Faster Color Grading with Groups in DaVinci Resolve 14

Even though DaVinci Resolve is relatively new to the line of non-linear editing programs, the platform has become a proven powerhouse for video editing. In fact, it’s reached a high enough potential to the point that an increasing number of seasoned professionals have found themselves switching from reputable editing programs such as Adobe Premiere Pro and Apple Final Cut Pro X to DaVinci Resolve 14.

While video editing remains an aspect of the software that does need further improvement, color correction, and color grading capabilities are still dominant. In the next video, avid Resolve user Casey Faris shows off how to improve your color grading efficiency inside of Resolve 14 as you take advantage of the program’s comprehensive set of color grading tools to bring your images to the next level.

Many people tend to believe that color grading could be a very time-consuming process based on the assumption that one will have to work on the color for each clip one at a time. In fact, there is a way to speed up the process in a very simplistic manner. All you need to do is make use of the grouping feature in Resolve 14. In essence, this functionality allows colorists to select several clips and combine them into a single group. By doing so, you can have the properties of one clip affect the others, helping you save time during your coloring process.

To start off, select several clips in your timeline. Then right-click on any of the selected clips and choose Add Into New Group. Name the group to whatever you desire and click OK. Afterward, you will see a green chain appear on your clips. This icon will help you identify which shots are grouped together.

Before you start trying to color your grouped clips, you will notice that when you try to manipulate one of the clips in the group, the others are unaffected. To be able to edit all of the properties of the grouped clips simultaneously, you’ll have to change one more setting.

To do so, head over to the drop-down menu on top of the Node Graph labeled Clips.  Select any of the clips from your group and click on the menu. Inside of the drop-down, opt for either Pre-Clip or Post-Clip. Now when you try to manipulate one piece of footage, all the others in the group will follow suit.

All in all, there are a total of four options available in the menu: Pre-Clip, Clip, Post-Clip, and Timeline. Pre-Clip describes the initial color settings you put onto your grouped images. The Clip setting allows you to change the properties of a single clip in your group without affecting the others. Post-Clip changes the color settings to all the footage on top of your coloring with the Pre-Clip and Clip settings. Finally, editing colors with the Timeline setting will affect every single clip in your timeline.

You can choose any of the suggested options depending on the specific needs you have while color grading. That way, not only will you be able to color grade clips in batches but also you’ll manage to speed up your workflow significantly over time.

[source: Casey Faris]

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