Preparing For Picture Lock
Understanding where we are on the post-production continuum is important for streamlining the finishing process. Mainly because once the finishing team is involved, making changes to the edit becomes very complicated and very expensive very quickly.
Picture lock is similar to calling “wrap” on the creative editing decisions. It means we’re done adding new media to the timeline or moving things around and all stakeholders are satisfied with the cut.
There are some things we want to consider before we call picture lock:
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Have all parties seen the latest cut and signed off with no notes?
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Are there any final changes or VFX/Graphics/Audio that will affect the total run time of the cut?
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Are the sequences and reels set up properly with correct reel breaks and timecode?
Every editorial change made after picture lock costs time and money.
Things like VFX and graphics may still be works in progress which is normal, but the editorial team is pencils down on any changes that affect the final runtime.
If changes to the timecode absolutely have to be made, it’s critical to communicate with the affected finishing team members and make sure to give them whatever they need to adjust on their end.
Check out these other articles for more info on post production workflows and pipelines:
Dailies and Proxy Workflows Explained
Why Your Movie Needs a Post Pipeline