When you import footage into DaVinci Resolve and something looks wrong, such as incorrect playback speed, stretched pixels, broken transparency, or a color shift, the fix is usually not to re-encode your file. Instead, you need to tell Resolve how to read that clip differently. That is exactly what clip interpretation does. This guide walks through every setting inside DaVinci Resolve’s Clip Attributes dialog, organized by the problem you are trying to solve.
What Does “Interpret Footage” Mean in DaVinci Resolve?
Clip interpretation is the process of instructing DaVinci Resolve how to decode a clip’s embedded metadata, including frame rate, pixel aspect ratio, alpha channel type, and color space, without touching or re-encoding the source file. Think of it as telling Resolve: “Ignore what this file says about itself; treat it this way instead.”
This matters because cameras, phones, and editing software do not always write clean metadata. A GoPro recording at 120 fps might tag its file with 120 fps, but you want Resolve to play it back at 24 fps to achieve slow motion. The actual video data does not change; only the instruction Resolve uses to read it does.
In older versions of DaVinci Resolve, this feature lived in a standalone “Interpret Footage” dialog. Starting with Resolve 17, that functionality was folded into Clip Attributes, which is now the single location for all per-clip metadata overrides. If you are running Resolve 17, 18, or 19, Clip Attributes is the panel you want.
How to Open Clip Attributes in DaVinci Resolve
Accessing Clip Attributes takes just a few clicks from the Media Pool. Here is the exact path:
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Open the Media page or switch to the Edit page. The Media Pool is available in both.
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Locate the clip you want to adjust in the Media Pool.
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Right-click the clip to open the context menu.
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Select Clip Attributes from the menu. The dialog opens immediately.
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Review the tabs at the top of the dialog: Video, Audio, Timecode, and (in some versions) Color.
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Make your changes in the appropriate tab, then click OK to apply.
To apply changes to multiple clips at once: Hold Shift to select a range of clips, or hold Ctrl (Windows) or Cmd (Mac) to select individual clips, then right-click and choose Clip Attributes. Any override you set will apply to all selected clips simultaneously, which is a significant time-saver when working with large batches of footage from the same camera.
Note: Clip Attributes only affects how Resolve reads the clip inside your project. The original media file on disk remains completely unchanged.
Interpreting Frame Rate — Fix Playback Speed and Create Slow Motion
Frame rate is the most common reason editors open Clip Attributes. Two distinct problems live here, and the solution to each uses the same control in a different way.
Fix Footage Playing Too Fast or Too Slow
This problem happens when the frame rate embedded in your clip does not match what DaVinci Resolve expects. A camera might record at 24 fps but incorrectly tag the file as 30 fps. When Resolve plays it back, the footage runs at the wrong speed and audio goes out of sync.
Here is how to correct it:
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Right-click the affected clip in the Media Pool and select Clip Attributes.
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Find the Video Frame Rate dropdown and select the correct frame rate. If the rate you need isn't listed, choose Custom and enter the value manually.
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Check the clip on the timeline to confirm the playback speed looks right.
Important: Changing the clip’s interpreted frame rate does not change your timeline frame rate. If your timeline is set to 23.976 fps and your clip is now interpreted at 23.976 fps, everything should align. If playback speed still seems off after the override, open Project Settings and confirm the timeline frame rate matches your delivery target.
Create In-Camera Slow Motion from High Frame Rate Clips
Overcranking, which means shooting at a high frame rate like 120 fps or 240 fps and playing back at 24 fps, is one of the most practical uses of clip interpretation. When you import a 120 fps clip, Resolve typically reads it at 120 fps and plays it at normal speed. Reinterpreting it at 24 fps stretches that footage over five times its original duration, giving you smooth slow motion without any optical flow processing.
Follow these steps:
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Right-click your high-frame-rate clip in the Media Pool and select Clip Attributes.
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Go to the Video tab.
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In the Video Frame Rate dropdown, select your timeline's playback frame rate, commonly 23.976 or 24.
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Add the clip to your timeline. The clip will appear significantly longer than before; that extra length is the slow-motion effect taking place.
This method produces cleaner results than applying a speed change after the fact because no frame interpolation is involved. Every frame the camera recorded is played back in sequence; they are simply spread across more time.
Fix Pixel Aspect Ratio (Anamorphic and SD Footage)
Pixel aspect ratio (PAR) describes the shape of individual pixels in a video frame. Most modern digital footage uses square pixels (PAR 1.0), but anamorphic lenses and legacy standard-definition formats use non-square pixels. When Resolve assumes the wrong PAR, footage appears stretched horizontally or squished.
Open Clip Attributes, go to the Video tab, and find the Pixel Aspect Ratio dropdown. Common values include:
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Square (1.0) — standard for nearly all modern digital footage
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1.33x Anamorphic — footage shot with a 1.33x squeeze anamorphic lens
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2.0x Anamorphic — vintage anamorphic or certain cinema lenses with a 2x squeeze
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4:3 / 16:9 SD values — standard-definition PAL and NTSC formats
For anamorphic footage, setting the correct PAR in Clip Attributes will desqueeze the image. However, some anamorphic workflows also require an adjustment at the project level, inside Project Settings under the Image Scaling tab. If the Clip Attributes PAR override alone does not resolve the squeeze, check that project-level setting as well.
