Blackmagic Design (www.blackmagicdesign.com) introduced Version 16 of DaVinci Resolve at NAB 2019. The software, which is now in public beta, features more than 100 improvements, along with the new cut page feature. Cut page is an alternate edit page that offers a streamlined interface and new tools designed to help users work faster than before.
The cut page lets editors import, edit, trim, add transitions, titles, automatically match color and mix audio. Since the regular edit page is still available, users can switch between edit and cut pages to change editing style in the middle of a job. The cut page employs familiar concepts, such as source tape mode and an A/B trim tool - two modern features that are rooted in the past. The idea of the cut page is to remove things customers don’t need and provide professional tools that help users work more quickly.
With source tape, users no longer have to waste time hunting through bins to find the clip they need. They can simply click on the source tape button and all of the clips in their bin appear in the viewer as a single, long video. This makes it easy to scrub through all of the shots, find the parts they want, and quickly edit them to the timeline. The cut page features dual timelines so customers no longer need to zoom in or out. The upper timeline shows the entire program while the lower timeline shows the current work area.
Blackmagic Design also showed off a prototype of the DaVinci Resolve Editor Keyboard, a keyboard for Resolve that is designed to dramatically improve the speed of editing because it allows the user to work with both hands. The keyboard will be available in August for $995 and will feature an all-metal design with a tiered profile that allows editors to easily find their way around. The key switches are the same type used by eSports keyboards, and each key is certified for over a million operations.
The integrated search dial allows very precise transport and trimming control. Plus, the keys caps, hand rest and key switches are all available as spare parts so the keyboard can be refreshed and repaired over time.