DaVinci Resolve Timeline Building: Story Order, Pacing, and Basic B-Roll Editing

Workflow Overview: From “Everything” to “Only What Serves the Story”

Timeline building is the process of turning organized footage into a watchable sequence with clear story order and intentional pacing. A reliable workflow prevents you from getting stuck polishing too early. In this chapter you’ll move through four stages: stringout (all usable material in one place), selects (only the best moments), rough cut (story order and basic structure), and fine cut (pacing, clarity, and cutaway polish). You’ll also add B-roll to support meaning and hide jump cuts, while managing tracks so your timeline stays controllable.

Recommended Timeline Layout (Simple and Repeatable)

• V1: A-roll video (talking head / primary action)
• A1: A-roll dialogue (primary audio)
• V2: B-roll / cutaways
• A2: music (optional)
• A3: SFX / room tone (optional)

This layout keeps your “story spine” on V1/A1 and your visual support on V2. You can expand later, but starting simple makes trimming and track targeting easier.

Stage 1 — Create a Stringout (Fast, Non-Precious Assembly)

A stringout is a long timeline that contains all potentially usable clips in a loose order. The goal is speed: get everything you might use into one place so you can evaluate it in context without hunting through bins.

How to Build a Stringout

• Create a new timeline named 01_Stringout.
• Place A-roll first: add full takes in chronological recording order (or interview question order if that’s how it was shot).
• Add B-roll after A-roll (or on a separate section of the timeline) so you can quickly scan options later.
• Do not trim tightly. Only remove obvious dead space (camera starts, long lens cap moments, unusable audio).

Stringout Rules (So It Stays Useful)

• Don’t worry about pacing yet.
• Don’t add music yet (music can trick you into thinking a cut works).
• Don’t “fix” jump cuts yet—those are solved later with structure and B-roll.

Stage 2 — Choose Selects (Your Best Moments, Not Your Favorite Takes)

Selects are the strongest lines, reactions, and actions that serve the story. This stage is about decision-making: you’re reducing quantity so the rough cut becomes easier and faster.

Two Practical Ways to Build a Selects Timeline

Method A: Duplicate and Reduce

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• Duplicate 01_Stringout to a new timeline named 02_Selects.
• Delete anything that is repetitive, unclear, off-topic, or weaker than another version.
• Keep alternate good takes close together so you can compare quickly.

Method B: Pull Selects Into a New Timeline

• Create 02_Selects empty.
• From the stringout, copy only the best moments and paste them into the selects timeline.
• Group by topic/beat (not by recording order) if your project is story-driven.

What Makes a “Select” Strong?

• Clarity: the viewer understands it the first time.
• Specificity: concrete details beat vague statements.
• Forward motion: it introduces, advances, or resolves an idea.
• Emotion/energy: it feels alive (even in a calm piece).

Use Markers as Decision Notes (Not Decoration)

Markers are most useful when they capture a decision you’ll need later. Add markers on the clip or timeline for things like:

• “Best line for intro”
• “Needs B-roll to cover cut”
• “Check name spelling / fact”
• “Great reaction shot here”

Keep marker text short and actionable. You’re leaving instructions for your future self.

Stage 3 — Build a Rough Cut (Story Order and Structure First)

The rough cut is the first version that plays from start to finish with a clear beginning, middle, and end—even if it’s too long and visually plain. Your job here is to establish story order and meaning, not perfect timing.

Build the Spine: A-Roll First

• Create a new timeline named 03_RoughCut.
• Pull your best A-roll selects onto V1/A1 in the order that makes the story easiest to follow.
• Prioritize understanding over cleverness. If a line is great but confusing, it may belong later (or not at all).

A Simple Story Order Template (Adapt as Needed)

If your project is a short informational edit, this structure keeps pacing tight because each beat has a job.

Rough Cut Checklist (Before You Touch B-roll)

• Can someone summarize the story after one watch?
• Is the order logical (cause → effect, problem → solution)?
• Are there repeated points you can remove?
• Is there a clear “through-line” sentence you can build around?

Stage 4 — Refine Pacing (Ripple Trims + Marker Notes)

Once the rough cut communicates clearly, you refine pacing by tightening pauses, removing redundancies, and improving rhythm. The key tool for this stage is ripple trimming, because it shortens or lengthens time without leaving gaps.

Pacing Targets You Can Actually Edit Toward

• Remove “thinking time” that doesn’t add emotion or realism.
• Shorten repeated phrasing (keep the strongest version once).
• Maintain momentum at transitions (avoid long pauses between ideas).
• Let important moments breathe (don’t over-tighten emotional beats).

Step-by-Step: Tighten A-Roll With Ripple Trims

• Play the rough cut and add markers where it feels slow, unclear, or repetitive (e.g., “tighten pause”, “remove repeat”).
• Work marker-by-marker instead of randomly trimming.
• On each marked area, ripple-trim to remove:
• long silences before/after sentences
• false starts and filler words (when they don’t serve tone)
• extra clauses that restate the same idea
• After each change, replay a few seconds before and after the cut to confirm the rhythm feels natural.

Use “Pacing Passes” Instead of One Perfect Pass

Do multiple quick passes with a single goal each time:

• Pass 1: remove obvious dead time
• Pass 2: remove repetition
• Pass 3: improve transitions between beats

This prevents over-editing and helps you hear the piece like a viewer.

