Proxies are lightweight stand-in files that let you edit high-resolution footage without overwhelming your computer — and switching back to the originals for final export takes only a few clicks.
If your editing software crawls, drops frames, or locks up when you try to play back 4K or RAW footage, you don't have a talent problem — you have a hardware bottleneck. High-resolution formats generate enormous amounts of data, and most computers simply can't decode that data fast enough for smooth real-time playback. The proxy workflow solves this by creating smaller, easier-to-play versions of your footage for the editing phase, then seamlessly swapping back to the originals when it's time to color grade and export. It's a standard professional technique used on productions of every size, and once you've built it into your routine, you'll wonder how you edited without it.
A proxy is a lower-resolution, lower-bitrate copy of your original media file. It contains the same content — the same image, the same timecode, the same duration — but compressed in a way that is far easier for a computer to decode on the fly. Where a 4K RAW file might demand intense processing just to display a single frame, a proxy version of that same clip plays back smoothly even on mid-range hardware.
The word proxy comes from the idea of standing in for something else. Your proxy files are not your real footage — they are deputies that represent the originals during the editing phase. Every cut, every transition, every effect you apply is stored as an instruction set in your project file. When the time comes to render or export, your editing software follows those same instructions but executes them against the original high-quality files instead of the proxies.
Proxies are not a workaround or a compromise. They are a professional workflow tool. Editors working on feature films, network television, and commercial productions use proxy workflows routinely, because even the most powerful workstation benefits from the efficiency of editing against lightweight media rather than raw camera originals.
Modern cameras record in formats optimized for image quality, not playback efficiency. Formats like ProRes RAW, BRAW (Blackmagic RAW), Cinema DNG, or even standard 4K H.265 use complex compression schemes that require significant processing power to decode in real time. Each frame has to be decompressed before it can be displayed, and at 24 or 30 frames per second, that decoding has to happen continuously without pause.
The problem compounds quickly. If you're working with multicam footage — several camera angles running simultaneously — your computer has to decode multiple streams of compressed 4K at the same time. Add an effect or a color grade and the demands multiply again. Even workstations with fast CPUs and dedicated GPUs can struggle under these conditions, particularly with RAW formats that offer no GPU-accelerated decoding.
Proxies sidestep the decoding bottleneck entirely. Because they use simple, highly compatible codecs like Apple ProRes 422 Proxy, DNxHR LB, or H.264 at low bitrates, modern hardware can decode them with minimal effort. The result is smooth, responsive editing even on a laptop.
You can generate proxies at several points in your workflow — before you start editing, while you edit, or even partway through a project. The key is that the proxy files must be linked to their corresponding originals so your editing software can swap between them.
In DaVinci Resolve, right-click your clips in the Media Pool and select Generate Proxy Media. Resolve will transcode your originals into a proxy format and store them in a location you specify. In Adobe Premiere Pro, right-click clips in the Project panel and choose Proxy > Create Proxies, then select a preset and destination. Final Cut Pro handles this via proxy generation in the import dialog or the inspector after import.
Choosing the right proxy format matters. Apple ProRes 422 Proxy and Avid DNxHR LB are purpose-built proxy codecs — they decode fast, preserve accurate color information for relinking, and are widely supported. H.264 at low bitrates can also work as a proxy format and produces smaller files, but decoding efficiency depends on whether your system has hardware acceleration for H.264. Check your NLE's recommended proxy formats if you're unsure.
Resolution is a variable you control. Common proxy resolutions are 1/2 or 1/4 of the original frame size. For 4K footage, a half-resolution proxy is 1920x1080 — full HD. A quarter-resolution proxy is 960x540. Smaller proxies are easier to play back but give you less detail to work with when framing and cutting. For most editing work, half-resolution proxies strike the right balance.
Once proxies are generated and linked, switching your project to proxy playback mode is usually one click or one menu toggle. In DaVinci Resolve, go to Playback > Proxy Mode and choose Half Resolution or the resolution your proxies were generated at. In Premiere Pro, toggle the Proxy button in the Program Monitor, or set it globally in project preferences. In Final Cut Pro, go to View > Media and set it to Proxy.
With proxies active, the timeline plays back using the lightweight files instead of the originals. From a creative standpoint, nothing changes — you cut, trim, rearrange, add transitions, and sync audio exactly as you normally would. The editing decisions you make are recorded in the project file independent of which media version is active.
