--- title: "How to adjust focus after recording with AI CineFocus in DaVinci Resolve 21" author: "Cutsio Team" date: "2026-05-15" lastmod: "2026-05-15" category: "DaVinci Resolve Advanced Workflows" excerpt: "DaVinci Resolve 21 AI CineFocus lets you define focal points, control depth of field, and add bokeh effects after recording. This guide covers setup, workflow optimization, and how to use it efficiently with pre-edited timelines." tags: ["DaVinci Resolve 21","AI CineFocus","Depth of Field","Bokeh","Post-Production","Focus Effects"] --- ## How do you adjust focus after recording with AI CineFocus in DaVinci Resolve 21? DaVinci Resolve 21 AI CineFocus lets you define the focal point of any shot after it has been recorded. Click on the area you want in focus, adjust the aperture and focal range to control depth of field, and the AI generates the appropriate blur. Advanced controls let you select the aperture shape and add optical effects like bokeh. You can keyframe parameters to create rack focus effects between multiple subjects. ![AI CineFocus](https://images.blackmagicdesign.com/images/products/davinciresolve/whatsnew/ai/cinefocus@2x.jpg?_v=1775106162) CineFocus is available in the Color page as a Resolve FX plugin. It uses DaVinci Resolve's Neural Engine to analyze the depth information in each frame and generate a realistic depth-of-field effect. This means you can shoot with a deep focus to keep everything sharp in-camera and decide your focal point and aperture in post — a capability that was previously only possible with light field cameras or complex depth map workflows. ## Where do you find AI CineFocus in DaVinci Resolve 21? AI CineFocus is located in the Color page as an OFX plugin. Open the Color page on a clip, go to the Open FX tab in the top-left panel, and locate "Resolve FX AI CineFocus" in the list. Drag it onto the clip's node. The CineFocus controls appear in the Effects panel on the right side of the screen. The controls are divided into two groups. The Focus controls let you set the focal point by clicking on the image, adjust the aperture value (lower numbers create shallower depth of field), and set the focal range. The Optical controls let you select the aperture shape — circular, hexagonal, or custom — and add bokeh effects that simulate the optical characteristics of real cinema lenses. You can keyframe all parameters. This means you can start a shot with one subject in focus, rack focus to a second subject mid-shot, and pull focus back to the first subject — all without any camera movement or lens adjustment during the original shoot. ## What types of shots benefit most from AI CineFocus? CineFocus is most useful for shots where depth information is clear and distinct. Close-ups and medium shots with a clear subject-background separation produce the best results. Interview shots where the subject is positioned at a known distance from the camera work well because the depth map can cleanly separate the subject from the background. Product shots, talking-head videos, and cinematic narrative scenes all benefit. Wide shots with complex depth layers — multiple subjects at different distances, intricate background elements, or scenes with shallow physical depth — produce more mixed results. The AI can separate depth layers, but the quality of the effect depends on the clarity of the depth information in the source footage. Higher-resolution source material with good lighting produces better depth maps. Shots that were originally recorded with a shallow depth of field cannot gain additional depth information. CineFocus works by adding depth-of-field effects to footage that was shot with a deep focus. If the footage already has significant bokeh in the background, CineFocus may not improve it, but you can still use it to shift the focal point or adjust the aperture shape. ## Why should you pre-edit your timeline before applying CineFocus? AI CineFocus is computationally expensive. The Neural Engine must analyze the depth information in every frame of every clip the effect is applied to. Running CineFocus on hours of raw, unedited footage wastes processing time and computing resources on clips that will never make the final cut. The practical workflow is to pre-edit your footage before applying CineFocus. Upload your raw footage to Cutsio, use the Silent Slicer to automatically remove pauses and dead air, use AI Retake Removal to eliminate repeated takes, and highlight only the best moments using the transcript-based editor. Export an EDL or XML from Cutsio, import it into DaVinci Resolve 21, and apply CineFocus only to the specific clips on your tightened timeline. This approach has three benefits. First, your system remains responsive because CineFocus processes only the clips that matter. Second, render times drop dramatically because the total duration of footage being processed is a fraction of the original. Third, your GPU resources are reserved for the creative decisions that actually impact the final product.
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## How do you create a rack focus effect with keyframes in CineFocus? To create a rack focus effect, enable keyframing on the Focus X, Focus Y, and Aperture parameters in the CineFocus controls. Move to the start of the clip and set the focal point on the first subject by clicking on the image. Set keyframes for Focus X and Focus Y. Move the playhead to the point where you want the focus to shift, click on the second subject, and set new keyframes. Resolve interpolates the focus shift between the two keyframes. You can also keyframe the Aperture parameter to create a focus pull that changes depth of field mid-shot. Start with a wider aperture (lower f-number) for a shallower depth of field, then close the aperture (higher f-number) as the focus shifts to reveal more background detail. This mimics the behavior of a real cinema lens during a focus pull. The keyframe curve editor in the Color page lets you fine-tune the acceleration and deceleration of the focus shift. Linear focus shifts look mechanical. A smooth ease-in and ease-out curve creates a natural focus pull that matches the feel of a professional follow-focus operator. ## How does CineFocus compare with traditional depth-of-field control methods? | Method | When to use | Quality | Performance | |---|---|---|---| | AI CineFocus | Post-production focus control on deep-focus footage | Excellent with good depth data | GPU-intensive | | Lens blur (traditional) | Simple blur effects without depth awareness | Moderate, no depth separation | Fast | | Depth map + blur node | Custom depth-aware effects with Fusion | Very high | Complex setup | | In-camera shallow DOF | During production, no post work needed | Best | No processing needed | For most post-production workflows, AI CineFocus offers the best balance of quality and ease of use. The AI handles depth map generation automatically, so you do not need to create custom depth passes or build complex Fusion node trees. The trade-off is performance — CineFocus requires GPU acceleration and benefits significantly from being applied only to a pre-edited timeline. ## FAQ ### Does AI CineFocus work on any footage? CineFocus works best on footage with clear depth separation between subject and background. It performs well on most professionally shot material but may struggle with flatly lit scenes or footage with heavy compression artifacts. ### Can I use CineFocus on the free version of DaVinci Resolve 21? No. AI CineFocus requires DaVinci Resolve 21 Studio. The free version does not include Neural Engine AI features. ### Does CineFocus support 360-degree or VR footage? CineFocus is designed for standard 2D footage. It does not support 360-degree equirectangular or VR footage. ### Can I combine CineFocus with other Resolve FX plugins? Yes. CineFocus is applied as a node-level OFX plugin and can be combined with any other Resolve FX or third-party OFX plugin in your node tree. Apply it early in the node chain before color grading for the most natural results. ### What GPU do I need for smooth CineFocus performance? Blackmagic recommends a modern GPU with at least 8 GB of VRAM. NVIDIA RTX 3000 series or higher, or AMD Radeon RX 6000 series or higher, provide smooth real-time performance for HD and 4K footage.

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