Effects, Titles & VFX
Not every effect in your NLE will translate cleanly into DaVinci Resolve. This page covers what comes across, what doesn’t, and how to handle the difference.
General Rule
Simple effects translate. Complex effects need to be baked.
When in doubt: render the effect in your NLE, export the section as a flattened clip, and deliver that alongside the XML/AAF. Include a note on a marker so the conformer knows what to expect.
Basic Effects
These translate reliably through XML / AAF / FCPXML:
| Effect | Translation | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cuts | Perfect | No special handling |
| Dissolves (cross-dissolve) | Perfect | Both sides of the dissolve must have handles |
| Fade to / from black | Perfect | Handles the same as dissolves |
| Audio cross-fades | Perfect | Embedded in timeline |
| Opacity changes | Usually clean | Verify in Resolve |
| Basic scale / position / rotation | Usually clean | Non-keyframed transforms are most reliable |
Complex Effects — Handle With Care
These often translate poorly or inconsistently:
| Effect | Risk | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Time remapping | Curves may not carry over correctly | Flag with a marker; consider flattening |
| Speed ramps | Often misinterpreted | Flatten the section or provide a rendered version |
| Optical flow retimes | Resolve has its own retime engine | Flatten or rely on Resolve’s retime |
| Warp stabilizer | Does not translate | Flatten |
| Custom 3rd-party plugin effects | Almost never translate | Flatten |
| Keyframed color / effects | Unpredictable | Flatten or rebuild in Resolve |
| Dynamic zooms / Ken Burns | Can come across but may drift | Verify in Resolve; flatten if critical |
| Multi-layer compositing | Layer order may shift | Flatten the composite |
How to Flatten a Section
In any NLE, the approach is the same:
- Mark the in/out around the effect
- Export a self-contained video file (ProRes 422 HQ recommended)
- Re-import and cut it into the sequence in place of the original effect
- Add a marker at the cut-in point noting “flattened effect — [brief description]“
Titles and Graphics
Titles deserve special attention because they are both common and fragile in translation.
Preferred: External Renders
For the cleanest conform, render titles, lower thirds, and end crawls out of the graphics tool (After Effects, Motion, etc.) as separate files:
- Codec: ProRes 4444 with alpha (for overlay titles) or ProRes 422 HQ (for full-frame title cards)
- Naming:
SHOW_EP###_LT_v##_NAME.movor similar - Resolution and frame rate: match sequence settings exactly
- Delivery: as individual files in the turnover package, referenced from the timeline
Acceptable: NLE-Built Titles
NLE-built titles (Avid Title Tool, Premiere Essential Graphics, FCP text generators) can be used, but:
- Mark every NLE-built title on the timeline with a unique marker color (suggested: Yellow — see Markers)
- Be aware they often need to be rebuilt in Resolve
- Keep the title text in a separate script or spreadsheet for reference
Common Title Problems in Conform
- Fonts missing on the finisher’s system → missing font fallback
- Kerning and leading differ between NLE and Resolve
- Transparency and blend modes shift
- Keyframed animations don’t carry
The fix in all cases: external render with alpha.
VFX Shots
VFX are always delivered as external renders. Never rely on XML translation for VFX.
VFX Delivery Specs
- Codec: ProRes 4444 (if alpha needed), ProRes 422 HQ otherwise
- Resolution / frame rate: match sequence
- Color space: match sequence (flag if delivering in a different color space)
- Naming:
SHOW_EP###_VFX_SHOT-001_v##.mov - Include handles on VFX where possible (minimum 12 frames, ideally 24)
Version Tracking
- Always increment version numbers:
_v01,_v02,_v03 - Never overwrite a delivered version — always create a new one
- The conformer should be able to see at a glance which version is in the cut
VFX Still in Progress
If VFX are not final at turnover:
- Cut the latest WIP version into the main VFX track (V5)
- Place reference source material on a parallel track (e.g. V5.5 or V6)
- Add a PINK or BROWN marker at the shot in-point (see Markers)
- Include a VFX breakdown document listing all shots, their status, and expected delivery dates
Motion Effects and Mixed Frame Rates
Documentary projects regularly contain footage shot at different frame rates — 24, 25, 29.97, 30, 50, 59.94, 60, and higher for slow-motion.
The Problem
Your NLE interprets mixed-framerate footage with its own frame-blending or optical-flow engine. Resolve has a different engine. A clip that looks smooth in Premiere may strobe in Resolve.
Recommendations
- Flatten any critical slow-motion or speed-ramp shots to a rendered file
- Note mixed frame rates on markers — the conformer may need to interpret them intentionally
- Master timeline frame rate should match delivery frame rate — do not try to finish at 24 when delivery is 23.976
Optical Effects and Filters
Light leaks, grain overlays, film burns, and similar overlay-style effects:
- Place on V4 (Opticals track) as separate clips, not as filters on other clips
- Use blend modes carefully — Screen and Add usually translate; more exotic modes may not
- If using a plugin-based grain or light-leak tool, flatten — the conformer will not have the same plugins
Summary: When to Flatten
Flatten if any of these are true:
- The effect uses a third-party plugin
- The effect relies on a specific NLE’s retime engine
- The effect has keyframes critical to the look
- The effect is a composite of multiple layers with blend modes
- You are unsure whether it will translate
When in doubt, flatten and mark.