at NAB 2015) added a new audio engine (supporting VST/ AU plug-ins), and version 14 (2017) added an integrated version of audio editing software previously developed by Fairlight (following Blackmagic Design's acquisition of the company during the same year). The first version of Resolve for standard editions of

(version 12.5.5) was made available in 2017. It was also the first version in which a free Resolve version for Linux became available. Previous versions required a custom build of Linux, use of the DaVinci Resolve Advanced hardware control panel, and a license dongle. Released in 2018, version 15 added an integrated version of the Fusion compositing and

application, which was first developed in 1987 and was acquired by Blackmagic Design in 2014. Blackmagic Design officially announced DaVinci Resolve version 16 at NAB 2019, in April 2019. New features included a dedicated 'Cut' page (a streamlined alternative to the 'Edit' page),

machine learning Machine learning (ML) is a field of inquiry devoted to understanding and building methods that 'learn', that is, methods that leverage data to improve performance on some set of tasks. It is seen as a part of artificial intelligence. Machine ...

functionality (Studio edition only) to handle repetitive tasks (e.g. facial recognition to sort clips by person),

3D audio 3D audio effects are a group of sound effects that manipulate the sound produced by stereo speakers, surround-sound speakers, speaker-arrays, or headphones. This frequently involves the virtual placement of sound sources anywhere in three-dimensio ...

within Fairlight, and new collaboration features (including Frame.io integration). Version 16.0 was made available on 8 August 2019. The first details for DaVinci Resolve version 17 were announced on November 9, 2020, including improved Fairlight audio and HDR color correction tools. Version 17.0 final was officially released on February 25, 2021. Version 17.1 was released on March 10, 2021, and was the first Mac release to run natively on Apple silicon. Version 17.2 was released on May 12, 2021, and added AV1 hardware decoding support. Version 17.4 was released on October 22, 2021. Version 17.4.6 added AV1 hardware encoding support. DaVinci Resolve 18 was officially announced on April 18, 2022, with introduction of real-time collaborative video editing, using Blackmagic Cloud devices as host servers. Version 18.0 final was officially released on July 21, 2022. DaVinci Resolve 18.1 added Nvidia NVENC AV1 hardware encoding support and was released on November 11, 2022. On October 20, 2022, Blackmagic Design announced that DaVinci Resolve was also coming to iPadOS for the first time, stated that DaVinci Resolve for

iPad The iPad is a brand of iOS and iPadOS-based tablet computers that are developed by Apple Inc., Apple Inc. The iPad was conceived before the related iPhone but the iPhone was developed and released first. Speculation about the development, ...

would take advantage of 12.9-inch screen of the iPad Pro, and would be "a true professional editor that’s focused on introducing new innovations in speed". Unlike the desktop application, the iPad application provides only editing and color-related functionalities, while maintaining compatibility with DaVinci Resolve 18 project files and real-time collaboration via Blackmagic Cloud. DaVinci Resolve for iPad was released as a free app on Apple's App Store in December 2022, with the option to upgrade to DaVinci Resolve Studio via a $95 in-app purchase.

Functionality

The software includes modules for video editing, color correction, audio mixing/ effects (including Fairlight), and

(including Fusion). It can either be used as an intermediary between other NLE software and Digital Cinema Package ( DCP) creation software, or as a standalone end-to-end video editing application. For content delivery to services such as

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...

, Resolve provides functionality to create and validate IMF (Interoperable Master Format, standardized by SMPTE) packages, known as IMPs (which comprise multiple components, such as MXF content, a composition playlist (CPL), and

package data), without the use of separate DCP software. Compatible file formats include video formats such as

, MP4, QuickTime,

DNxHD Avid DNxHD ("Digital Nonlinear Extensible High Definition") is a lossy high-definition video post-production codec developed by Avid for multi-generation compositing with reduced storage and bandwidth requirements. It is an implementation of SMPTE ...

, and XAVC; data exchange formats such as

, EDL, AAF, DCP, MXF, and

CinemaDNG CinemaDNG is the result of an Adobe-led initiative to define an industry-wide open file format for digital cinema files.Adobe Press ReleaseAdobe Starts Initiative to Develop Open Format for Digital Cinema Files CinemaDNG caters for sets of movie cl ...

