When You Import Media Affects Project Frame Rates in DaVinci Resolve

Gary B. writes:

I recently purchased your DaVinci Resolve 19 Master Bundle – Workflow & Editing training bundle as I am trying to migrate from Premiere Pro. I recall that in it you said that mixed frame rates cannot exist on a timeline. Often my media is submitted in a myriad of forms/rates. How do I deal with that? Also, while working along with your lesson, I was trying to apply a default crossfade and nothing works. I assume this is from the mixed rate problem. Any insights?

Larry replies: It would be more accurate to say that you can’t change the frame rate of a project after you import media into Resolve.

So make sure the first media you import has the frame rate you want to deliver. After that, you can import any frame rate you want and put it into any project. Frame rates of clips  that don’t match Resolve will automatically convert to the project frame rate.

So that first import is important.

Frame rate conversion is a tricky subject, because all we have to deal with are discrete frames. Resolve’s Help PDF states (pg 138):

“Since each clip in every timeline defaults to “Project Settings,” changing this setting will change the way most mixed frame rate and speed effected clips will be processed, except for those with custom settings selected.

“There are three options:

• Nearest: The most processor efficient and least sophisticated method of processing; frames are either dropped for fast motion, or duplicated for slow motion.
• Frame Blend: Also processor efficient, but can produce smoother results; adjacent duplicated frames are dissolved together to smooth out slow or fast motion effects. This option can provide better results when Optical Flow displays unwanted artifacts.
• Optical Flow: The most processor intensive, but highest quality method of speed effect processing. Using motion estimation, new frames are generated from the original source frames to create slow or fast motion effects. The result can be exceptionally smooth when motion in a clip is linear. However, two moving elements crossing in different directions or unpredictable camera movement can cause unwanted artifacts.”

Larry, again: You’ll find the frame interpolation options at the very bottom of the Project settings window (shortcut: Shift + 9).

Most of the time, I leave these at their defaults, especially if all frame rates are multiples of each other. For example, 24 & 48 fps, 30 & 60, 25 & 50. I’d also leave this at the default for a mix between 23.976 & 24, 24 & 25, and 29.97 and 30.

However, when frame rates are mis-matched, for example 24, 25 and 29.97 on a 24 fps timeline, switching to Frame Blending may yield better results.

Experiment and see what works best for you.

Traditionally, optical flow can yield amazing results, but those results can be VERY inconsistent. I would choose this option only when nothing else works.

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