Quick answer: put the numbered frames in a folder of their own, open the Media page, browse to that folder in Media Storage and bring the run in as one sequence clip, not a pile of stills. One catch: Frame Display Mode in Media Storage defaults to Auto, which decides by file type. DPX and EXR runs appear as image sequence clips, but JPG files come in as individual frames. Set the mode to Sequence and Resolve groups the numbered files into one clip whatever the format.
If Resolve still imports separate images, look for a broken number run, mixed filename prefixes, a missing frame, an unsupported extension, or Frame Display Mode left on Auto or Individual. Fix the folder or the mode, then import again. Only build a timeline of stills by hand when you want each image to behave as an independent still.
What Resolve needs from an image sequence
An image sequence is a set of still files that represent consecutive frames. A typical run looks like:
shot_0001.png
shot_0002.png
shot_0003.png
The shared prefix, the matching extension and the numeric frame field are what tell Resolve these files belong together. The run doesn't need to start at frame 0001, but the numbering has to be clear enough for Resolve to spot the pattern.
PNG, JPEG, TIFF and EXR are all common sequence formats, but what you get depends on the codec, bit depth, alpha channel and your Resolve edition and version. When a format won't import the way you expect, Blackmagic's Media page and supported formats documentation is the first place I'd check.
Import a numbered sequence as one clip
- Put the complete frame run in a folder of its own, with no unrelated stills mixed in.
- Open the Media page.
- In the Media Storage browser, navigate to that folder.
- If the frames show up one by one, open the Media Storage option menu, choose Frame Display Mode and pick Sequence.
- Drag the resulting sequence clip into a Media Pool bin.
- Decide on the clip or timeline frame rate before you judge its duration.
Browser labels can shift a little between Resolve versions and operating systems. The goal doesn't: one clip in the Media Pool with the frame range you expected. Individual mode covers the reverse case, a folder of numbered photos where you only want a few of them.
Check the frame rate before editing
Resolve has to give the sequence a playback frame rate. 120 frames at 24 fps last five seconds; the same 120 frames at 30 fps last four. Same pixels, different motion and duration. If the rate is wrong, open Clip Attributes and set Video Frame Rate in the Video panel; the clip's duration changes with it.
So decide what the sequence actually is:
- rendered animation that should play at the project frame rate;
- stop-motion material whose timing you'll set on purpose;
- VFX frames that have to match the source plate and the editorial timebase;
- an image stack meant for a still montage, not a moving clip.
Set the timeline frame rate before you build an edit around the sequence. The site's frame-rate guide explains why changing timeline FPS late causes a different kind of trouble than changing how one clip plays back.
Why the frames import separately
The numbering has gaps
A missing file can break the run or leave a hole in the clip. Scan the folder for missing numbers and confirm the exporter didn't skip frames. If the gap is intentional, decide whether it becomes a visible hold, a transparent gap or a repaired render. Fusion's Loader takes the length from the first and last numbers, so image.0001.exr and image.0100.exr make a 100-frame sequence, and its Missing Frames menu sets what fills the holes.
The prefix is inconsistent
shot_0001.png and shotA_0002.png may not be read as one run. Rename the files to a single prefix and leave the numeric field alone. Copy the folder first if another application depends on the original names.
The extension or bit depth changes
Don't mix PNG and EXR in one run. Keep the extension, color depth and alpha behavior the same across every frame. Mixed formats can work fine as separate stills and still confuse a sequence.
There are unrelated stills in the folder
A folder holding a logo, a reference frame and a few numbered runs is hard to read, for you and for Resolve. Give each sequence its own folder or at least a strict filename prefix, then import the run you actually want from the Media browser.
The files are not actually consecutive frames
Some exporters name files after an asset ID or a render pass, not a frame number. Check the filename pattern and the render settings. Fusion's Loader, for one, wants the number as the last part of the name before the extension, so shot.1.fg.jpg doesn't qualify.
How to handle EXR sequences
EXR sequences often carry high dynamic range and several channels. Before grading, confirm which channel, alpha and color-management behavior you're meant to use. A washed-out sequence may be imported correctly and simply shown through the wrong input interpretation. For multi-part EXRs, the Fusion MediaIn node's Layer menu maps any pass to RGBA.
Keep the technical conversion apart from the creative grade. If the sequence comes out of a VFX pipeline, ask for the agreed color space and display transform rather than trying a random LUT. The color-management guide shows how to keep input and output transforms from stacking by accident.
Image sequence vs separate stills
| Goal | Use |
|---|---|
| Play rendered frames as motion | Import as one image sequence clip |
| Show a gallery of individual images | Import stills separately and edit them as stills |
| Make a stop-motion edit with manual timing | Import stills or reinterpret the sequence deliberately |
| Preserve VFX frame numbering | Import as a sequence and verify start frame and duration |
Imported it the wrong way? Remove the separate files from the Media Pool, set Frame Display Mode to Sequence and import again. Deleting Media Pool entries doesn't touch the source frames on disk, but check that no timeline or compound clip still depends on them before you clean up.
Fix an image sequence that plays too fast or too slow
Check the clip's frame rate first, then the timeline frame rate and how the clip is being interpreted. Don't fix a frame-rate mismatch by stretching the clip until the duration “looks right”; you can end up with a motion cadence that no longer matches the source.
When every rendered frame has to survive, match the clip's frame rate to the render. For stop-motion, pick the cadence deliberately. If the sequence has to conform to an editorial timeline, write down whether frames are being repeated, dropped or retimed.
Alpha and transparency
Some image formats carry alpha and some don't. If a sequence should be transparent but arrives over black, check the source format, the clip's Alpha Mode in Clip Attributes (None, Premultiplied or Straight, plus invert) and the node or Fusion merge that receives it. Alpha Mode only offers those choices when the clip has an embedded alpha channel.
Don't reach for a luma key just because you can see a black background. It can eat real black detail in the picture. First confirm that the sequence really contains an alpha channel and that Resolve is reading the correct channel.
Import checklist
- All frames use the same prefix, extension and format.
- The numeric field is clear, padded on purpose and sits at the end of the name.
- The folder contains no unrelated stills or competing runs.
- Missing frames and intentional gaps are understood.
- The sequence appears as one clip in the Media Pool, with Frame Display Mode on Sequence if needed.
- Frame rate, start frame and duration match what the production needs.
- EXR color space, channels and alpha are documented.
- The timeline is set before the sequence is cut into a larger edit.
Resolve is good at turning a clean numbered run into one clip. Most import trouble starts before the Media page: inconsistent filenames, missing frames, a display mode that splits JPGs into stills, or a frame rate nobody chose. Make the sequence predictable on disk, then check what Resolve created before you cut it into the edit.
