What is Picture Lock?

INTRODUCTION

The term “picture lock” is extremely important to the post-production process, and it’s even more important for filmmakers and clients to understand what it is and why it matters. Before explaining why it matters, let’s first explain what picture lock is.

Whether it’s a five minute short film, ten minute animation, or full-length feature film, your project spends a long time in editing. All the footage you filmed gets cut down, editors make changes based off your notes, and eventually the project is completely edited.

It’s exciting to see it come to an end! However, the video isn’t “done” done. Besides editing, post-production also involves colour grading, music composition, visual effects, as well as audio services (sound design, ADR, Foley, or mixing).

When your video is completely edited, you need to get all of your edit notes in before picture lock. If a group of people are involved in making big decisions, make sure everyone gives feedback before locking the video.

This is crucial. Any edit changes after picture lock create a ripple effect that spreads to the rest of the post production processes.

This amounts to a large amount of extra time, frustration, and money.

Picture lock is good! Picture lock is your friend. Sticking to picture lock means a smooth and cohesive process for everyone after editing. Get to picture lock and stay happy with it forever.

We’re all aware that post-production is a long, multifaceted process. We’re sure that realising your “fully edited” film actually needs more work is completely exhausting. We get it. We’ve seen a handful of clients and filmmakers struggle to get to picture lock due to classic overthinking.

We think a part of the problem is that even if you’re at picture lock, the film still feels incomplete. And that’s because, technically, it isn’t complete!

While it’s true that colour grading and sound mixing shouldn’t “complete” your film, those things add so much to bring your film together. All of these elements need to come together to bring balance to a film, and it’s easy to feel out of whack when the only progress made is in the edit.

Believe me when I tell you that it will look and sound even better after picture lock! Remember: this is not the final product. We’re just getting prepped for the final, FINAL stages. So, trust your post-team, trust the process, and allow us to work in the smoothest way possible.

Remember, picture lock is your friend!