With each new release, Blackmagic Design continues to add advanced functionality to DaVinci Resolve, further solidifying its reputation as a top-tier post-production application. Once primarily known as the gold standard for color grading, DaVinci Resolve is now a powerful contender in the editing world, rivalling industry giants like Adobe Premiere Pro and Avid Media Composer.
This guide covers all you need to know about working with proxies in DaVinci Resolve, from setup to exporting. Leveraging proxy workflows can significantly streamline your editing process, especially when dealing with large media files or collaborating remotely.
What Are Proxies and When Should You Use Them?
A proxy workflow, or offline editing, involves creating lower-resolution versions of your original footage—known as proxies—that are used for editing. These proxy files are smaller in size and use more efficient codecs, providing better playback performance while editing. This is particularly useful when navigating the timeline, applying effects, or reviewing footage.
Once editing is complete, the proxy files can be seamlessly reconnected to the high-resolution originals for tasks like color grading and mastering.
Remote editing is another key advantage of using proxies. Since proxy files take up less storage space, it’s faster to upload and download them for remote collaboration. Additionally, because proxies are less resource-intensive, editors can work smoothly on lower-spec machines without compromising export quality.
Most professional NLEs (Non-Linear Editing Systems) today, including DaVinci Resolve, Adobe Premiere Pro, and Avid Media Composer, offer simple proxy workflows, making it easy to link proxy media back to the original footage once editing is complete.
DaVinci Resolve Proxy Workflow
To enable proxy workflows in DaVinci Resolve, import your footage and go to Project Settings via the File menu. Under the Master Settings tab, scroll to the Optimized Media and Render Cache section, where you can select the proxy media resolution and format. After saving the settings, you can generate proxies by selecting clips, right-clicking, and choosing Generate Proxy Media. A progress window will track the proxy generation. Once complete, the proxy files will be stored in the location set in the Project Settings.
DaVinci Resolve also features Optimized Media, which, like proxies, makes your footage easier for your computer to handle. However, optimized media is stored in a .dvcc format with cryptic file names, making it less shareable. In contrast, proxy media is more versatile, as it can be shared and has more recognizable file names. For professional environments, we recommend using proxy media over optimized media.
Proxy Generator
One limitation of creating proxies directly in DaVinci Resolve is that you can’t work on other tasks while proxies are being generated. To solve this, Blackmagic Design offers the Proxy Generator app, which allows you to create proxies in the background while continuing to work in Resolve.
Simply open the Proxy Generator, add your media folders to the watchlist, select your proxy format, and start the process. Proxy Formats are listed top to bottom according to the proxy clip size that they will produce. This can be an important consideration if you plan to share the proxy files over the internet. However, not all proxy codecs are created equal. We recommend avoiding the H.264 and H.265 codecs for proxies as its Long GOP structure is not suited for editing. Instead, it is better to use ProRes which will produce visually lossless results and provide superior performance while editing due to their easy-to-playback intraframe structure.
Proxies will be saved in the Proxy folder alongside the original media. You can extract these proxies to a different location using the Extract Proxies button.
Using Proxies in DaVinci Resolve
To begin using proxies, go to the Playback menu, select Proxy Handling, and choose Prefer Proxies. DaVinci Resolve will automatically link proxies to their high-resolution counterparts, even if they were created externally via the Proxy Generator. If proxies are not stored in the default Proxy folder or were created by third party application, they can be manually linked via Relink Proxy Media in the Media Pool.
Exporting Proxy Sequence
Typically, proxy workflows aim to improve the editing process while still exporting the final project in full resolution. However, DaVinci Resolve offers the option to export using proxy media if needed. To enable this, go to the Advanced Settings in the Render panel and check the Use Proxy Media box. This option is helpful when a quick export is more important than high-quality output or when high-quality lossless proxies were used during editing.
Reusing Media Library Proxies
The Media Library is a robust Media Asset Management (MAM) platform that integrates with both DaVinci Resolve and Adobe Premiere Pro. It allows users to access all media—whether stored locally or in the cloud—and offers tools and features like task assignments, metadata management, and timeline creation in its integrated Rough-cut Editor.
The Media Library also enhances proxy workflows by allowing users to download proxies generated for preview and reuse them for proxy editing in the NLE. With one click in the integrated panel, you can import proxy files for all footage in a project or sequence, eliminating the need to create new proxies in Resolve. When the project is complete, a single click relinks the proxies back to the high-resolution footage.
This guide covers all you need to know about working with proxies in DaVinci Resolve, from setup to exporting. Leveraging proxy workflows can significantly streamline your editing process, especially when dealing with large media files or collaborating remotely.
If you are interested in working with proxies in Adobe Premiere Pro, check out this blog.
