Quick answer: place the numbered frames in one folder, open the Media page, navigate to that folder and select the sequence entry rather than importing each file as a separate still. Resolve reads the numbering pattern and presents the run as one clip when the filenames and frame range are consistent.
If Resolve imports separate images, the usual causes are a broken number run, mixed filename prefixes, a missing frame, an unsupported extension or a browser setting that is showing stills individually. Fix the source folder first, then import again. Do not build a long timeline of stills by hand unless you actually 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, consistent extension and numeric frame field tell Resolve that these files belong together. The sequence does not need to start at frame 0001, but the numbering must be clear enough for Resolve to identify the run.
PNG, JPEG, TIFF and EXR are common sequence formats, but the available behavior depends on the codec, bit depth, alpha channel and the Resolve edition/version. Blackmagic’s Media page and supported formats documentation is the right place to check a format that does not import as expected.
Import a numbered sequence as one clip
- Put the complete frame run in a dedicated folder. Keep unrelated stills out of that folder.
- Open the Media page.
- Use the Media Storage browser to navigate to the folder.
- Look for the sequence representation or select the first frame and use the sequence import command available in the browser.
- Drag the resulting sequence clip into a Media Pool bin.
- Set the clip or timeline frame rate intentionally before judging its duration.
The exact browser labels can change between Resolve versions and operating systems. The useful distinction is always the same: import the numbered run as a sequence, then verify that the Media Pool shows one clip with the expected frame range.
Check the frame rate before editing
Resolve must assign a playback frame rate to the sequence. A set of 120 frames at 24 fps lasts five seconds; the same 120 frames at 30 fps lasts four seconds. The pixels are identical, but the motion and duration are different.
Decide whether the sequence represents:
- rendered animation that should play at the project frame rate;
- stop-motion material whose timing should be changed deliberately;
- VFX frames that must match the source plate and editorial timebase;
- an image stack for a still montage rather than 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 can create a different problem than changing a clip’s playback interpretation.
Why the frames import separately
The numbering has gaps
A missing file can break the run or produce a clip with a gap. Check the folder for missing numbers and confirm that the exporter did not skip frames. If the gap is intentional, decide whether you want a visible hold, a transparent gap or a repaired render before importing.
The prefix is inconsistent
shot_0001.png and shotA_0002.png may not be treated as one run. Rename the files with a consistent prefix while preserving the numeric field. Make a copy first if another application relies on the original names.
The extension or bit depth changes
Do not mix PNG and EXR in the same run. Keep the extension, color depth and alpha behavior consistent. Mixed formats may be valid as separate stills but ambiguous as one sequence.
There are unrelated stills in the folder
A folder containing a logo, reference frame and several numbered runs can be difficult to read. Give each sequence its own folder or use a strict filename prefix, then import the intended run from the Media browser.
The files are not actually consecutive frames
Some exporters name files with an asset ID or render pass rather than a frame number. Check the filename pattern and render settings. The fact that numbers appear somewhere in a name does not guarantee that Resolve can identify a sequence.
How to handle EXR sequences
EXR sequences often carry high dynamic range and multiple channels. Before grading, confirm the intended channel, alpha and color-management behavior. A sequence that looks washed out can be correctly imported but displayed through the wrong input interpretation.
Keep the technical conversion separate from the creative grade. If the sequence comes from a VFX pipeline, ask for the agreed color space and display transform rather than applying a random LUT. The color-management guide explains how to keep input and output transforms from being stacked accidentally.
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 |
If you imported the wrong way, remove the separate files from the Media Pool and import the sequence again. Deleting the Media Pool entries does not delete the source frames from disk, but confirm that no timeline or compound clip depends on them before cleaning up.
Fix an image sequence that plays too fast or too slow
Check the assigned frame rate first. Then check the timeline frame rate and the clip’s interpretation. Do not solve a frame-rate mismatch by stretching the clip until its duration “looks right”; that can create a motion cadence that no longer matches the source.
For a sequence that should preserve every rendered frame, use a frame rate that matches the render. For a stop-motion sequence, choose the cadence intentionally. If the sequence must conform to an editorial timeline, document whether frames are being repeated, dropped or retimed.
Alpha and transparency
Some image formats carry alpha; others do not. If a sequence should have transparency but arrives with a black background, check the source format, the imported clip’s alpha interpretation and the node or Fusion merge that receives it.
Do not add a luma key simply because a black background is visible. That can remove real black detail from the image. First confirm that the sequence actually 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 and intentionally padded.
- 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.
- Frame rate, start frame and duration match the production intent.
- 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 problems begin before the Media page: inconsistent filenames, missing frames or an unclear frame-rate decision. Make the sequence predictable on disk, then verify what Resolve created before you build the edit.
