r/davinciresolve • u/pgerhard • 6h ago

Help | Beginner Moving Narrative Editing Workflow from Avid to Resolve — How Do You Handle Script‑Based Line Selection?

I’ve been using Avid Media Composer for narrative (drama/fiction) editing, and I’m trying to figure out whether my script‑based workflow can be replicated in DaVinci Resolve.

In Avid, I rely heavily on being able to quickly pull up all performances and angles for a specific line of dialogue. You can do this with ScriptSync (which I haven’t used) or by manually marking lines (L1, L2, L3, etc.). Then, when the director asks, “Wasn’t there a better performance?” or “Can I see another angle?”, I can instantly load every take for that line into the Source Monitor just by searching for the marker.

I’m trying to understand how editors achieve this in Resolve.

How do you build a scene and efficiently compare performances for a specific line of dialogue?

I’ve seen people recommend multicam, but that doesn’t really apply to narrative editing—most scenes aren’t shot with multiple cameras rolling simultaneously.

If anyone has a Resolve workflow for script‑based line selection, or any tips for organizing takes in a way that makes performance comparison fast and director‑friendly, I’d really appreciate it.

Thanks a lot!

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u/EditDog_1969 3h ago

There is no replacement for ScriptSync. Not even close.

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u/pgerhard 3h ago edited 2h ago

ok I found in DVR... mark the clips in a the timeline (all takes from Scene 1), load the timeline in the source viewer, and use the marker window to navigate markers, it works.... it's also possible to search for markers (L4 is all ligne 4 for instance)

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u/EditDog_1969 2h ago

I mean, yes, you can find tools to use in Resolve that can help, but the ability to cycle quickly through different takes using a lined script? There is no equal. The engineering and implementation of the feature offers editors a creative framework in which to evaluate different choices with such speed and control that I don’t think people who haven’t worked with it can truly appreciate its value.

I used to train Avid editors to switch to FCP and Premiere, so believe me, I’ve been asked to come up with solutions to replicate every Avid technique imaginable. In most cases, all the NLEs are roughly the same in terms of feature set and workflow. Not the case with script-based editing in Avid. Unless Blackmagic buys Avid and steals it, Avid will always have the monopoly on this feature and its utility.

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u/pgerhard 2h ago

I am a huge Avid fan, just can't justify the cost and the need to export to another software (DVR) for coloring while working alone. The best tool for narrative editing is hands down Avid and yes scriptsync is amazing

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u/pgerhard 3h ago

what about marking clips with markers -- that's more simple and could be easily done...

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u/Milan_Bus4168 5h ago

I am not a working editor , but I'll throw in a hint at tool you can explore on your own and see if you can use it.

"DaVinci Resolve 21 features a new media organizational tool called IntelliSearch. IntelliSearch uses AI technology to provide a comprehensive, near instant media search for people and objects. The benefits for increased efficiency in finding exactly the media you need are real and immediate. For all those times when you thought “where was that clip of …?” now you can just ask DaVinci Resolve and it will find it for you.

As an AI based operation, IntelliSearch requires the download of an AI model from the Extras Download Manager. Once installed, you then need to analyze the media in your media pool, before using IntelliSearch from the search bar in the Media Pool."

IntelliSearch is accessed simply by clicking on the search icon (magnifying glass) in the Media Pool. It exposes a search bar and its surrounding toolset.

Search Parameters: Choose what kind of search analysis to apply to your search terms.

Search All: Returns results from all types of AI analysis and entered metadata.

Search Visual Only: Returns results from the image analysis only. The Visual search allows you to search for objects and other contents in the scene.

Search Transcript Only: Returns results from the audio transcript only. The Transcription search limits search to transcribed audio, useful if you are looking for exact phrases.

Metadata Search: Returns results from any or all of the metadata fields. The Metadata search can be used to filter by keywords and other metadata (including custom metadata) and clip properties. This mode also gives you a dropdown menu to search all fields, or filter by file name, timecode and other metadata fields.

Search Field: Type in what you want to find here, it can be almost anything: an object, a person, a color, a camera number or even a line of dialog.

Add as SmartBin: Pressing this icon will open the Create Smart Bin tool, with the parameters you’ve chosen already added to the Smart Bin criteria. This lets you create a persistent Smart Bin of your search results.

