📖 Theory · Lecture 1.3
Essential Editor Vocabulary!
Before you open DaVinci Resolve, you need to know the language. Think of it like learning 10 words before visiting a foreign country. You don't need to be fluent — just familiar enough to not feel lost.
🎬 The Big Idea
A Film Set Has Its Own Language
🎥
On a film set, the director doesn't say "that guy with the big light" — he says "gaffer." Editors have their own language too. Learn these 9 words and you'll never feel lost again.
📚 Key Terms
The 9 Words Every Editor Knows
🎞️ TIMELINE
Your Editing Canvas
This is where you arrange all your clips in order to tell a story. Think of it like a recipe — you line up all your ingredients in the right order to make the final dish.
🧱 CLIP
A Single Piece of Video or Audio
One clip = one recorded file. Think of it like a single LEGO brick — on its own it's just a brick, but combined with others it becomes something amazing.
📁 MEDIA POOL
Your Storage Room Inside DaVinci Resolve
Every video, audio, and image file you import lives here first before going to the timeline. Think of it like your kitchen counter — everything is laid out here before you start cooking.
📺 VIEWER
The Preview Screen
Where you watch your edit in real time. What you see here is exactly what your audience will see. Think of it like a TV screen sitting right in front of you while you work.
📌 Quick Note: DaVinci Resolve has two types of viewers — the Source Monitor (previews individual clips before editing) and the Program Monitor (shows your actual timeline edit). We'll explore both in detail when we open the software.
✂️ CUT
Splitting a Clip Into Two
The most basic and most powerful tool in editing. A surgeon uses a scalpel — an editor uses a cut.
📐 TRIM
Fine-Tuning Start or End Points
Adjusting the start or end point of a clip by a few frames. Like adjusting a picture frame on a wall — just slightly left or right until it feels perfect.
🍞 RENDER / EXPORT
Baking Your Edit Into a Final Video File
Until you export, your edit only exists inside DaVinci Resolve. You can't eat cake batter — you have to bake it first. Rendering is that baking process.
🎤 A-ROLL
Your Primary Footage
The main content that drives the story. Usually features the main subject speaking or the core action happening. In a wedding video — A-Roll is the priest speaking, the couple saying vows, the rituals happening. It's the story's backbone.
🎬 B-ROLL
Supporting Footage
Footage that plays over the main video or audio. It adds visual interest, covers cuts, and brings your story to life. In a wedding video — B-Roll is the close-up of flowers, the bride's smile, the family laughing. Without B-Roll, everything feels flat. Like background music in a restaurant — you don't focus on it, but without it the whole place feels empty.
⚡ Pro Tip
Lost in DaVinci? Name What You See
When you feel confused in DaVinci Resolve — stop and ask yourself: "Which of these 9 things am I looking at?" Is it the Timeline? The Media Pool? A Clip? The Viewer? Simply naming what you're looking at immediately reduces confusion by half.
✅ Checkpoint
✅ Quick Check
Your friend sends you a video file. You drag it into DaVinci Resolve. Where does it appear?
Answer: It depends on WHERE you drag it! If you drag the file into the Media Pool, it appears only in the Media Pool — ready and waiting for you to use. If you drag the file directly onto the Timeline, DaVinci automatically adds it to the Media Pool AND places it on the Timeline at the same time. Either way, the Media Pool always gets a copy first — it's your storage room. 🎉