DaVinci Resolve how-to
How to freeze frame in DaVinci Resolve (Shift-R, Retime)
Short answer
To pause a moment inside a clip, press Command-R (Ctrl-R) to show Retime Controls, put the playhead on the frame and choose Freeze Frame from the speed menu, then drag the second speed point to set how long it holds. To turn the whole clip into one still, park on the frame and choose Clip > Freeze Frame (Shift-R). Cut the clip first if you only want the freeze at the end.
Checked against: DaVinci Resolve 21 (free and Studio), Windows, Mac and Linux, per the Resolve 21 Reference Manual (July 2026).
Method 1: Freeze a moment (Retime Controls)
Show Retime Controls
Select the clip and press Command-R (Ctrl-R).
Insert the freeze
Move the playhead to the frame to freeze, open the clip speed menu and choose Freeze Frame. Two speed points appear with red bars between them.
Set the length
Drag the second speed point to make the hold longer or shorter. Playback resumes from the next frame after it.
Method 2: Freeze the whole clip (Shift-R)
Park the playhead and freeze
Put the playhead on the frame and choose Clip > Freeze Frame, or press Shift-R. The entire clip becomes that frame.
ClipFreeze Frame
Undo it later
Open Change Clip Speed and untick Freeze Frame, or use Remove Attributes to clear the speed effect.
If it doesn't work
| What you see | Fix |
|---|---|
| Shift-R froze the whole clip | That's what it does. Cut the clip at the frame first (Command-B), then freeze only the part after the cut. |
| Audio goes silent around the freeze | Resolve mutes audio on variable speed effects. Unlink the audio before freezing, or lay music over it. |
| The frozen frame is blurry | Freeze a frame with less motion blur a few frames earlier or later. |
Questions people ask
What is the freeze frame shortcut in DaVinci Resolve?
Shift-R (Clip > Freeze Frame) freezes the whole clip on the playhead frame.
How do I freeze the last frame?
Cut a few frames before the end, freeze the last piece with Shift-R, then drag its end to the length you want.
Can I export a frame as a picture instead?
Yes. On the Color page, right-click the viewer and choose Grab Still, then export it from the Gallery.
More DaVinci Resolve guides
Sources and how we checked
- DaVinci Resolve 21 Reference Manual: Change Clip Speed, Reverse Speed and Freeze Frame (p. 1254-1256) (checked 2026-10-05)
- DaVinci Resolve 21 Reference Manual: Retime controls, reverse segments and freeze frames inside a clip (p. 1257-1260) (checked 2026-10-05)
Blackmagic's manual lists Mac shortcuts; on Windows and Linux use Ctrl for Command and Alt for Option.
Reviewed October 5, 2026 by the Koldflux team. Each step is compared with DaVinci Resolve's own documentation (linked above) and with the top search results for this task; where they disagree, the maker's documentation wins. Steps without a source link follow the menu names that several current guides agree on.