Trisha Studios Editorial Team
Knowledge Centre
The Significance of Picture Lock
Picture lock is the moment when editing decisions are finalised. No more changes to timing, cuts, or structure. It is not the end of post-production — it is the starting gun for the finishing pipeline. Everything that happens between picture lock and delivery depends on the picture not changing: VFX shots are comped to locked handles, the sound mix is built to locked timing, the colour grade is built on locked shot order.
Unlocking the picture after any of these processes have begun has a cost that scales with how far downstream the change needs to propagate. An edit change three days into a Dolby Atmos mix may require the entire session to be rebuilt. A change one day before DCP submission may make delivery impossible without a schedule extension.
Online Edit and Conform
The first step after picture lock is the online edit (also called the conform). During offline editing, the editor works with proxy files — lightweight, low-resolution transcodes of the camera originals that allow real-time playback on an editorial workstation. The locked offline edit contains the correct timing and structure but is built from proxies, not originals.
The conform reconstructs the locked cut using the original camera files. An AAF (Advanced Authoring Format) or EDL (Edit Decision List) exported from the editorial system is used to automate this process, but it always requires manual checking — proxy frame rates occasionally mismatch originals, handles (extra frames before and after each cut) need to be verified, and any effects built in the offline need to be recreated or handed off to the appropriate team.
After conform, the timeline is ready for colour. This is typically also when VFX plates are handed off — individual shots requiring visual effects work are exported with handles, delivered to the VFX team, and tracked through the VFX pipeline until the finished shots are returned for integration into the grade.
Parallel and Sequential Processes
Not all post-production processes are sequential. Sound design and music composition typically begin before picture lock — often during editorial, working from a near-locked cut — and continue alongside the colour grade. The final mix, however, requires a locked picture because it must be synchronised to the final colour-graded output.
VFX work begins as soon as plates are available, often before picture lock in the case of complex visual effects with long turnaround times. VFX shots are returned to the post facility as finished comps, which are then integrated into the colour grade. The grade must account for the VFX shots' colour characteristics and integrate them seamlessly with the live-action material.
The critical path — the sequence of processes where each step must complete before the next begins — runs through the grade to the final mix to QC to delivery. Any delay in the colour grade pushes the final mix; a delay in the final mix pushes QC; a delay in QC pushes the delivery date. Understanding this dependency structure is essential for production planning.
Quality Control and Delivery
After the grade and mix are complete and approved, the deliverables are prepared: DCP for theatrical, IMF or platform-specific masters for streaming, broadcast masters, archival masters. Each deliverable type has its own technical specification and requires its own QC pass.
QC (Quality Control) is the systematic verification that every deliverable meets its technical specification — frame rate, resolution, colour space, loudness levels, subtitle synchronisation, metadata — before it leaves the facility. A failed QC at the platform end triggers a rejection and a re-delivery, which is costly and time-consuming. Proper QC at the facility eliminates this risk.
Archival is the final step — often the least planned and most important. Camera originals, the conformed timeline, the colour grade project file, the Atmos master, and all deliverable masters should be stored in at least two physically separate locations on verified media. The production's post-production life is not over when the film is released; restoration, version changes, and re-delivery requests continue for years.
Common Questions
Can we change a shot after picture lock if VFX needs more time?
A single shot change can be accommodated without major disruption if it happens early enough. What cannot happen without significant cost is a structural change — a scene reorder, a change in shot duration — after the sound mix has begun. Establish a clear protocol with your sound team for how late VFX replacement shots can be accommodated.
How long between picture lock and delivery?
For a feature film, allow a minimum of 8–12 weeks between picture lock and theatrical delivery: 2 weeks online/conform, 2–3 weeks grade, 4–5 weeks sound (overlapping with grade), 1 week QC, 1 week delivery prep. Complex productions with extensive VFX integration require longer. OTT-only delivery (no DCP) can be faster.
End-to-End Post-Production from Picture Lock
Conform, colour, sound, QC, and delivery — all handled under one roof at Trisha Studios. No handoffs. No lost files. One team, one standard.
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