Set Alpha Channel Mode for Transparency
Alpha channel mode tells DaVinci Resolve how to handle the transparency information embedded in a clip. This matters for PNG image sequences, EXR files, and motion graphics elements that include a transparency layer.
The four modes available in Clip Attributes are:
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None — Resolve ignores any alpha channel and treats the clip as fully opaque
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Straight — also called unmatted; transparency data is stored separately from color data, common with most software-rendered files
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Premultiplied — also called matted; the color channels have been multiplied by the alpha values, common with certain render engines and compositing outputs
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Invert — flips the alpha channel so transparent areas become opaque and vice versa; useful when a file's alpha is inverted relative to what Resolve expects
Selecting the wrong mode produces visible artifacts at the edges of transparent elements. The most recognizable sign of a mismatch is a white or dark fringe around the element, which typically indicates a premultiplied file is being read as straight, or vice versa. Switch the mode, and the fringe should disappear immediately.
Override Input Color Space at the Clip Level
When working in a DaVinci Color Managed project or using a Color Space Transform (CST) node, Resolve needs to know the input color space of each clip to grade it correctly. If a clip’s color space is misidentified, the image will look washed out, oversaturated, or otherwise wrong on the color page.
The input color space override does not always live inside Clip Attributes. In most versions of Resolve, you access it by right-clicking a clip in the Media Pool and looking for Input Color Space directly in the context menu. In some versions, this option appears under the Color tab inside Clip Attributes.
Use this setting when:
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You have mixed LOG profiles in the same timeline, such as Sony S-Log3 footage combined with Panasonic V-Log clips
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A clip has been auto-detected as Rec.709 when it was actually shot in a LOG profile
Note: This setting has no effect in a standard Rec.709 pipeline without Color Management enabled. It only applies when DaVinci YRGB Color Managed mode or a similar managed workflow is active in Project Settings.
How to Handle Variable Frame Rate (VFR) Footage in DaVinci Resolve
Variable frame rate (VFR) footage is recorded at a frame rate that fluctuates rather than staying constant throughout the clip. Common sources include iPhone videos, many Android smartphones, GoPro recordings in certain modes, and screen capture software.
The central problem with VFR footage in DaVinci Resolve is audio sync drift. Because Resolve expects a constant frame rate, VFR clips may appear to play correctly but will gradually fall out of sync with their audio, especially over longer recordings.
Clip interpretation does not fix VFR footage. No setting in Clip Attributes can convert a variable frame rate into a constant one. The correct approach is to transcode the file before working with it in Resolve:
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In DaVinci Resolve, right-click the clip in the Media Pool and select Generate Optimized Media. This resolves sync issues for some supported formats.
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If the problem persists, use an external tool such as HandBrake or FFmpeg to convert the file to CFR (Constant Frame Rate) before importing it into your project.
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For FFmpeg users, the command ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf fps=24 output.mp4 forces a constant 24 fps output.
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Import the converted CFR file into Resolve, then use Clip Attributes if any remaining frame rate adjustments are needed.
FAQ
Why is DaVinci Resolve interpreting my footage at the wrong frame rate?
Resolve reads the frame rate from the metadata embedded in your clip. If that metadata is missing, incorrect, or inconsistent, which is common with VFR files or improperly encoded footage, Resolve falls back to a default rate or misreads the file. Using the Override Frame Rate option in Clip Attributes corrects this without touching the source file.
Does interpreting footage affect the original file?
No. Every setting inside Clip Attributes is stored within your DaVinci Resolve project file, not in the source media. The original clip on your drive is never modified, moved, or re-encoded. You can safely adjust and re-adjust these settings without any risk to your source footage.
Can I apply Clip Attributes to multiple clips at once?
Yes. In the Media Pool, hold Shift to select a contiguous range of clips, or hold Ctrl (Windows) / Cmd (Mac) to select individual clips. Right-click the selection and choose Clip Attributes. Any setting you change in the dialog will apply to every selected clip, which is useful when correcting a batch of files from the same camera.
What is the difference between “Clip Frame Rate” and “Timeline Frame Rate” in DaVinci Resolve?
The timeline frame rate is your project’s output and delivery target, set in Project Settings. The clip frame rate is how Resolve reads a specific source file. Clip Attributes lets you override the clip rate only. If a mismatch exists between the two, Resolve will conform the clip to fit the timeline, which can affect playback speed.
Conclusion
Reach for Clip Attributes whenever footage plays at the wrong speed, a high-frame-rate clip needs to be interpreted as slow motion, pixels appear stretched or squished, transparency elements show fringing, or a clip’s color space has been misidentified. For VFR sync problems, transcode to CFR first, then use Clip Attributes for any remaining adjustments. To go further, explore related guides on setting up a DaVinci Resolve project for the correct frame rate and understanding DaVinci Resolve color management from the ground up.
