Studio 21.1.1
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SETUP & MEDIA

How to choose the right timeline frame rate

DaVinci Resolve Studio 21.1 · Original practical guide

Set the intended delivery frame rate before editing. Changing clip interpretation, timeline rate, and export rate are different operations, with different effects on motion and sync.

Before you begin

Have a project open and a short source clip on a mounted drive.

ACTUAL RESOLVE INTERFACEView full size ↗
Master Settings: proxy, cache, and working-folder settings
Master Settings: proxy, cache, and working-folder settings Reference example from the DaVinci Resolve 21.1 manual, page 207. Software screenshot © Blackmagic Design. The demonstration media and selected settings may differ from your project.

Step by step

  1. Before importing or editing, open Project Settings > Master Settings and set Timeline frame rate to the required delivery value.
  2. When you need a timeline with different settings, create a new timeline, turn off Use Project Settings, and inspect its Format controls before adding clips.
  3. Import the sources and retain the planned timeline rate when an automatic change prompt would conflict with delivery.
  4. For an existing timeline whose rate is locked, build a new timeline at the target rate and transfer a duplicate edit. Review every cut, retime, caption, and audio sync point.

Check your result

Timeline settings and a short test export report the required frame rate, and motion looks intentional.

If it doesn’t work as expected

Do not alter Clip Attributes merely to change the delivery rate. Reinterpreting a clip can change its running time and break sync.

BUILD THE UNDERLYING SKILL

Media, organized from the start

Go deeper with the course’s explanations, exercises, and knowledge checks.

Open module 02 →
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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.