Media Pool First: A DaVinci Resolve Workflow for Vertical Social Deliverables

Quick answer: in DaVinci Resolve, organize your footage in Media Pool bins first, create a separate timeline with a vertical resolution such as 1080 x 1920, reframe each shot so the subject stays in frame, then render from the Deliver page with matching vertical settings.

A tidy project makes vertical work faster, especially when you deliver both wide and vertical versions of the same edit.

1. Organize the Media Pool

Create bins by camera and type: A-cam, B-cam, drone, interviews, B-roll, audio, graphics. Add a bin for social selects. When the vertical edit starts, you will know exactly where to find the shots that work in 9:16.

2. Build a vertical timeline

Duplicate your wide timeline or create a new one, and in its timeline settings set a vertical resolution, typically 1080 x 1920. Resolve offers options for vertical resolutions in the timeline format settings. Keep the wide timeline untouched as your master.

3. Reframe shot by shot

Each shot needs its own framing decision. Resolve's built-in transform controls and keyframes can do the job. The Cropper plugin for DaVinci Resolve adds a dedicated reframing workflow with hand control, so you can follow the subject and decide how smoothly the frame moves.

4. Check color in the vertical frame

Review grades inside the vertical timeline. Vignettes and windows designed for 16:9 may need adjustment. Read our guide to grading for vertical for details.

5. Deliver

On the Deliver page, choose your format, typically H.264 or H.265, confirm the resolution matches the vertical timeline, set the frame rate to match your source and add the job to the render queue. Name files with the platform and ratio.

Reframe inside Resolve

The Cropper plugin works inside DaVinci Resolve so your vertical reframe lives in the same project as your grade and edit.

Get the Cropper plugin for DaVinci Resolve · Learn more at cropper.video