The most reliable way to review a DaVinci Resolve edit with clients is to put every exported cut behind a single protected review link, collect notes at the exact frame where a problem appears, and keep those notes attached to the version they refer to. Sending exports back and forth and hoping a client's "around 1:20, that blue shot looks odd" lands on the right shot is where review rounds go to die.
Why Resolve review rounds break down
DaVinci Resolve is a finishing tool. Grades, power windows, and audio mixes live at specific frames, and a client's comment only means something if you can map it back to the exact moment on the timeline. That mapping is exactly what breaks in a casual workflow:
- The client watches a compressed export, or a re-upload to YouTube, and comments on timings that no longer match your timeline.
- Notes arrive in email, chat, and a call recap, referring to three different exports.
- By the time you open Resolve again, nobody can say which version a note belongs to - or whether it still applies.
The result is the classic colorist complaint: the note was probably about a shot that changed in version three, but you re-grade it anyway because checking takes longer than guessing.
What is a frame-accurate review workflow?
A frame-accurate review workflow is a review process where every comment is anchored to a specific frame of a specific version of a cut. Instead of describing a moment in words ("the shot after the logo"), the reviewer pauses the video and leaves the note at that exact frame, often with a visual annotation. The editor can then jump from each note straight to the referenced moment, and the note travels with its version instead of floating between exports.
The workflow, step by step
- Export a review cut from Resolve. Keep the review export cheap: a full-timeline render at 1080p is usually enough for approval rounds. The master stays in Resolve.
- Upload it to a Frooty project as a version. Every cut of this job lives in the same version stack, so "the latest" is always unambiguous.
- Create a review link and send it to the client. Reviewers open the link in a browser - no account, no software. Add a password and an expiry date for private work, and a watermark when the cut is sensitive.
- Have the client comment at the exact frame. Frame-accurate comments and drawn annotations replace "somewhere in the middle" with a pinpointed note the editor can act on directly.
- Bring the notes back into your Resolve session. The Frooty plugin for DaVinci Resolve pulls review feedback next to your timeline, so notes are addressed in the tool where the fix happens - not transcribed from a PDF.
- Upload the revised cut as the next version. Feedback stays attached to the version it referred to, so you can see at a glance which notes were raised on which cut and whether they are resolved.
- Close with an explicit approval. A visible "approved" on a specific version ends the round cleanly and protects you from re-litigating old notes.
| Review approach | Where notes land | Survives the next version? | Effort per round |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screen recording + call | Nowhere - memory and a recap | No | High - everyone attends |
| Export emailed as a file | Email threads, off the video | No | Medium - manual collation |
| Watermarked review link | On the video, at the frame | Yes | Low - send a link |
One honest caveat about Resolve integrations
On macOS, Resolve's plugin interface requires the paid DaVinci Resolve Studio edition - the free desktop edition on macOS cannot load it. Without the plugin, the workflow above still works end to end: you simply read feedback in the Frooty workspace instead of inside Resolve. Final Cut Pro users get feedback via FCPXML delivery rather than a live plugin.
What changes for the colorist
When notes are anchored to frames and versions, you stop re-checking stale feedback and start finishing. The client sees a professional review experience instead of a folder of final_v4_watermarked files, and the approval record makes the handoff - to delivery, to the next project, or to your invoice - unambiguous.
See Frooty's editor integrations, or compare approaches in our Frame.io alternative overview.
FAQ
Do clients need DaVinci Resolve to review a cut?
No. Clients open a browser link and comment directly on the video - nothing to install, no account required. Resolve stays on the editor's side of the workflow.
Does the free version of DaVinci Resolve work with Frooty?
The full review workflow works with any Resolve setup; the in-Resolve plugin itself requires DaVinci Resolve Studio on macOS. On other setups you read and resolve feedback in the Frooty workspace, which costs nothing extra.
Can a client comment on one specific frame?
Yes. Reviewers pause at the exact frame, leave a comment or draw an annotation on the image, and the note is stored against that frame of that version. The editor jumps from the note straight to the moment.
How do I keep an unreleased cut from leaking?
Use the three controls together: a visible watermark on the review stream, a password on the link, and an expiry date. The master file never leaves your workspace until you explicitly release it.