Setting up a feature film project in DaVinci-Resolve | Everything you need to know

How do you organize and edit an entire feature film in DaVinci Resolve without ending up with a completely chaotic timeline? In this video, I show you exactly how I set up a DaVinci Resolve project for a full-length feature film—from the initial project settings and frame rate to timecode synchronization, scene timelines, sound organization, color management, and the final master timeline. You’ll see the real project structure behind one of our feature films and learn how to organize thousands of video and audio files in a way that keeps a two-hour movie manageable. I cover: • The correct DaVinci Resolve project settings • Choosing the right timeline frame rate • DaVinci Resolve color management on Mac • Rec.709, Gamma 2.4, and export color tags • Setting up a DCI Scope 2.39 timeline • Organizing footage, audio, production days, and scenes • Creating separate timelines for every scene • Syncing camera, boom, and lavalier audio with timecode • Why you should still use a physical slate • Building a timecode timeline for each production day • Selecting takes and moving them into scene timelines • Organizing dialogue, room tone, sound effects, and music • Setting dialogue and sound levels for a feature film • Combining every scene into one clean master timeline • Making changes without destroying the full film edit • Avoiding common color space and timeline mistakes This workflow is designed for filmmakers, editors, directors, and independent film crews working on narrative feature films, short films, documentaries, or other large DaVinci Resolve projects. Whether you are editing your first indie feature film or trying to improve your existing post-production workflow, this video will help you build a cleaner, faster, and more reliable editing system. Let me know in the comments how you organize your feature film projects and what editing or filmmaking topic you want me to cover next. CHAPTERS: 0:00 Intro 0:52 Setting the Correct Project Frame Rate 1:50 Color Management and Export Settings 2:53 Choosing the Right CinemaScope Aspect Ratio 4:03 Organizing Your Media Pool 5:06 Creating Individual Scene Timelines 6:10 Setting Up a Timecode Timeline 8:27 Syncing Camera, Boom and Lavalier Audio 10:42 Why You Still Need a Slate 11:59 Why Timecode Is Worth the Investment 14:04 Selecting Takes and Editing Individual Scenes 14:49 How a Finished Feature Film Project Is Organized 15:57 Organizing Sound and Dialogue Levels 18:30 Building the Final Master Timeline 20:20 Updating Scenes Inside the Master Timeline 21:00 Fixing a Color Space Mistake 22:23 Final Project Overview 22:44 Outro Setting up a Timeline and Project for a feature film can be very intimidating, a lot of things have to be thought off. I explain all of the steps we take when setting up a huge project for our feature films. I show how file management works, how to set up the color profile for Mac and how to export in order to maintain your color grading, I walk through how to use timecode efficiently and how to use sub-timelines to keep your feature film edit clean. All of those tips can help you for a structured editing phase and good timelines. Let me know if you have anything to add.