Why did changing the color of one product shot in DaVinci Resolve also change another shot?

Identify the shared source and grade mode

DaVinci Resolve distinguishes Local Grades from Remote Grades. Blackmagic Design's Colorist Guide explains that Remote Grades are shared by timeline clips derived from the same source, provided those clips use remote versions. Local Grades allow independent corrections.

Start by identifying the two affected timeline occurrences and their Media Pool source. Matching filenames alone are insufficient evidence: verify the actual source relationship in the project.

Next inspect whether each occurrence uses a local or remote grade version. If both use Remote Grades for the same source, a shared correction is expected behavior rather than an accidental change to the underlying video file.

If they use Local Grades, investigate other shared mechanisms, including group grades, shared nodes or timeline-level processing. Do not diagnose Remote Grades solely because two shots change together.

Reproduce the effect without damaging the approved edit

Duplicate the working timeline or preserve a recoverable project version. Choose two occurrences of the same source with clearly different narrative roles.

1. Record each occurrence's source identity and grade-version mode.
2. Inspect existing corrections before making changes.
3. Apply a small, reversible color adjustment to the first occurrence.
4. Observe whether the second occurrence changes.
5. Restore the original treatment before testing another mode.

If both remote occurrences change together, the shared grade explains the result. If only one changes under Local Grades, the independent treatment is working as intended.

Blackmagic's documented commands include Use Local Grades, Use Remote Grades and Copy Remote Grades to Local. Confirm their availability in the installed version. Copying a grade into a local version is different from deleting the remote treatment.

Check the entire timeline afterward because another occurrence may intentionally depend on the shared grade.

Hypothetical diagnosis: two coffee-pack shots

Hypothetical editorial example; no DaVinci Resolve operation or video test was performed. A coffee merchant uses one source recording twice: a wide product introduction and a later close crop.

In illustrative state A, both occurrences use the same Remote Grade. The editor warms the wide shot, and the close crop also becomes warmer.

In state B, the editor creates an independent local treatment for the close crop while preserving the intended wide-shot grade. The close crop can now receive a restrained correction without changing the wide shot.

In state C, both occurrences retain Remote Grades because the campaign intentionally requires one shared source correction.

The completed hypothetical decision selects B for independent shot matching. C remains valid when shared treatment is deliberate. A is rejected only because the editor expected independence.

Choose the correct sharing boundary

Use Remote Grades when all relevant occurrences of a source should inherit the same correction. Use Local Grades when exposure, surrounding footage or creative intent requires a distinct treatment for each timeline occurrence.

Record which version is authoritative, which occurrences share it and which have independent corrections. Review product color against approved source evidence rather than assuming either version is physically accurate.

The existing Premiere relinking guide concerns shared media dependencies, not shared Resolve color versions. These Resolve operations occur in an external editor. CartVisual does not manage grade versions or certify product-color fidelity.

Record your own observations

The filled rows are illustrative examples. Use the blank row for your own files and observations.

Download the editable CSV worksheet

What the references establish

• Blackmagic Design — The Colorist Guide to DaVinci Resolve 17: Official training guide, page 163, explicitly distinguishing Remote Versions from Local Versions and explaining that remote grades propagate to other occurrences of the same source across project timelines. Version-specific training reference, not a guarantee of identical interface labels in every release.
• Blackmagic Design — DaVinci Resolve 11 Reference Manual: Official historical reference documenting Local Versions, Remote Versions and the Use Local Grades, Use Remote Grades and Copy Remote Grades to Local commands. The mechanism is established, but current command placement should be checked.
• Blackmagic Design — DaVinci Resolve Color: Official product documentation describing group grading and shared nodes as additional mechanisms capable of affecting multiple clips. These are separate from Remote Grades.