Blackmagic Design released DaVinci Resolve 21.1, adding integrations with AI assistants and an MCP server to automate common editing workflows.

AI assistant integrations

The update includes support for AI assistants such as Claude, Codex and ChatGPT, enabling task automation through natural-language prompts and scripted actions.

Core automation features

The built-in MCP server aims to remove routine manual work by automating repetitive editing tasks and generating new tools or styles from prompts and templates.

• Automatic condensation of footage, for example reducing 10 min of material to 3 min based on spoken content.
• Removal of transient clips shorter than 1 sec, and relocation of segments marked by specific markers into other projects.
• Batch rendering options including H.264 and H.265 outputs, plus custom pipeline execution.
• Generation and modification of custom LUT and DCTL color transforms from simple textual descriptions.
• Saving preferred workflows as reusable scripts that can be executed on demand.

Configuration and availability

The MCP server operates only when both DaVinci Resolve Studio and a desktop AI agent such as Claude are running simultaneously; this capability is not available in the Free version of Resolve.

The release focuses on accelerating editorial and color tasks through AI-assisted tooling while preserving traditional manual control for complex operations.