How to Create Video Collages (Split screens) in DaVinci Resolve

DaVinci Resolve includes a handy but overlooked effect that makes creating split screens and video collages quick and easy. The Video Collage effect, found directly on the Edit page, allows you to build multi-clip layouts with borders, rounded corners, animations, and more, all without leaving the timeline. You're probably used to doing this manually, but there's a far easier way to do it, and this guide explains exactly how to use it.

What Is the Video Collage Effect in Davinci Resolve?

The Video Collage effect is part of Resolve FX and is designed to create tiled layouts using multiple clips. One clip acts as the base for the collage layout, while additional clips are assigned to individual tiles. This makes it ideal for split screens, comparison shots, or dynamic multi-video compositions.

How to Create Video Collages (Split screens) in DaVinci Resolve

• Go to the Edit page and open the Effects Library in the top left.
• Under the Effects Library, select Resolve FX. Use the search bar and type Video Collage to quickly locate the effect.

• Drag the Video Collage effect onto the first clip in your timeline. The result may look odd at first, which is expected.
• Open the Inspector for the clip. Under Workflow, change the setting from Create Background to Create Tile. This places the clip into the first tile of the collage.

• Still in the Inspector, choose how many columns and rows you want. This determines how many tiles your collage will contain.
• To make adjustments easier, click the drop-down menu under the viewer and enable Open Effects Overlay. This displays visual guides for the tiles directly in the viewer.

Customise the Global Look

Use the global controls to fine-tune the overall layout. You can adjust margins, stagger tiles, round clip corners, and refine spacing. It is best to finalise these settings on the first clip before duplicating the effect.

Customising Individual Tiles

• In the Tiles section of the Inspector, you will see a setting for the active tile. Tile one is usually the top left tile by default.
• You can change which tile a clip belongs to by selecting a different tile number from the drop-down menu.

• Each tile can be customised with controls for sizing, repositioning, and resizing the content within the tile. You can also add drop shadows and tile borders, either per tile or across all tiles.

Adding Animation to the Collage

• In the animation section, tiles are set to manual keyframing by default.
• Change the animation mode to Intro and Outro to automatically animate the tiles. This creates a smooth expansion in and out effect when the clip plays.

Filling the Collage With Multiple Clips

• Place all the clips you want in the collage on separate tracks, stacked vertically and aligned in time.
• Select the first clip and copy it using Ctrl and C.
• Select the remaining clips, then use Alt or Option and V to paste attributes.

• In the Paste Attributes window, untick everything, then select Plugins only and apply.

• Go to each clip’s Inspector, open the Video Collage settings, and assign a different tile number. Each clip will now occupy its own tile while sharing the same layout, borders, and animation.