The fastest way to change clip speed

Open your project in DaVinci Resolve, right-click the clip on the timeline, and select Retime Controls from the menu. A speed slider will appear directly on the clip. Drag it left to slow down the clip or right to speed it up. The percentage appears in real time as you move the slider—50% plays at half speed, 200% plays at double speed. Release the mouse when you reach the speed you want.

If you need more precision than the slider allows, click the speed percentage number itself and type an exact value. This method works for individual clips without affecting anything else on your timeline.

Key Takeaways

  • Right-click any clip and choose Retime Controls to reveal the speed slider on the timeline itself.
  • Drag the slider left to slow down or right to speed up; type a number directly for exact percentages.
  • The Inspector panel on the right also shows speed controls if you prefer to adjust there instead of on the timeline.
  • Reverse speed by entering a negative number, such as -100% to play the clip backward at normal speed.
  • Speed changes affect only the selected clip; other clips on the timeline remain unchanged.

Using the Inspector panel for speed control

The Inspector panel on the right side of the Edit page gives you another way to adjust speed. Select your clip on the timeline, then look for the Retime section in the Inspector. You will see a speed field showing the current percentage. Click the number and type a new value, or use the up and down arrows next to it to increase or decrease speed in small increments.

This method is useful when you want to see other clip properties at the same time, or when you prefer working with numbers rather than dragging a slider. The Inspector approach also makes it easier to match speeds across multiple clips—you can note the exact percentage and type it into each one.

Slowing down for slow-motion effects

To create slow-motion, reduce the speed percentage below 100%. A clip set to 50% will play at half speed and take twice as long. A clip set to 25% will play at one-quarter speed. The slower you go, the more frames DaVinci has to work with, so footage shot at higher frame rates (60fps or 120fps) will look smoother in slow-motion than footage shot at 24fps.

Keep in mind that slowing a clip down makes it longer on the timeline. If your clip originally lasts 10 seconds and you set it to 50% speed, it will now occupy 20 seconds of timeline. Plan your edit accordingly, or trim the clip afterward if needed.

Speeding up clips and fast-motion

Increase the speed percentage above 100% to make a clip play faster. A clip set to 200% plays at double speed and takes up half the timeline space. A clip set to 400% plays at four times normal speed. Fast-motion works well for montages, time-lapses, or showing a process that would otherwise bore the viewer.

Speeding up a clip makes it shorter on the timeline. If your original clip is 10 seconds and you set it to 200%, it will now occupy only 5 seconds. This is useful when you want to compress a long action into a brief moment, but be aware that very high speeds (above 500%) can make motion look jerky if the original frame rate is low.

Playing clips backward with negative speed

Enter a negative speed value to reverse a clip. Type -100% to play the clip backward at normal speed, or -50% to play it backward at half speed. This is useful for creative effects—a person walking backward, a ball rolling uphill, or water flowing in reverse.

Reversed clips work best when the original footage contains smooth, continuous motion. Jerky or stop-and-start footage will look unnatural in reverse. Test the effect by playing back your timeline to see if it reads the way you intended.

Freezing a frame with 0% speed

Set a clip's speed to 0% to freeze it on the first frame. This creates a still image that holds for the duration of the clip on the timeline. A frozen frame is useful for emphasis, transitions, or when you want to pause on a particular moment while audio continues underneath.

When you freeze a clip at 0%, the entire clip duration becomes a static image. If you want the freeze to last only a few seconds, trim the clip to the length you need before or after setting the speed to zero. You can also use the Fusion page to add text, graphics, or effects over a frozen frame.

Avoiding common speed-change mistakes

The most common error is forgetting that speed changes affect the clip's length on the timeline. If you speed up a clip and your sequence suddenly feels too short, or you slow one down and it throws off your timing, undo the speed change and re-trim the clip instead. Speed and trim are different tools—use trim when you want to remove unwanted footage, and speed when you want the footage to play faster or slower.

Another mistake is explore speed to a clip that is already part of a transition or effect. If you change the speed of a clip that has a dissolve or other transition attached, the transition duration may no longer match the clip. Always finalize your speed changes before adding transitions, or adjust the transition length afterward to match the new clip duration.

Avoid extreme speed values on low-frame-rate footage. A 24fps clip sped up to 800% will look very choppy because there are not enough frames to fill the time. If you need extreme speeds, shoot at a higher frame rate or accept that the motion will appear stuttered.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change the speed of multiple clips at once?

No, you must change each clip individually. Select one clip, adjust its speed, then move to the next. If you need several clips at the same speed, change the first one, note the percentage, then type that same number into each of the others using the Inspector panel.

Does changing speed affect the audio?

Yes, audio speeds up or slows down along with the video. If you speed up a clip to 200%, the audio will also play at double speed and sound higher-pitched. If you want to keep audio at normal speed while changing video speed, you must unlink the audio from the video first by right-clicking the clip and selecting Unlink Audio.

What happens to the audio if I reverse a clip?

The audio reverses too, playing backward. If you want backward video with forward audio, unlink the audio before reversing the video. Then you can adjust the audio speed separately or delete it and add new audio on a different track.

Can I keyframe speed changes so a clip gradually speeds up or slows down?

Yes, but it requires the Fusion page or the Retime tool in the Edit page. Right-click the clip and select Retime Controls, then look for the speed curve. You can add keyframes along the curve to create gradual speed changes. This is more advanced than the basic slider method but gives you smooth acceleration or deceleration.

Why does my slow-motion footage look choppy?

The original footage may not have enough frames per second. Slow-motion looks smoothest when shot at 60fps or higher. If you are slowing down 24fps footage, DaVinci will repeat frames to fill the gaps, which creates a stuttering effect. Shoot at a higher frame rate if you plan to use slow-motion in your edit.