; audio formats such as AAC,

AIFF Audio Interchange File Format (AIFF) is an audio file format standard used for storing sound data for personal computers and other electronic audio devices. The format was developed by Apple Inc. in 1988 based on Electronic Arts' Interchange ...

, and WAVE; and image formats such as RAW, OpenEXR, TIFF,

DPX Digital Picture Exchange (DPX) is a common file format for digital intermediate and visual effects work and is a SMPTE standard (ST 268-1:2014). The file format is most commonly used to represent the density of each colour channel of a scanned n ...

, R3D,

JPEG JPEG ( ) is a commonly used method of lossy compression for digital images, particularly for those images produced by digital photography. The degree of compression can be adjusted, allowing a selectable tradeoff between storage size and imag ...

, and JPEG 2000. Supported plug-in types include OpenFX, VST, and AU. As of version 12.2 (December 2015), Resolve supports the hybrid log–gamma (HLG) standard for a

high dynamic range High dynamic range (HDR) is a dynamic range higher than usual, synonyms are wide dynamic range, extended dynamic range, expanded dynamic range. The term is often used in discussing the dynamic range of various signals such as images, videos, au ...

, as well as

and

Intel Quick Sync Video Intel Quick Sync Video is Intel's brand for its dedicated video encoding and decoding hardware core. Quick Sync was introduced with the Sandy Bridge CPU microarchitecture on 9 January 2011 and has been found on the die of Intel CPUs ever since. ...

Studio edition

Unlike the free edition of the software, the commercial edition, DaVinci Resolve Studio, supports resolutions greater than ultra-high-definition and frame-rates over 60 FPS. It also includes support for multiple GPUs, additional OpenFX plug-ins such as Face Tracking and Lens Flare,

stereoscopic Stereoscopy (also called stereoscopics, or stereo imaging) is a technique for creating or enhancing the illusion of depth in an image by means of stereopsis for binocular vision. The word ''stereoscopy'' derives . Any stereoscopic image is ...

grading, video noise reduction, motion blur, HDR color grading, and user collaboration tools. It is also the only edition to include the machine learning functions introduced as part of Resolve version 16.

Fairlight integration

Since version 14 (2017), DaVinci Resolve has included an integrated version of the software developed by Fairlight (now owned by Blackmagic Design) designed for TV & Film post-production, and live audio mixing. The Resolve-integrated software supports up to 1000 audio tracks, with a maximum of 6 inserts and 24 aux-sends per track. Other functionality includes 96-channel audio recording and

mixing for formats such as

5.1 5.1 surround sound ("five-point one") is the common name for surround sound audio systems. 5.1 is the most commonly used layout in home theatres. It uses five full bandwidth channels and one low-frequency effects channel (the "point one"). Dolb ...

, 7.1 and 22.2. Integrated audio tools include compression/expansion, limiting, gating and parametric EQ. Fairlight software has been used in the production of TV shows, advertisements, and feature films such as ''

Logan Logan may refer to: Places * Mount Logan (disambiguation) Australia * Logan (Queensland electoral district), an electoral district in the Queensland Legislative Assembly * Logan, Victoria, small locality near St. Arnaud * Logan City, local gov ...

'' and '' Murder on the Orient Express''.

Fusion integration

Since version 15 (2018), DaVinci Resolve also includes an integrated version of the Fusion application for compositing and

, also developed by Blackmagic Design. Fusion's core functionality is based on a modular,

node In general, a node is a localized swelling (a " knot") or a point of intersection (a vertex). Node may refer to: In mathematics * Vertex (graph theory), a vertex in a mathematical graph * Vertex (geometry), a point where two or more curves, line ...

-based interface, with each node forming one specific aspect of the effects being implemented. The same interface style is used in the Resolve-integrated version. Prior to its integration with Resolve, the standalone Fusion version was used to create effects for over 1,000 feature films and TV shows, including '' The Martian'', '' Kingsman: The Secret Service'' and '' The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2''.

