DaVinci Resolve freeze frame guide
How to Freeze a Frame in DaVinci Resolve
A freeze frame holds one chosen image on the timeline for a visible duration. DaVinci Resolve can create that hold with Retime Controls, freeze an entire selected clip with Change Clip Speed, or turn a Gallery still into editable media. Use the method that matches whether playback must resume after the hold.
Extract Video FrameMethod 1: Freeze a Frame With Retime Controls
Use Retime Controls when the clip should play normally, pause on one image, and then continue. On the Edit page, select the timeline clip and choose Retime Controls from the clip context menu. The common shortcut is Ctrl+R on Windows and Command+R on macOS. A speed-change strip appears over the clip.
Move the playhead to the exact image that should become the hold. Open the small speed menu on the retime strip and choose Freeze Frame. Resolve places speed points around the frozen segment. Drag the right speed point to the right for a longer hold or back toward the first point for a shorter hold.
Play across both boundaries. Check that the last moving frame flows into the hold cleanly and that motion resumes on the expected next image. If the subject appears to jump, move the freeze point to a nearby frame with a more stable pose or add a short transition only when a deliberate visual softening is acceptable.
- Best for a temporary hold inside continuous footage
- Playback can resume after the frozen segment
- The hold duration is adjusted directly on the timeline
- Use a clean, low-blur frame for the pause
Method 2: Freeze a Clip With Change Clip Speed
Use Change Clip Speed when an entire timeline segment should behave as a still. First split the source at the chosen frame so the frozen portion is its own clip. Right-click that segment, choose Change Clip Speed, enable Freeze Frame, and confirm the change.
Because the selected segment becomes frozen throughout, this method is easier to reason about after a deliberate blade cut. Trim the segment edges to set duration. Keep the moving source before and after on separate timeline clips if playback must continue around the hold.
This is also useful when the still segment needs independent transforms, text, zoom, or compositing. Once isolated on the timeline, the frozen section can be treated like a visual beat rather than a speed ramp embedded in a longer clip.
Method 3: Build the Hold From a Gallery Still
A Gallery still is useful when you need an actual reusable image as well as a timeline hold. On the Color page, park the playhead on the target frame, right-click the viewer, and choose Grab Still. Resolve stores the image and its grade information in the Gallery.
Right-click the Gallery still and export it to an image file. Import that image into the Media Pool, place it on the Edit timeline, and trim it to the required duration. This takes more steps than a retime freeze, but the image becomes a reusable project asset that can appear elsewhere in the edit.
A Gallery still is not only a screenshot. It participates in Resolve color workflows and can carry grade information. When the goal is a simple PNG for a thumbnail or AI input, a focused video frame extractor may be faster than moving through the Color page and Gallery.
How to Choose the Exact Freeze Frame
Zoom the timeline and inspect nearby images rather than freezing the first frame that looks close during playback. A hold makes every problem visible: motion blur, half-closed eyes, awkward hand shapes, rolling-shutter distortion, incomplete transitions, and compression artifacts no longer pass quickly.
Choose a frame where movement naturally settles, changes direction, or reaches a readable pose. For dialogue, avoid holding on an open mouth unless the effect is intentional. For sports and action, the frame just before or after peak speed is often sharper than the peak itself.
If you pass the target, move backward and review again at a slower pace. The correct creative frame is not always the mathematically exact timecode; select the image that communicates the beat when displayed for several seconds.
How to Export the Freeze Frame as an Image
Freezing a clip changes timeline playback but does not automatically write a PNG or JPEG. To create an image in Resolve, use the Color page Gallery: move to the frame, choose Grab Still in the viewer, then export the Gallery still. Choose a lossless format when the image will be edited, enlarged, or used as a visual reference.
If the project has color grading, decide whether the exported image should include the current grade. Gallery workflows are valuable when the look matters. If you only need the decoded source image, use the embedded extractor below to select the timestamp and download PNG without creating a Gallery asset.
Just need the frame?
Extract it here without opening an editor
Turn the Freeze Frame Into New Motion
A freeze frame and an extracted frame solve different jobs, but the same chosen image can become a new source. Export the still, open Image to Video, and describe a new camera move, subject action, or environmental change. The saved image anchors the opening while AI generates what follows.
Use a frame with a clear subject and room for movement. Remove timeline overlays, viewer controls, or temporary graphics before export. If the new shot must arrive at a specific second image, use First and Last Frame to Video instead of leaving the destination open.
Choose the correct operation
Freeze Frame vs. Extract Frame
These operations start from the same visual moment but produce different assets. Freeze when the still must occupy time inside an edit; extract when the image must exist outside the timeline.
| Decision | Freeze frame | Extract frame |
|---|---|---|
| Result | A stationary segment inside the edited video | A standalone PNG or JPEG image |
| Changes duration | Yes; the hold occupies timeline time | No; the source video remains unchanged |
| Primary use | Pacing, emphasis, title cards, analysis, comedy | Thumbnail, reference, design, documentation, AI input |
| Editor required | Usually, because the hold belongs to a timeline | No; a browser extractor can save the image directly |
Continue the frame workflow
Use the frame, not just the tutorial
Questions and answers
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fastest way to freeze a frame in DaVinci Resolve?+
Select the clip, show Retime Controls, place the playhead on the target frame, open the speed menu, choose Freeze Frame, and drag the second speed point to set duration.
What is the DaVinci Resolve shortcut for Retime Controls?+
Ctrl+R is the common Windows shortcut and Command+R is the common macOS shortcut. Check keyboard customization if the command has been reassigned.
Why does the whole clip freeze?+
The Freeze Frame option in Change Clip Speed applies to the selected clip segment. Split the clip first, or use Retime Controls when only a middle section should hold.
How do I make the video continue after the freeze?+
Use the Retime Controls method and keep moving footage after the second speed point, or split the clip into moving, frozen, and moving segments.
Can I export a DaVinci freeze frame as PNG?+
Yes. On the Color page, grab a still into the Gallery, then export that Gallery still. A browser extractor is faster when you only need the source frame.
Is a freeze frame the same as extracting a frame?+
No. A freeze frame occupies time inside a video edit. Extraction creates a separate image file without changing video duration.
Official references
Need the Image, Not the Hold?
Choose the exact timestamp and download the decoded video frame as PNG without building a DaVinci timeline.
Extract Video Frame