how do you get the black sides of your video in divinci resolve 21
To get black sides in DaVinci Resolve 21, add black bars by changing the clip’s crop or timeline blanking, depending on the look you want.
Easiest way
- Select your clip in the timeline.
- Open the Inspector.
- Go to Cropping and increase the left/right crop values until the sides go black.
Cleaner cinematic bars
- Go to the Color page.
- Set the viewer to Clip or Timeline as needed.
- Use Output Blanking or blanking controls to add matching top and bottom or side bars across the whole timeline.
If your video is vertical
If you want black space on the sides of a vertical video, the simplest fix is to keep the clip centered and let the empty space remain black, or place a Solid Color generator under it and set it to black. That gives you a consistent black background instead of a transparent or mismatched edge.
Best method by goal
| Goal | Best method |
|---|---|
| Black side bars on one clip | Inspector > Cropping | [2]
| Black bars across the whole project | Color page blanking/output blanking | [9]
| Black background behind a vertical video | Solid Color generator set to black | [4]
Quick note
If you mean the Fusion page and your clip is showing black because it is missing a proper node connection, make sure the flow goes from Media In to Media Out.
TL;DR: For black sides, use Inspector > Cropping for one clip, or blanking/output blanking for a full-timeline cinematic look.