Mac App Store versions

DaVinci Resolve (free edition) and DaVinci Resolve Studio are available from the macOS App Store. However, some functionality, such as

support, is not available in these versions due to restrictions imposed by

Apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus '' Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancest ...

iPad version

In December 2022, DaVinci Resolve for

was released. It is supported on iPads with an Apple M1 chip or newer.

Related hardware

Since introducing software-only options for Resolve, Blackmagic Design have also released hardware control panels that integrate with the software and provide users with a tactile interface and access to additional shortcuts. They include the DaVinci Resolve Micro Panel, the DaVinci Resolve Mini Panel (both released in 2017), and the DaVinci Resolve Advanced Panel (previously known as ''Impresario'' when manufactured by da Vinci Systems). In addition to the full control panels, Blackmagic Design also announced the Editor Keyboard for Resolve in April 2019. It includes a standard

computer keyboard A computer keyboard is a peripheral input device modeled after the typewriter keyboard which uses an arrangement of buttons or keys to act as mechanical levers or electronic switches. Replacing early punched cards and paper tape technolog ...

and specialized components (such as a dial for altering timeline position) to support two-handed editing. Resolve also integrates with other hardware produced by Blackmagic Design, such as their Cintel film scanner. In July 2018, Blackmagic Design released an external, portable graphics processing unit, the eGPU, developed in association with

to leverage the

Metal A metal (from ancient Greek, Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electrical resistivity and conductivity, e ...

API for professional video and graphics (such as those used by DaVinci Resolve).

Reception

Davinci Resolve only had 100 users in 2009; however, since being acquired by Blackmagic Design, the software had a user base of more than 2 million using the free version alone as of January 2019. This is a comparable user base to Apple's Final Cut Pro X, which also had 2 million users as of April 2017. In 2011, DaVinci Resolve received a

Red Dot award The Red Dot Design Award is a German international design prize awarded by Red Dot GmbH & Co. KG. There are prize categories for product design, brands and communication design, and design concept. Since 1955, designers and producers can appl ...

for 'Motion Picture Colour Grading System'. Version 14 received an additional Red Dot award in 2017 for 'User Interface Design, Post-Production Software', and in the same year, the software's newly released control panels, the Micro Panel and Mini Panel, also received Red Dot awards for 'Motion Picture Colour Grading System'. Version 14 also received a 2018 Good Design Australia Award, as did the DaVinci Resolve Mini Panel. In 2018, the Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) named DaVinci Resolve (version 15) as a recipient of their 2018 Engineering Excellence Awards.

Media produced using DaVinci Resolve

Film

DaVinci Resolve has been used for the color grading and/or editing of

feature film A feature film or feature-length film is a narrative film (motion picture or "movie") with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment program. The term ''feature film'' originall ...

s such as '' Alien: Covenant'', ''Avatar'', '' Best of Enemies,'' ''

Deadpool 2 ''Deadpool 2'' is a 2018 American superhero comedy film based on the Marvel Comics character Deadpool. Distributed by 20th Century Fox, it is the sequel to ''Deadpool'' (2016) and the eleventh installment overall in the ''X-Men'' film series. ...

'', '' Jason Bourne,'' '' Kingsman: The Golden Circle,'' '' La La Land,'' '' Love & Mercy,'' '' Pirates of the Caribbean,'' '' Prometheus,'' '' Robin Hood'', ''

Spectre Spectre, specter or the spectre may refer to: Religion and spirituality * Vision (spirituality) * Apparitional experience * Ghost Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Spectre'' (1977 film), a made-for-television film produced and wri ...

'', '' Star Wars: The Last Jedi'', and '' X-Men: Apocalypse''. DaVinci Resolve and Blackmagic Design hardware were used to create five of the eight 2019 Oscar nominated best picture films including ''Bohemian Rhapsody'' (most awards), ''

The Favourite ''The Favourite'' is a 2018 period black comedy film co-produced and directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, from a screenplay by Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara. Set in early 18th century Great Britain, the film's plot examines the relationship bet ...

