Mac or Windows Windows edition · user manual

Hotshot VFX Briefer for Windows

The Windows edition runs directly inside DaVinci Resolve as a Workspace script. It scans the timeline, captures reference thumbnails, reads clip metadata, and hands the data to a companion generator script that builds the Excel brief using your system Python.

hotshot-vfx-briefer-windows.zip

Windows package with Resolve script, generator, icon, and PDF manual · Free

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What it does

A VFX marker pass becomes a ready-to-send Excel workbook.

Hotshot VFX Briefer scans your DaVinci Resolve timeline for markers whose names contain VFX_, grabs a reference still for each one, pulls clip and camera metadata, and builds an Excel workbook ready for VFX artists.

VFX Brief: reference thumbnail, shot code, VFX type, description, priority, assigned artist, status dropdown, and notes.
Clip Metadata: per-shot clip and camera data, including source frames, timecodes, duration, ISO, shutter, white point, lens, and other available fields.
Consolidated Clip Info: VFX shots grouped by source clip with frame ranges for tracking-data pulls.

Requirements

DaVinci Resolve Studio. Resolve scripting requires the paid Studio version.
Python 3 installed on your system, for example C:\Program Files\Python312\.
The Python libraries openpyxl and Pillow.

Installation

Install the two Python files, then point the Resolve script at your Python and generator paths.

1. Install the Python libraries

Open Command Prompt and run:

py -m pip install openpyxl Pillow

2. Place the generator script

Put Hotshot VFX Brief Generator.py somewhere permanent and note the full path. For example:

C:\Users\<you>\Documents\Workflow_Scripts\Hotshot VFX Brief Generator.py

3. Install the plugin into Resolve

Copy Hotshot VFX Briefer.py into Resolve's Comp scripts folder. You can also copy HotshotVFXBriefer.ico beside it for the window and taskbar icon.

C:\ProgramData\Blackmagic Design\DaVinci Resolve\Fusion\Scripts\Comp\

ProgramData is hidden by default. Paste the path directly into File Explorer's address bar if you cannot see it.

4. Point the plugin at your setup

Open Hotshot VFX Briefer.py in a text editor and set the two paths near the top:

PYTHON_EXE = r"C:\Program Files\Python312\python.exe"
BRIEF_GENERATOR_PATH = r"C:\Users\<you>\Documents\Workflow_Scripts\Hotshot VFX Brief Generator.py"

Keep the r before each opening quote. It is required for Windows paths containing backslashes.

5. Restart Resolve

The tool appears at Workspace > Scripts > Comp > Hotshot VFX Briefer.

How to use

Add a timeline marker at each VFX shot and give the marker a name containing VFX_, such as B2601_ARCR03_VFX_010.
With your timeline open, go to Workspace > Scripts > Comp > Hotshot VFX Briefer.
Click Browse and select where the brief and stills should be saved.
Click Grab Stills + Generate Brief.
When done, open <FolderName>_VFX_Brief.xlsx in the project folder.

Structuring marker notes

The brief recognises simple Key: Value lines and sorts them into matching columns:

Type: Sky Replacement
Description: Replace overcast sky with sunset
Priority: High
Artist: Dave

Plain text without a recognised key lands in the Description column. Priority values of High, Medium, or Low are colour coded automatically.

Troubleshooting

Common Windows install and runtime checks.

Tool is not in the menu

Restart Resolve and confirm the plugin is inside the Comp scripts folder.

Window does not open

Open Workspace > Console, switch to Py3, and check for an error. The usual cause is a wrong path in the settings at the top of the plugin.

Brief generator not found

Check that BRIEF_GENERATOR_PATH exactly matches where you saved the generator script.

No shots found

Marker names must contain VFX_. Check spelling and confirm the markers are on the timeline.

Thumbnails missing or wrong size

Make sure openpyxl and Pillow are installed in the same Python that PYTHON_EXE points to.

For a custom taskbar icon, keep HotshotVFXBriefer.ico in the same folder as the plugin script.