NAB 2024 Interview with Blackmagic Design

At this year's NAB, Blackmagic Design announced the latest version of the popular NLE DaVinci Resolve. We're now at version 19 – and it adds a lot of very interesting features that will make your post-production workflow easier, from the built-in movie look creation tool, to AI-powered tools like the IntelliTrack AI tracker.

To tell us more about this latest release, my colleague Graham Sheldon spoke to Stuart Ashton, Business Development Director at Blackmagic Design, about all the additions to this already powerful software. Let's take a quick look!

Blackmagic Design has added a feature called “Film Look Creator” which apparently may make some plugins obsolete. It simulates film properties such as halo, cast, grain, shimmer, gate weave, and vignetting. We'll be testing how it compares to some of the more popular ones in the near future.

Another interesting new tool called “Defocus Background”. It allows the user to isolate the foreground using blur tools, and also lets you adjust the amount of distorted image to mimic the look of anamorphic lenses.

New AI features

One of the new functions introduced in DaVinci Resolve 19 is IntelliTrack AI. This refers to two tracking options within the program. One is a point tracker for tracking and stabilization that will allow you to track multiple points within the frame, while the other will allow audio to be moved automatically. The AI ​​can follow objects across the frame and animate the audio accordingly, adding immersion to the scene.

New Verlite features

The audio section called Fairlight also received some useful updates. Dialogue Separator FX now allows more control when optimizing dialogue paths. Until now, the Sound Isolation function only had one dial to raise or lower the volume, but now you have more options, with dials to also control the amount of background and ambiance.

Music Remixer FX is a new effect for remixing vocals, drums, bass, guitar and other sources, and for example lets you remove songs from the backing track if they interfere with your dialogue.

A new FX track makes auto-reducing easier, allowing you to automatically lower the volume of background music as soon as you speak dialogue and then raise the music level again once the dialogue ends. This was of course possible before, but the new controls make it easier and better to handle.

New features for live TV

DaVinci Resolve 19 also adds a lot of features for use in live TV. It all happens in Cut Page which now supports select live camera recordings for instant on-air replay – with slow motion features and the ability to insert a needle. Users can set so-called point-of-interest or POI markers. This makes it easy to find at every camera angle and play it live with added effects or at slower or faster speeds.

All new features

Here is a list of all the new features according to Blackmagic Design:

• IntelliTrack AI point tracker for tracking and stabilization.
• DaVinci Resolve Replay Editor support.
• Page cut as a media player and operating system.
• New multi-view option in the source bar to view time-synced snapshots.
• Add points of interest and create replays from multiple views and timeline.
• Ability to edit timeline content based on source clip transcription.
• New ColorSlice toning palette with six vectors.
• UltraNR AI noise reduction to reduce spatial noise.
• The Node Stack allows complex classification workflows to be managed.
• New movie look maker.
• The new Defocus background isolates the foreground with blur.
• Multi Poly tool to make it easier to inspect complex objects.
• USD improvements to Material X and advanced volumetric shading.
• Multiple Shape Toolkit improvements.
• Fully integrated native Ambisonics workflow.
• IntelliTrack plays audio to video in Fairlight.
• Music Remixer FX for remixing vocals, drums, bass, guitar and other sources.
• Dialogue Separator FX to separate dialogue, background or atmosphere.
• Ducker Track FX for automatic level management of family vs. dialogue.

Pricing and availability

DaVinci Solution 19 is available Public beta now. The free version is still available and the studio version will remain the same $295. For more information visit blackmagicdesign.com. Before upgrading, be sure to read our article on what to do so you don't lose any of your precious projects.

What do you think of DaVinci Resolve 19? Will you be moving to the public beta? Let us know in the comments below!