Slow Motion in DaVinci Resolve: Settings, Speed Curves, and Export

Slow motion works when you have frames to spare. Shoot 60fps, play it back at 30fps, and you get clean 50% slow motion. The math is simple. The creative application is where things get interesting.

DaVinci Resolve gives you three ways to slow footage down: changing clip speed, frame interpolation, and speed curves for dynamic ramps. Each serves a different purpose, and the right choice depends on your footage and what you’re going for.

The Three Methods

Method 1: Simple Speed Change

The quickest way. Right-click any clip on the timeline, choose “Change Clip Speed,” and enter a percentage. 50% plays the clip at half speed. 25% at quarter speed.

Use when:

You shot at a higher frame rate (60fps, 120fps, 240fps)
You want consistent slow motion through the entire clip
You don’t need transitions between different speeds

The limitation: If your footage was shot at 24 or 30fps, slowing it down just repeats frames. The result looks choppy, not cinematic.

Method 2: Frame Interpolation (Optical Flow)

When you don’t have enough original frames, Resolve can generate new ones. Optical Flow analyzes the motion between existing frames and synthesizes intermediate frames to fill the gaps.

How to enable it: Select your clip, open the Inspector panel, go to Retime and Scaling, and set “Frame Interpolation” to “Optical Flow.”

Use when:

You’re slowing footage shot at standard frame rates (24, 25, 30fps)
You need slow motion from clips you didn’t plan for it
You’re speed ramping from normal to slow within a clip

The trade-off: Optical Flow works well for moderate slow motion (down to about 50%). Push it to 25% or lower and artifacts start showing up — ghosting, warping, unnatural motion. Fast movement and complex scenes make it worse.

For better results, go to Project Settings and set Motion Estimation Mode to “Speed Warp.” It uses more processing power but produces cleaner interpolation, especially on footage with a lot of motion.

Method 3: Speed Curves (Retime Curve)

Speed curves let you vary speed within a single clip — start at normal speed, ramp down into slow motion, then ramp back up. This is what separates polished slow-motion work from basic speed changes.

Access it: Right-click a clip → “Retime Controls” or “Retime Curve.” The curve view appears above the timeline, showing speed across time.

Use when:

You want dynamic pacing: normal speed → slow motion → normal speed
You want to emphasize a specific moment by slowing just that part
You need smooth transitions between speeds

How to Create a Speed Ramp

Speed ramping is a smooth transition from one speed to another within the same clip.

Step 1: Open Retime Controls

Select your clip. Press Ctrl+R (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+R (Mac), or right-click and choose “Retime Controls.” Speed percentage markers appear below the clip.

Step 2: Add Speed Points

Click the small arrow on the speed indicator below the clip. Choose “Add Speed Point.” Add two points: one where the slow motion starts, one where it ends.

Step 3: Adjust Speed Between Points

Click between your two speed points, then set the slow-motion speed (50%, 25%, etc.). The segment between the points now plays at that speed.

Step 4: Smooth the Transition

Without smoothing, the speed change is abrupt — which usually looks bad. To create a proper ramp:

Click on a speed point to select it (it turns red)
In the Retime Curve panel, click the curve icon to switch from linear to bezier curves
Drag the handles to smooth the transition

The curve view shows speed on the Y-axis and time on the X-axis. A smooth S-curve creates a natural speed transition. A sharp angle creates a jarring switch.

Step 5: Enable Optical Flow for the Slow Segment

If your footage wasn’t shot at high frame rate, enable Optical Flow for the slow section:

Select the slow-motion segment
In Inspector → Retime and Scaling → Frame Interpolation, choose “Optical Flow”
For better quality, enable “Enhanced Optical Flow” in Project Settings

Shooting Slow Motion vs. Creating It in Post

Plan for It When You Can

If you have control over the shoot and know a moment needs slow motion, shoot at a higher frame rate. 60fps for 30fps output, 120fps for more dramatic slow-down. Real frames always look cleaner than synthesized ones, and you won’t deal with interpolation artifacts.