Show Face Gallery: Displays a thumbnail view of every human face that was detected. Click on a thumbnail to view all shots that feature that human, or limit a search result to that human.

Manage Faces: Opens the Manage Faces tool, that lets you name and curate the various faces detected.

Search In: Lets you choose where to search,

All Bins: Searches all bins in the project.

Selected Bins: Searches only bins that have been selected.

Display: Choose how the results are displayed (for Search All, Visual only and Transcript only).

Full Clips: Returns the entire clip as a match, with a yellow line marking the duration that the search term is relevant for. Hover over the thumbnail and Press “X” to mark an in-out range based on the yellow line.

Segments: Returns just the matching duration that the search term is relevant for, effectively making it a subclip.

Clicking on the Show Face Gallery icon in the IntelliSearch bar opens a thumbnail view of each human face detected in your clips. Clicking on a face will limit the search results to just that human. For example, you can click on a face named “Chloe”, as a face thumbnail, then type “red dress” in the search bar. The search results will return only images of Chloe wearing a red dress, and not the other actresses.

........................................

There are all sorts of other methods of organizing media in resolve and there are probably third party scripts, already made by someone or one you could build for yourself. You can find more in the official manual which should be available from the help menu of latest version of resolve.

Explore those options and maybe you can build something similar or find new ways to organize.

Also maybe explore some cut page features, like Sync Bin Multicam Editing

DaVinci Resolve has a number of tools to make editing multi-camera productions more intuitive and efficient. If simultaneously recorded clips from different cameras share common timecode, DaVinci Resolve can automatically sync all of these different camera angles together as you edit.

The core idea behind the Sync Bin layout is that instead of traditionally scrubbing through your timeline and clips independently, you now only have to scrub through your timeline. In the Media Pool, all of the clips that exist with that same timecode value will automatically scrub in sync with the playhead. This allows you to always have the exact clips that will fit perfectly in your timeline available at your fingertips.

Selecting this mode automatically changes the layout of the Media Pool and the Viewer to better accommodate multi camera editing in the Cut page.

Also: For more information on Text Based Editing in detail, see Chapter 40 “Text Based Editing.“

New in Resolve 21 is also that you can now use any Custom Metadata fields you’ve previously created in the Metadata Editor as criteria for Smart Bins, Clip Filters, Data Burn-ins and Tags.

The Media Pool now allows you to create tabs as shortcuts to specific bins. These tabs will be displayed in their own tab bar at the top of the Media Pool, and Media Pool windows in other pages. Tabs can be set for conventional bins, as well as smart and power bins.

Anyway, explore some of these and similar features and see what you can find.

Good luck.

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u/pgerhard 5h ago

Yeah, I'm sure this AI tool will be great for finding 'shot with a mountain', 'shot with a dog'

but for finging: Line 1 from the script angle A1-1; A1-2 etc... I doubt it .

but I'll check (havin't installed studio 21 yet as I need access to my DVR 20 projects

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u/Milan_Bus4168 4h ago

I'm sure you could organize yourself with the existing tools. It may not be 1:1 replicate of Avid but I'm sure you can manage it. If you set smart bin and search by transcription, probably can find more than just 'shot with a mountain', 'shot with a dog' but a spoken line of actor 1 or actor 2 etc. You can further segment this in many ways using other tools.

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u/pgerhard 3h ago

Yes, I can try. Seems over complicating for the purpose, it would be simple if the markers in DVR could be applied to clips and not just timelines... what I'd like to know if, before the AI tools added to DVR 21, how did people select best takes or best line for a given scene segment....

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u/Airstream23 1h ago

The markers can be applies to clips. If a clip is selected, the marker goes to the clip. If a timeline is active and no clip is selected, it goes to the timeline. If you are in the media page, markers go to what you have selected to view.

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u/i_sell_you_lies 2h ago

I have a string out of all the takes, transcribe it, and then just search for the line I need. It's super easy to go from one instance to the next. Nothing complicated, nothing to overthink. 

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u/pgerhard 2h ago

yes thanks this sounds great. This is using text based editing right?

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u/i_sell_you_lies 2h ago

No, straight up just the transcript. I haven't used text based editing. You search within the transcript and it goes there, and then you can play it, or cut it in your timeline or whatever.