New Fast Method to Use Scene Cut Detection

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Scene Cut Detection is an incredibly useful feature in DaVinci Resolve that uses the DaVinci Neural Engine to detect where cuts exist in a previously edited video and then separates the video into individual clips. Now in DaVinci Resolve 17 you can access the Scene Cut Detection feature on the edit page and make corrections to any mistakes the AI might have made from there. In my opinion this is a much easier way to use this feature than before where you had to use it on the media page prior to importing your clips.

As always thank you for watching and/or reading. We are Sword & Shield Studio and we create weekly DaVinci Resolve tutorials on YouTube and offer full service video production for local commercial clients in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area.

Saving Your Audio Settings Using the Presets Library in DaVinci Resolve 17 Fairlight

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If you use the same audio plug-ins, equalization and dynamics settings in your projects you can save yourself a lot of time by familiarizing yourself with the Audio Presets Library in Davinci Resolve’s Fairlight Audio page. I will show you in this video how you can save your audio settings and access them across all your projects on the same computer. Additionally you can even copy the preset files from one computer and transfer them to another computer all together. This is a really great time saving method if you tend to record audio under the same conditions often. Take a peak at the video below if you think you could benefit from the Audio Presets Library:

As always thank you for watching and/or reading. We are Sword & Shield Studio and we create weekly DaVinci Resolve tutorials on YouTube. In addition we offer full service video production for local commercial clients in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area.

Using Adjustment Clips in DaVinci Resolve + Making a Zoom Transition

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Learn how to use Adjustment Clips to save yourself time while editing in DaVinci Resolve. In the video we exemplify how to get to the Adjustment Clips feature, show how their basic functionality works, and create a Zoom Transition using an Adjustment Clip and a few basic Fusion nodes. This is a fast and easily modifiable method to apply effects, Fusion animations, color grades, and other adjustments to a specific range of clips in your project. If you are interested in learning more, feel free to check out the video below:

As always thank you for watching and/or reading. We are Sword & Shield Studio and we create weekly DaVinci Resolve tutorials on YouTube and offer full service video production for local commercial clients in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area.

Basic 3-Point and 4-Point Editing in DaVinci Resolve

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If you have been using DaVinci Resolve for any amount of time you will quickly realize that more times than not there is more than just one way to accomplish a task, with varying levels of efficiency. 3-Point (and 4-Point) editing is one of the more efficient editing techniques that you have probably used at one point or another but never realized. So, we thought it would be beneficial to create a video that dives into all the different 3-Point (as well as a 4-point) editing options and show how they work. Take a look below:

As always, thank you for watching/reading. Hopefully you found some useful information in the video and it helps you understand what some of the different editing options in DaVinci Resolve do. Like mentioned previously, you have probably already used one or more of these techniques in your workflow and do not realize it. Sometimes though, it helps to have everything laid out at once and maybe you discover a new technique or two you have not used yet. Keep an eye out for more videos on our YouTube channel where are uploading videos weekly about DaVinci Resolve and are planning to bring even more to the channel soon.

New Workspace, Shooting Downtown

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Hey there good people, long time no type! It has been a busy few weeks for me, and it pains me to admit but the blog is the first Sword & Shield outlet to suffer when life inevitably speeds up. So posts had been put on hold for a few weeks. Finally, though, I have found a bit of time to sit down and write what I have been up to and what I am thinking about doing in the near future with the YouTube channel and my commercial work.

The first thing you probably noticed from last week’s YouTube video is a change of setting. That is because just prior to preparing for that video I spent some time building two of these DIY IKEA desks for my wife and I. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdown here in March I had my desktop set up at a table in our living room. That is where I would record a majority of the videos now available on the Sword & Shield YouTube channel up until last week when I was finally able to build the desks and assemble our new work-from-home friendly workspaces.

New workspace/studio with full DOOM memorabilia in action.

Of course there was some maintenance I needed to take care of around the house in the middle of this project. That’s how life often goes. The dogs needed their vet visits. The dishwasher broke. Things were getting busy around the house. Then I received a call from a colleague to go shoot some video for Bishop Arts District. I was a bit nervous about going out, but ultimately I decided to take him up on the opportunity and I am glad that I did.

