Resolve 10 Top 5 Creative Features

With the recent release of Resolve 10 I feel that there are some new creative tools that will change the color correction game.  I have yet to fully dive into the program since I’m currently still working on v9, but I did have the pleasure of working on it as a demo artist for Black Magic Design during NAB 2013.  There are many aspects of the software that have been improved, but I want to focus on and point out the tools that I feel will really contribute the most to the creative aspect of color grading.  I foresee some fun, interesting, and inspiring grades in the near future.

1.  NODE RESIZING

At first I wasn’t quite sure what to think of this feature.  When would I use this? I know people are saying that you can use it as a poor man’s paint out tool, but that’s not really where I see this being the most functional.  Where I’m really excited to see this feature put to great use is by combining it with HSL keys.  For example, you could try keying the luminance only channel with a very loose/blurred key, and raise the gamma to create a glow.  From that point you could take that node and increase the size to give a ghost-like effect.  Then by working in the key tab you could really influence how much or how little of the blur shows through.

2.  OPENFX

From day 1 I thought this was the major announcement with the Resolve 10 release.  I mean, this is just plain awesome. Normally all of my work goes through Flame when finishing spots for television where the final bells and whistles are added to make the piece really sing.  Now I can add those bells and whistles.  Amazing.  I’m really interested to sift through and learn as many of these tools as I can and figure out the best places to utilize them.  This is where I’m going to spend the bulk of my time.  A whole new world is opened here and now all of a sudden I can offer finishing tools that were never an option in the past.  Lens flares anyone?

3.  MULTIPLE WINDOWS PER NODE

I’ve already had several times in Resolve 9 where I had wished this feature existed.  Where I really see it being the most effective is when masking out keys.  Sure, the key mixer existed before, but now it’s way more simplified and streamlined.  If you’re ever going to try to recreate the “Sin City look” then this feature is going to be your best friend.  I might be cursing this feature when I’m essentially rotoscoping multiple windows, but in the mean time, I’m listing it as one of my favorites.

4.  SPLIT SCREEN VIEWER

When matching scenes or clips, grabbing stills and using them as a reference is essential.  It always has been and always will be.  Being able to view the stills as horizontal, vertical, or a mix really allows for double checking consistency.  Now Resolve 10 has the option to play back multiple clips in the same viewer.  This was a feature that existed in Resolve 9 called “Playheads”, but I always found it very clunky and not extremely effective.  With the Split Screen viewer you have the option to view up to 16 clips against each other while they’re playing back.  So essentially this is taking reference stills to a whole new level.

5.  POWER CURVES

These are nothing new. They existed in previous versions of Resolve and functioned quite nicely.  However, every once in awhile they were a little clunky and didn’t have the spline-like feel that I was hoping for.  Sometimes on custom shapes there is no room for error.  A floating edge can make the difference between a great rotoscope or a completely useless one.  On this version of Resolve that problem has essentially been done away with. Nice, smooth curves that function just like they should.  Not really a game changer here, just a feature that was improved and is now much more effective.

While there are some features that bring more to the table in Resolve 10 as a whole, these are the ones that I think will offer the most creatively.  Who knows if I’ll feel the same way once I actually start using the software during client supervised sessions, but for now, I’m extremely excited to get working on the latest Black Magic Design home run.

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