'' (most nominations), ''Roma'' (most nominations), ''Green Book'' (won Best Picture) and ''Vice''. Additionally, DaVinci Resolve and Blackmagic Design hardware were used to create thirteen 2018 Oscar nominated films, nine 2017 Oscar nominated films, seven 2016 Oscar nominated films, four 2014 Oscar nominated films, and four 2010 Oscar nominated films (two for Best Picture). 20 films at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival leveraged DaVinci Resolve, followed by 35 in 2016, over 45 in 2017, over 55 in 2018, and over 35 in 2019. Presence of films created with Resolve at other film festivals includes the 2018 Austin Film Festival (over 25 films), the

2014 Cannes Film Festival The 67th Cannes Film Festival was held from 14 to 25 May 2014. New Zealand film director Jane Campion was the head of the jury for the main competition section. The Palme d'Or was awarded to the Turkish film ''Winter Sleep'' directed by Nuri Bil ...

(three films), the 2015 Cannes Film Festival (21 films), the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival, and the 2016 and 2017 South by Southwest festivals. DaVinci Resolve has also been used in the restoration of classic films, such as ''Les Misérables'', '' Spartacus'', ''

Black Like Me ''Black Like Me'', first published in 1961, is a nonfiction book by journalist John Howard Griffin recounting his journey in the Deep South of the United States, at a time when African-Americans lived under racial segregation. Griffin was a na ...

'', '' Jamaica Inn,'' and '' The Perfect Woman''.

Television

DaVinci Resolve software has been used in television shows including ''

2 Broke Girls ''2 Broke Girls'' (stylized ''2 Broke Girl$'') is an American television sitcom that aired on CBS from September 19, 2011, to April 17, 2017. The series was produced for Warner Bros. Television and created by Michael Patrick King and Whitney Cum ...

, American Horror Story, Arrow,'' '' Ash vs Evil Dead'', ''

The Big Bang Theory ''The Big Bang Theory'' is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, both of whom served as executive producers on the series, along with Steven Molaro, all of whom also served as head writers. It premiered on CBS ...

Criminal Minds ''Criminal Minds'' is an American police procedural crime drama television series created and produced by Jeff Davis (writer), Jeff Davis. The series premiered on CBS on September 22, 2005, and originally concluded on February 19, 2020; it was r ...

Daredevil Daredevil may refer to: * A stunt performer Arts and media Comics * Daredevil (Lev Gleason Publications), a fictional 1940s superhero popularized by writer-artist Charles Biro * Daredevil (Marvel Comics character), a Marvel comic book superhero ...

The Flash The Flash (or simply Flash) is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in ''Flash Comics'' #1 (cover date ...

, Gotham, How To Get Away With Murder, The Last Man on Earth, Lethal Weapon, The Man in the High Castle, The Mentalist, The Muppets,'' '' NCIS: Los Angeles'', '' Orphan Black'' '',

Portlandia ''Portlandia'' is an American sketch comedy television series starring Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein, set in and around Portland, Oregon, and spoofing the city's reputation as a haven for eccentric hipsters. The show was produced by Br ...

,'' '' Sons of Anarchy'','''' ''

Supernatural Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin (above, beyond, or outside of) + (nature) Though the corollary term "nature", has had multiple meanings si ...

,'' '' The Walking Dead,'' and ''Westworld''. The software has also been used in the creation of television shows which have received Emmy Awards, such as '' Game of Thrones'' and '' Modern Family''. More than 55 of the 2018 fall television and streaming series relied on Blackmagic Design software and hardware, including DaVinci Resolve.

Other media

DaVinci Resolve has also been used during the creation of other media, such as music videos, advertisements,

concert production Concert production is the act of putting on a concert or a live music performance. As an individual's role, this refers to the person coordinating all the staff and equipment necessary to make a concert happen; they monitor the schedule, pay the ...

, and online media.

References

External links

* {{Video editors MacOS multimedia software Video editing software Video editing software for Windows Windows multimedia software 2004 software Video editing software for Linux Software_that_uses_Qt Graphics_software_that_uses_Qt