It turned out to be a great day of shooting. My colleague’s name is Nobuyuki Ogata by the way ( or Nobu for short) and he does some amazing photography/videography work which you can find here. He already went out and shot some footage at an earlier date, so we were out with a purpose to fill in any B-roll gaps. Little did we know most of the action would come right to us. We got just about everything we needed after just over three and a half hours of shooting. A live jazz band, crowds on the streets, friendly shopkeepers, and most importantly people wearing masks and staying a safe distance from one another. We got some great material, I will be sure to share the finished product here on the blog when Nobu is finished editing it and Bishop Arts post it online. Hopefully this is just one of many such collaborations of ours to come!

As always, thanks for reading. Stay safe and keep on creating.

Future Still Bright for APS-C Sensor Cameras

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There is a pattern that has been more than evident the past year in the camera industry. That pattern is smaller and more compact full frame cameras. Between Sony’s recent A7C launch, the new Panasonic LUMIX S5, and the Nikon Z5, there are plenty of compact, full-frame camera bodies for videographers to get their hands on at an entry level price point. So does this mean it is the end of the line for APS-C sensor cameras? Well, probably not.

The price has never been better for a full-frame hybrid camera, capable of high quality still photos and sharp, high resolution video at high framerates. If you were making an investment today in a camera to get your new video business off the ground you would be hard pressed not to pick one of the solid full-frame options I previously mentioned. After all, many of these camera bodies only cost between $500-$1000 greater than their APS-C counterparts. There remains a few reasons why an APS-C sensor camera is still a solid option for a small studio or independent filmmaker though.

One reason you might buy an APS-C sensor camera in 2020 is that you are already invested in an APS-C system. For instance, it makes more sense for me being invested in an Sony APS-C system to upgrade to the a6600 as opposed to look at the new A7C. If I were to switch to a full-frame body I would ultimately want to pick up full-frame lenses and accessories. By the time you add up the total cost you are looking at a hefty investment. Additionally even if you are not already invested in an APS-C, the lenses will cost much less than full-frame lenses due to their size and crop factor.

Another reason you would want to opt in for an APS-C camera is for the size. While the bodies for full-frame cameras have gotten smaller, the size footprint for the lenses remain the same. The size advantage still belongs to APS-C when you consider the fact that since the lens can be smaller you can operate with a smaller tripod, a gimbal rated for less weight, and operate handheld for longer without fatigue.

Why am I not scared about the future of APS-C then? Does it not seem like it is only a matter of time before the price gap closes on these entry level full-frame cameras and the APS-C sensor is left in the dust? I do not think so. I believe APS-C camera bodies have their own shrinking down left unannounced. I believe the smaller glass of the system will continue to be an asset to handheld and gimbal camera operators. Lastly, besides the Fujifilm X-T4 which is probably the most feature filled APS-C sensor camera on the market, the strongest showing we have seen on the APS-C front is the Sony a6600 in late 2019. We are due for some new APS-C releases from Canon, Nikon, and Sony (as the a6600 was essentially a a6500 with a bigger battery, flip screen, and no recording limit). There is a good chance these new cameras will provide competitive features to their compact full-frame counterparts at a lower, competitive price point.

Where do you think the future of APS-C sensor cameras lies? Are they done for good? Have the major camera companies figured out how to make full-frame work in small bodies without compromise? What is your next potential camera upgrade? As always, I would love to hear your thoughts in the discussion below.

New Cameras, YouTube, and Potential Upgrades

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This week’s post is a little different. I apologize for missing last week’s post here on the website, however it was meant to be a text re-post of the tutorial I created about delivery settings for YouTube which you can find here. You can find all sorts of DaVinci Resolve and Video Production tips and tricks on the channel, if that is your kind of thing please consider subscribing.

It was two weeks ago when I produced the first YouTube tutorial on the Sword & Shield Studio channel. Since then we have heard some pretty interesting camera news. For one, Sony released the A7C, one of the smallest full-frame cameras now on the market. It is certainly an intriguing little camera, it does make me wonder where Sony’s APS-C camera line is headed in the future…bigger tech in smaller packages always means bigger better things to come though, doesn’t it?

In addition to the Sony camera we have seen the Canon EOS C70 cinema camera come to light, an entry-level cinema camera at an intriguing price point (in the world of cinema cameras, that is). It does make you question how the R5 and R6 ended up with the video capabilities that they did since they were developed in concert with the C70…but I will not dive into that. The C70 in and of itself seems like a capable cinema camera for those who are in the market for one. As a solo video freelancer, however, I can simply relish in its existence from a distance.

