DaVinci Resolve: Making areas unrecognizable efficiently

In this tutorial, I'll show you how to obscure various areas in DaVinci Resolve. Whether it's text, faces, or license plates, there are simple and effective methods to keep your content anonymous or blur sensitive information. We will not only edit a static screenshot, but also analyze some video scenes. So let's get started with the first examples.

Key Takeaways

• You have several options to obscure content: through blur effects, solid colors, and tracker techniques.
• DaVinci Resolve offers powerful tools to help you effectively edit dynamic content as well.

Step-by-Step Guide

First Step: Obscuring a Static Image

To censor an area of a static image, start with a screenshot containing the area to be edited. In this example, you want to obscure the text in the top left corner. Here's how:

First, open your image in DaVinci Resolve and go to the Effects. Click on Effects and drag the "Adjustment Clip" to the Timeline. Trim the clip to the point where the text is no longer visible.

Now right-click on the Adjustment Clip and select "Open in Fusion Page". In the Fusion area, you can now enlarge the area to work more efficiently.

Press "Ctrl" and the space bar to open the search window. Search for "Gaussian Blur" and add this effect. Place the Blur between "Media In" and "Media Out" and scale the Blur over the text.

You can adjust the intensity of the Gaussian Blur to ensure that the text is adequately obscured. You have now created a quick and easy method for static images.

Second Step: Blurring an Animated Face

In the next step, I'll show you how to obscure a moving object, such as a face. In this case, we will go to the Color Grading section. Make sure the correct clip is selected.

Next, press "Alt" and "S" to create a new node. Then go to the masks and select a circular mask to place over the face you want to anonymize.

Now you can go to the Blur area and increase the radius to obscure the face. This is important as the person moves in the scene.

To ensure the mask follows the face, you need to activate the tracker. Set the tracker to motion and "Track Forward" and "Track Backward". This way, the tracker ensures that the blurring mask captures the face in motion.

Third Step: Obscuring a License Plate

Here we take the next clip with a car and the license plate that we want to censor. Again, press "Alt" and "S" to create a new node. This time, use a rectangle or the pen tool to mask the license plate.

You can again go to the Blur area. Make sure to soften the hard edge of the mask by increasing the softness to make it look more natural.

Here, the use of the tracker is again required to ensure that your Blur moves efficiently with the license plate. Track the license plate to see if the masking is working correctly.

When the license plate becomes visible again, you have to keyframe forward and backward again to adjust the blur so that it always stays on the license plate.

Fourth Step: Obscuring Dynamic License Plates

Through the Color Grading area and the 3D tracking settings, you can effectively edit license plates in more complex scenes. Start again with "Alt" and "S" to create a new node, and end it with the appropriate mask that you can draw over the license plate.

Additionally, activate "3D" on the tracker. This will give you precise tracking to help you recognize all the movements of the license plate in space.

To precisely remove the blur when the license plate is no longer visible, go back to the Color Grading area and use keyframes. Place these at the appropriate points to animate the blur.

You can then optimize the keyframes here according to timing to ensure a smooth transition and fading of the blur.

Summary

In this tutorial, you have learned how to obscure different areas, whether through static images or animated scenes. With the right tools and techniques in DaVinci Resolve, you are able to effectively handle sensitive information.