Studying DaVinci Resolve manual cover to cover to master it

Hi,
Does studying the manual from start to finish or cover to cover the best way to master DaVinci Resolve?

from my experience, not really...

there's certain area's that i'm unlikely to ever use, though that said, the more you learn, the more you discover the need for them

i found it best to actually use resolve - on a project; that way you're forced to explore options, alternatives, and just be faced with situations that have to be solved. the manual is terrific, a masterpiece, but its main failing is there's so much to cover, (which it does admirably), that actually finding what you need can get to be a bit frustrating to say the least.

i've found my main learning tools are actually using resolve, and when in doubt, referring to youtube tutorials, of which there are many. of course, as ever, youtube is stuffed with some appallingly bad tuts, but casey faris, billy rybka, and mr alextech, can usually provide me with fast, to the point solutions.

rather than reading the manual, i would suggest watching some forementioned tutorials, then putting them into practise.

i often wonder whether even grant petty knows every nook and cranny of his amazing nle

there are some excellent 'training' videos, not least those provided by bm, udemy, lynda, etc, but once you have a basic understanding of resolve they can become somewhat tedious.

I'd say a combo of the BMD training, along with experimentation and the manual would be a good way to start.

https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve/training

https://filmsimplified.com/ did get me starting with color grading. They have a free crash course and a very good YouTube channel too.

I'd say a combo of the BMD training, along with experimentation and the manual would be a good way to start.

https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve/training

I totally agree with this. I started with Resolve in early May and have been mostly using the training material provided by Blackmagic Design which has been giving me a very good foundation. The material is excellent, accurate and highly structured, which to my mind is vital if one is going to really learn a complex program (or really a group of integrated programs) like Resolve. You are covered whether you like to learn by written guides, videos or a combo. There is a load of example material to work on - practice makes perfect as they say. The manual is very good for reference but reading it from start to finish would be somewhat daunting,

I would suggest starting with the Beginner's Guide which is only available as PDF and then work on from there. As a Final Cut Pro user, my main interest in Resolve is the Color page but I need basic editing skills as well if I am going to use the program effectively - the Beginner's Guide has been great for that.

The biggest problem with reading the manual straight through is that a lot of what you read cannot be remembered later when you need it. Doing a couple of projects and taking the time to do the resolve training works pretty well.

I read the manual to get a grasp of where to search in the future. It’s really only a reference manual not a training manual.

I think the best way to "master" anything is to do it for a long time.

The Reference Manual does provide instruction on how the software works, so as you read through it, use the software to do what you're reading about.

Put simply, don't just read.

That applies to the tutorials even more, and the manual is rather an encyclopaedia to check when needed once you know the basics and what to look for.

I'll add another vote for going through the training videos and/or manuals. This is the fastest way to get competent at the basic stuff you'll use most often, and it will introduce you to the jargon and terminology which is the most important thing you need to know in order to find things in the manual. Once you've got the basics and the terminology down, you'll find it to be a lot easier and more useful to look things up in the manual when you need to.

Thanks a lot for all your valuable input.
I will follow your advice.
I've checked the mentioned courses and training.
And downloaded THE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO DAVINCI RESOLVE 16.
And will listen to learning advice by making it a combo of reading and doing projects.