This matters most for fast, unpredictable action (sports, stunts) and professional projects where artifacts aren’t acceptable.

Use Optical Flow When You Didn’t Plan

Sometimes you find a moment in editing that would work better slow. Maybe the original shot wasn’t planned for it, or you’re working with stock or archival footage. Optical Flow at moderate slow-down (50% speed or higher) gives acceptable results for most situations.

Export Settings for Slow Motion

Slow motion doesn’t need special export settings. Your timeline settings determine the output.

Frame Rate

Export at your timeline frame rate, not a higher one. If your timeline is 30fps and you have 60fps footage slowed to 50%, your export is still 30fps. The extra frames were used for smooth playback, not for a variable frame rate output.

Codec

Standard recommendations apply:

H.264 or H.265 for delivery (YouTube, social, web)
ProRes or DNxHR for footage that will be re-edited or graded again

Slow motion doesn’t change codec recommendations.

Bitrate

Slow motion actually has less motion per frame, so standard bitrate settings for your resolution are fine. If you’re seeing compression artifacts in slow-motion segments, the problem is usually the interpolation creating bad frames, not the export codec. Fix the interpolation settings, not the export.

Common Problems and Fixes

Stuttery Playback

Cause: No interpolation enabled, or footage is too slow for Optical Flow to handle cleanly.

Fix: Enable Optical Flow. For extreme slow motion (more than 4x slowdown), you’ll likely need to either accept some stutter or reshoot at a higher frame rate. There’s a limit to what interpolation can do.

Ghosting or Warping

Cause: Optical Flow struggling with complex motion or fast movement.

Fix:

Switch to “Speed Warp” motion estimation mode
Reduce the amount of slow motion
Try “Frame Blend” instead of Optical Flow — less smooth but fewer artifacts

Speed Ramp Looks Abrupt

Cause: Linear interpolation between speeds instead of smooth curves.

Fix: Open the Retime Curve view and soften the transitions between speed points. Use bezier handles to create gradual acceleration and deceleration.

Audio Doesn’t Match Video Speed

Cause: Audio stays linked when you change clip speed.

Fix: Right-click → Change Clip Speed → check “Pitch Correction” for more natural-sounding slowed audio. Or unlink the audio entirely and replace it with music or sound design.

Keyboard Shortcuts for Speed Work

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl+R / Cmd+R	Open Retime Controls
Ctrl+Shift+R	Open Retime Curve
Ctrl+D	Push clip duration (speed change)

Worth committing to muscle memory if you do speed work regularly.

Creative Uses Beyond Basic Slow Motion

The Impact Hit

Slow down right as impact happens — a landing, a splash, a collision. The viewer catches what they’d normally miss in real time.

Technique: Set a speed point just before the impact. Ramp from 100% to 25% over 0.2–0.3 seconds. Hold for the impact, then ramp back up.

Time Stretch for Tension

Slow motion builds anticipation. Use it before a reveal or climax to stretch the moment.

Technique: Start at 100%. Ramp to 50% over about a second. Hold for 2–3 seconds at slow speed. The viewer feels the buildup even before they know what’s coming.

Match Cut with Speed

Cut between two clips at different speeds while maintaining visual rhythm.

Technique: End one clip in slow motion. Begin the next clip in slow motion. Match the visual motion paths so the transition feels continuous, even though the subject changes.

Putting It Together

Slow motion in DaVinci Resolve comes down to three tools: simple speed changes for high-frame-rate footage, Optical Flow for creating frames you don’t have, and speed curves for dynamic ramps between speeds.

The best slow motion is planned at the shoot — 60, 120, or 240fps gives you real frames to work with. When you need to slow footage in post, Optical Flow with Speed Warp estimation gives the cleanest results. And speed curves are what turn a basic slow-down into something that actually feels intentional.

Use slow motion for emphasis, tension, and rhythm — not just because it looks cool. The right speed at the right moment makes the viewer feel the edit. The wrong speed breaks the whole thing.