While I have been dreaming about cameras above my pay grade, I have been making some considerations about what I should upgrade to myself within the $1000-$2000 price range. You see I am using an a6000 I got in 2015 and it still serves me as a great multi-purpose camera. I have picked up a couple high quality lenses for it over the years and in 2020 it is an excellent 24MP stills camera, just wish it had a little more power in the body for professional video work.

My most natural upgrade path would be to get a Sony a6600. This way I can keep my same Sony E-Mount APS-C lenses, upgrade the body, and have better image quality when I take video without spending much…plus I would have money left in the budget to potentially get another lens. Another tempting consideration has been Blackmagic Design’s Pocket Cinema Camera 4K. It seems like I would be able to get higher fidelity video with it than the a6600 and of course Blackmagic Design’s BRAW files would play nicely with my main editing suite DaVinci Resolve…but the lack of continuous autofocus and a flip screen make it less appealing for my YouTube work where I do have to record myself from time-to-time. Not to mention the high fidelity BRAW files will require me to upgrade my data storage solution. Still, it seems like a great consideration for capturing professional looking video without breaking the bank.

Well that is what has been on my mind. Dumped here in text form on the Internet for everyone to read. What about your plans? Are you thinking about upgrading cameras soon? What do you have your eyes on? Do you have a YouTube channel that you have just got started? Let me know in the comments, I would love to Subscribe and support a fellow YouTube noob. Have a great one.

Trim Edit Mode | DaVinci Resolve 16 Tutorial

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This week we created a video on our YouTube channel on how to effectively use the Trim Edit Mode in DaVinci Resolve to speed up your editing workflow. Using this mode you can achieve Ripple, Roll, Slip, and Slide edits as you would in other nonlinear video editing software. MediaCollege.com has uploaded a great explanation of each of these types of edits and how they affect your footage if you are unfamiliar with the concepts. While their instructions on how to access these tools are written for Premiere Pro the idea behind these types of edits and how they will impact your footage remains the same no matter what software you are using. If you want to know how to utilize these functions specifically within DaVinci Resolve, however, check out the video below:

As always thank you for watching and/or reading. It is our goal to put out at least one DaVinci Resolve related tutorial per week, and if things pick up some steam we will be expanding to produce content about general video tips & tricks also. So keep an eye out for that.

Source Tape on the DaVinci Resolve Cut Page

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Source tape is one of those features that has perhaps gone under the radar since the release of DaVinci Resolve 16. It is unfortunate too because it can simply save you a bunch of time when putting together your rough cuts. Check our video on the topic below:

If you don’t have three minutes to watch the video I’ll give you the summary here. That is, if you think you can read faster. It’s a small icon at the top left of the viewer in the DaVinci Resolve Cut Page that looks like a film strip. It allows you to cut your footage shot in chronological order in a proxy source tape timeline as though it were on a single reel of film. This allows you to quickly go through, cut, and insert clips from your footage into a rough cut timeline very rapidly.

Sounds cool, right? I thought so when I first discovered it at least. Let me know what you think of this feature, if you like it, how often you use it, or if you even use the cut page in DaVinci Resolve. As always, thanks for reading.

August Drone Flights

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The month of August was great for flying drones. That is, if you could stand the 100+ degree weather and the occasional wasps there were plenty of clear days to take advantage of this past month in North Texas.

At the beginning of the month I made the investment to get a DJI Mavic 2 Pro. Admittedly I was a bit nervous about buying it since it is about a two year old aircraft, “How well could it hold up?” I thought. After a handful of flights with it however I have no regrets about the purchase at all. It does up to 4K video @ 30 FPS in the D-Log M color profile and the 20MP 1” sensor inside just gets the job done amazingly well. You get sharp, usable footage in a variety of situations that has solid dynamic range for color grading. Take a look at what I captured around some local parks and an urban development here, sorry it’s not the most exciting settings I know, but you can get an idea of what the drone is capable of:

All-in-all it has been a treat to fly with the Mavic 2 Pro, hopefully I will get to share some more interesting locations with it as I pursue commercial jobs and more adventurous flight paths with it in the near future. Have you conducted any fun drone flights recently? What are your thoughts on the Mavic 2 Pro? What is your drone of choice? I’d love to talk about it in the discussion. Keep flying!