Introduce B-Roll: Purpose, Placement, and Cutaways to Hide Jump Cuts

B-roll is supporting footage that visually reinforces what the A-roll is saying. It also solves a practical editing problem: when you tighten A-roll, you often create jump cuts (noticeable visual jumps in the subject’s position). A cutaway is a B-roll shot inserted over A-roll audio to cover those jumps while adding meaning.

When to Use B-Roll (Purposeful Reasons)

• Show what is being described (tools, location, hands doing the action).
• Clarify a concept (before/after, example, result).
• Change pace (give the viewer visual variety).
• Cover an edit (hide jump cuts, remove filler, compress time).

Basic B-Roll Placement Workflow

• Keep A-roll audio continuous on A1 as your “spine.”
• Place B-roll on V2 above the A-roll section you want to cover.
• Trim B-roll to start slightly before the jump cut and end slightly after, so the cut feels intentional rather than “just hiding something.”
• Prefer B-roll that matches the words being spoken at that moment (literal match beats random pretty shots).

Three Reliable Cutaway Types (Easy to Find in Most Shoots)

• Hands / action detail: typing, adjusting gear, writing notes
• Environment / wide shot: room, street, workspace
• Object / insert: product, document, screen, tool

Even simple cutaways become powerful when they are timed to a specific phrase or idea.

Basic Track Management: Locking, Disabling, and Track Targeting

As soon as you add B-roll, track discipline matters. Track management prevents accidental edits and makes trims predictable.

Lock Tracks (Protect What’s Finished)

• Lock A1 when you’re placing B-roll so you don’t accidentally slip dialogue timing.
• Lock V2 temporarily when you’re doing a focused A-roll pacing pass.

Locking is especially useful right after you get a section “working.” It keeps you from breaking it while adjusting something nearby.

Disable Tracks (Audition Without Deleting)

• Disable V2 to quickly check whether the A-roll cut is visually acceptable without B-roll coverage.
• Disable A2 (music) if you add it later and want to judge spoken pacing honestly.

Disabling is a fast way to compare versions without committing to removal.

Track Targeting (Make Sure Your Edits Land Where You Expect)

Before inserting or overwriting clips, confirm which tracks are targeted for video and audio. A common beginner mistake is accidentally placing B-roll onto V1 (replacing A-roll) or sending audio to the wrong track. Build the habit: look at track targets before every insert/overwrite, especially when you’re moving fast.

Guided Project: Short Edit From A-Roll + B-Roll (3 Purposeful Cutaways)

You’ll create a 45–90 second sequence from A-roll plus B-roll, using at least three cutaways that each have a clear purpose (not just decoration). The deliverable is a clean, watchable timeline with controlled pacing and intentional B-roll placement.

Project Setup (Timelines You Will Create)

• 01_Stringout
• 02_Selects
• 03_RoughCut
• 04_FineCut

Footage Requirements (Minimum)

• A-roll: 1–2 minutes of spoken content (one person explaining something or telling a short story)
• B-roll: at least 6 shots (mix of wide, medium, detail)

Step 1 — Build the Stringout

• Assemble all A-roll takes in 01_Stringout.
• Append all B-roll shots after the A-roll section (or place them on V2 in a “B-roll parking lot”).
• Add quick markers on standout moments (e.g., “strong line”, “great shot”).

Step 2 — Create Selects

• Make 02_Selects using either duplicate-and-reduce or pull-only-best.
• Keep only the strongest A-roll lines needed to tell a complete mini-story.
• Mark any A-roll trims that will likely create jump cuts with “needs cutaway”.

Step 3 — Assemble the Rough Cut (A-Roll Only)

• Create 03_RoughCut.
• Build a simple structure: hook → context → steps/point → result.
• Don’t worry about jump cuts yet; focus on clarity and order.

Step 4 — Fine Cut Pacing With Ripple Trims + Marker Notes

• Duplicate 03_RoughCut to 04_FineCut.
• Do a playback pass and add markers where pacing drags or transitions feel abrupt.
• Ripple-trim pauses and repetition, replaying around each change to confirm flow.

Step 5 — Add Three Purposeful Cutaways (B-Roll on V2)

Add at least three cutaways, each with a specific job. Use this checklist and label each cutaway with a marker describing its purpose.

• Cutaway #1 (Clarify): Place B-roll that literally shows what the speaker references (e.g., “I set up the lights” → shot of lights being adjusted). Marker: “B-roll clarifies”.
• Cutaway #2 (Cover a jump cut): Find a tightened A-roll section with a noticeable visual jump. Place a cutaway over the cut while keeping A-roll audio continuous. Marker: “B-roll covers jump”.
• Cutaway #3 (Pace/transition): Use B-roll to bridge between two ideas (e.g., moving from problem to solution). Choose a shot with motion or a change in framing to help the transition feel intentional. Marker: “B-roll transition”.

Step 6 — Track Management Checks (Before You Call It “Done”)

• Lock A1 while adjusting B-roll timing so dialogue doesn’t shift.
• Disable V2 briefly to verify the A-roll edit still makes sense (you’re not relying on B-roll to fix a confusing story).
• Confirm V1 remains A-roll and V2 remains B-roll (no accidental overwrites).

Quality Targets for This Project

• The story is understandable without explanation.
• The pacing feels intentional (no long dead air, no rushed key points).
• At least three cutaways are clearly motivated (clarify, cover, transition).
• Track layout stays consistent and controllable (A-roll on V1/A1, B-roll on V2).