One practical consideration: proxies are lower resolution, so you won't have the same amount of detail when zooming in on a frame or repositioning a clip. If your edit involves significant repositioning or punch-ins on 4K footage, you may want to temporarily disable proxies when making those decisions, then re-enable them for general editing. This is quick and painless in all major NLEs.
When your edit is locked and you're ready to color grade or export your final deliverable, you relink to the original camera files. This tells your editing software to use the full-resolution originals rather than the proxies when rendering. Your edit — every cut, every clip placement — remains exactly as you built it. Only the source media changes.
In DaVinci Resolve, simply set Proxy Mode back to None under the Playback menu. Resolve automatically uses the original files for all Color page operations and renders. In Premiere Pro, toggle off the Proxy button or disable proxy mode in your sequence settings. In Final Cut Pro, switch the media setting back to Original — Optimized or Original.
It is essential that your original files remain in their original locations throughout this process. If you've moved, renamed, or reorganized your source files after generating proxies, the relink will fail and you'll need to manually point your NLE to the correct locations. Build a habit of keeping your original media organized and in place from the start of any project.
Proxies are additional files that live alongside your originals — they don't replace them. That means you need to account for the extra storage space. A good practice is to create a dedicated Proxies folder within your project directory, parallel to your Footage folder. Keep this structure consistent across projects so you always know where proxies live.
Some editors store proxies on a faster internal drive while keeping originals on a slower external drive. Since proxies are what your system reads during editing, having them on faster storage — an NVMe SSD rather than a spinning hard drive — further improves playback performance. The originals only need to be accessible for the final render, so a slower drive is acceptable for them.
When a project is complete and archived, you have a choice: keep the proxies or delete them. Proxies can always be regenerated from the originals if the project ever needs to be reopened. Deleting them saves storage space. Keeping them saves time if revisions come up later. For long-form projects or client work, keeping proxies for at least the revision window is usually worth the storage cost.
Not every project needs a proxy workflow. If you're editing 1080p H.264 footage on a recent machine with a fast SSD, your system may handle it without issue. Proxies become genuinely valuable when your footage format or resolution exceeds what your hardware can decode in real time without dropped frames or stuttering.
The clearest indicators that you need proxies: timeline playback is choppy or drops frames, your CPU or GPU fans run at full speed during playback, scrubbing through footage is sluggish, or you're working with RAW formats from cinema cameras. Multicam workflows — where multiple camera angles are synced and played simultaneously — almost always benefit from proxies regardless of hardware.
The workflow is also worth building into your standard process even when your hardware is capable, simply because it protects your originals from unnecessary read activity during editing and keeps your system running at lower temperatures during long edit sessions.
No. Proxies are only used during the editing phase for playback. When you disable proxy mode and export, your editing software renders directly from the original high-resolution files. The quality of your final export is determined entirely by your originals, your export settings, and your color grade — not by the proxies you used during the edit.
Your edit and your original footage are unaffected. Missing proxies just means your NLE will fall back to using the originals for playback, which may cause sluggish performance. You can regenerate the proxies at any time from the original files using the same process you used initially. This is also why proxies are safe to delete after a project is archived — they are always reproducible.
Yes. You can generate proxies at any point during a project, not just at the start. In DaVinci Resolve and Premiere Pro, you can select all your clips in the media browser and generate proxies in one batch even after you've made substantial edits. Your existing editing decisions are stored in the project file and are completely unaffected by when or whether proxies exist.
It varies significantly depending on your original format and your proxy settings. A 4K BRAW file from a Blackmagic camera compressed at half-resolution ProRes 422 Proxy might be anywhere from 10 to 30 times smaller than the original, depending on the RAW quality setting used during capture. H.264 proxies at low bitrates can be even smaller. The size difference is large enough that proxy files typically represent a fraction of the storage footprint of your originals.
It should not, as long as you remember to disable proxy mode before you begin grading. Always color grade against your originals — this is where the full dynamic range, bit depth, and color information of your camera format are available. Grading against proxies would mean working with compressed, downscaled files that don't represent the true quality of your footage. In DaVinci Resolve especially, the Color page should always be used with proxies turned off.
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