The Ultimate Keying Workflow in Fusion
- Birkir Asgeirsson
- Apr 10
- 2 min read
After a bit of a break from posting, I’m excited to finally share a new tutorial, and this one is a big one.
This video is not just another quick tip or a shortcut-based guide. Instead, it’s a complete breakdown of how keying actually works inside DaVinci Resolve Fusion, based on real-world workflows used in visual effects.
There Is No “One-Click Key”
One of the core ideas behind this tutorial is simple:there is no such thing as a perfect one-click key.
Every shot is different. Lighting changes, camera settings vary, and even the quality of the green or blue screen can dramatically affect the result. Because of that, professional compositing is not about memorizing settings, it’s about understanding the process.
This tutorial is built around that mindset.
A Full Workflow — From Start to Finish
Rather than focusing on a single tool or trick, the video walks through the entire keying pipeline.
It starts with preparing the footage, then moves through multiple stages of keying, combining mattes, and refining edges. From there, it explores more advanced techniques like despill, detail recovery, and integrating the subject into a new background in a believable way.
The goal is to show how all of these pieces connect, not as isolated steps, but as part of a complete workflow.
Going Beyond the Key
Keying is just one part of the process.
What really makes a shot work is everything that comes after: fixing edges, restoring lost detail, matching lighting, and blending the foreground with the background so it feels natural.
This tutorial puts a strong emphasis on those finishing steps, the subtle adjustments that take a shot from “it works” to “it looks real.”
Built for Learning, Not Just Following
The footage used in the tutorial comes from ActionVFX, which makes it easy for anyone to follow along.
But more importantly, the tutorial is designed to help you think like a compositor. Instead of just copying steps, you’re encouraged to understand why each decision is made, so you can apply the same principles to your own projects.
A Step Toward Mastery
Whether you’re just getting started with Fusion or already have experience, this tutorial is meant to bridge the gap between basic techniques and a more professional approach.
It’s about slowing down, analyzing the shot, and building your result step by step, just like you would in a real production environment.
