I need to learn Resolve comprehensively in three days.

[Michael Dalton]

I would no more expect somebody to walk up to Resolve and know how to run it in three days than I would for somebody to grab a camera and learn how to light in three days, or walk into a recording studio and know how to mix a movie in three days. To me, the generally-accepted theory is that you need at least 5000 hours before you're really good at something; maybe double that to be an expert.

Why not just hire somebody who knows what they're doing? At the worst, maybe they could work out your technical issues and get you up to speed. There's all kinds of freelance colorists who do this stuff, depending on what area of the world you're in.

BTW, make sure you have a decent, calibrated monitor before beginning any kind of color correction. All of it is worthless if you can't trust what you're seeing.

Marc, I think you can do competent colour corrects in 3days, especially if your coming from another colour package and are not afraid to learn. I made the jump from Colour to Resolve this year just using a few youtube videos. First day was hard, but by the second day I was going faster then using colour which I have used for a while now. It does help that I have a background in visual FX, and having used lots of goodies like Flame/Inferno, Shake, Nuke, and after FX, Maya, you kind of know how a program should work. Then again after self teaching myself Maya anything seems easy. I think 5000 hour is a very generous estimate.

[MichaelP]

And keep in mind that a lot of the in/outs and other UI changes are coming in v9 in a few months. But the basics should be the same, just easier.

Michael

[BRANDON JAMESON]

You've got to be kidding.

[Steve Sherrick]

You've got to be kidding.

About 9? So far Blackmagic has been doing a great job updating things and keeping the program relatively stable. Until proven otherwise, I expect they will do the same for version 9. They are trying to improve the UI and add more features for doing dailies work. I suspect there will be a few things to get used to but overall I expect the user experience to be similar to what it is now.

[Ryan Patch]

I need to learn this at a professional level in my spare time in three days. I thought I could just pick up and go, but this program isn't the cakewalk I was anticipating.

I do hope you realize the offensiveness of this statement, especially to those who have spent lifetimes honing their craft and skill. No one says "I need to learn to be a doctor on a professional level in three days in my spare time." Kudos to you trying to pick up a new skill, but I hope that this experience teaches you to have a bit more respect for skills and crafts that many have spent lifetimes perfecting.

[Shane Kelly]

I do hope you realize the offensiveness of this statement, especially to those who have spent lifetimes honing their craft and skill. No one says "I need to learn to be a doctor on a professional level in three days in my spare time." Kudos to you trying to pick up a new skill, but I hope that this experience teaches you to have a bit more respect for skills and crafts that many have spent lifetimes perfecting.

I read it the same way but Matt then said that he has been grading since 2006. So it's not grading skills that he's looking for, just how to operate the application which is not the most intuitive. 3 days is still very ambitious.
http://www.colorgradingcentral.com/ has some good tutorials.

[Grant H]

I do hope you realize the offensiveness of this statement, especially to those who have spent lifetimes honing their craft and skill. No one says "I need to learn to be a doctor on a professional level in three days in my spare time." Kudos to you trying to pick up a new skill, but I hope that this experience teaches you to have a bit more respect for skills and crafts that many have spent lifetimes perfecting.

I believe it's more akin to a doctor learning a new hospital layout than it is how to perform the actual surgery.

[Hrvoje Simic]

I need to learn this at a professional level in my spare time in three days.

Depends on the definition of "professional level".
And days of which planet.

[Matt W.]

Not too professional. I have an unpaid gig now to learn on and some paying work later. But I want to do a good job.

I'll buy the first tutorial and watch it this weekend.

[Warren Eagles]

Interesting tread, good reading.
As a colorist of 25 years and a Resolve user for 7, I can relate to both sides.
I will add that the tutorials will get you up and running in 3 days, but after 7 years I am still learning new stuff about Resolve, it is a BIG programme.
Check out my free tutorials for basic help
www.vimeo.com/icolorist