Studio 21.1.1
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FRAMING & MOTION

How to make smooth slow motion

DaVinci Resolve Studio 21.1 · Original practical guide

Good slow motion starts with enough recorded frames. Optical Flow can synthesize intermediate frames, but complex edges and crossing objects can reveal artifacts.

Before you begin

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

ACTUAL RESOLVE INTERFACEView full size ↗
Change Clip Speed dialog above a retimed timeline clip
Change Clip Speed dialog above a retimed timeline clip Reference example from the DaVinci Resolve 21.1 manual, page 1217. Software screenshot © Blackmagic Design. The demonstration media and selected settings may differ from your project.

Step by step

  1. Select the clip, open Change Clip Speed, and lower its speed. For 60 fps footage on a 30 fps timeline, 50% uses the recorded frames evenly.
  2. Decide whether the timeline should ripple when the clip becomes longer. Check that nearby audio and titles move as intended.
  3. In the Inspector’s Retime and Scaling controls, choose the retime processing method. Try frame blending or Optical Flow only when needed.
  4. Render a short test and inspect hands, wheels, water, and overlapping objects frame by frame. Compare against simpler processing before keeping it.

Check your result

Motion is smooth enough for the shot and the longer duration fits the edit without sync damage.

If it doesn’t work as expected

Optical Flow is not a repair for every low-frame-rate source. Speed Warp processing requires Studio and can be expensive; use it selectively.

BUILD THE UNDERLYING SKILL

Advanced editorial workflows

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

Open module 05 →
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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.