Studio 21.1.1
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FRAMING & MOTION

How to animate a gentle zoom with Dynamic Zoom

DaVinci Resolve Studio 21.1 · Original practical guide

Dynamic Zoom creates a pan-and-zoom move without placing transform keyframes manually. It is useful for a still image or a simple reframing move.

Before you begin

Select a video clip on the Edit timeline and open the Inspector.

ACTUAL RESOLVE INTERFACEView full size ↗
Cut page Dynamic Zoom toolbar controls
Cut page Dynamic Zoom toolbar controls Reference example from the DaVinci Resolve 21.1 manual, page 768. Software screenshot © Blackmagic Design. The demonstration media and selected settings may differ from your project.

Step by step

  1. Select a clip on Edit and enable Dynamic Zoom in the Video Inspector.
  2. Choose the Dynamic Zoom viewer overlay so the start and end frames are visible. Set a modest change between those rectangles.
  3. Use Swap if the movement runs in the wrong direction. Select an easing option suited to how the move should begin and finish.
  4. Play from the actual clip start to its end. Adjust the clip duration or the framing distance until the speed feels deliberate.

Check your result

The move begins and ends on useful compositions and remains smooth across the full clip.

If it doesn’t work as expected

A very large framing change on a short clip becomes a sudden rush. Reduce the distance before trying to solve the problem with more effects.

BUILD THE UNDERLYING SKILL

Advanced editorial workflows

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Technical reference: DaVinci Resolve 21.1 Reference Manual, Blackmagic Design, September 2026. Screenshot page numbers refer to that manual. Independently written guidance; specific controls may vary by platform and build. Authorship & image credits.