Conform, finishing, VFX turnovers and delivery

When the creative edit is approved, the film is still not finished. The offline cut must be rebuilt from full-quality media, visual effects must be completed and cut in, the image must be graded, the soundtrack must be edited and mixed, and a long list of deliverables must be produced for distributors, broadcasters and festivals. The picture editor and assistant editors sit at the centre of this process, because every department works from the editor's timeline. This lesson follows the film from picture lock to delivery: reels, edit decision lists and interchange files, visual effects turnovers, the conform and online, change management after lock, and the deliverables that end the process. Colour grading is studied in CINE-310 and full delivery specifications in CINE-430; here the focus is on what editorial must prepare and track.

Picture lock and what it means

Picture lock means the timing of every shot is approved and will not change. Lock matters because other departments, especially sound, music and visual effects, need fixed timing to do their work. In practice, changes sometimes happen after lock, which is why some teams speak of a soft lock and a hard lock. Every change after lock costs time and money, because each department must update its work to match.

• Picture lock fixes the timing of every shot.
• Music, sound and visual effects schedules depend on lock.
• Changes after lock must be documented in change lists and sent to every department.
• The later a change, the more departments must redo work.

Reels

Long films are divided into reels for post-production, a convention inherited from film projection, where each reel of 35 mm film held about 20 minutes. Digital workflows keep reels because shorter sections are easier to manage, render, grade and mix in parallel, and because changes in one reel do not disturb the timecode of others. Each reel usually starts at its own hour of timecode, so reel 1 starts at 01:00:00:00, reel 2 at 02:00:00:00 and so on.

EDLs, XML and AAF

To move a timeline between systems, editors export interchange files. The oldest is the edit decision list, or EDL, a plain-text list of events, each with a source reel or clip name, a track, a transition type and source and record timecodes. The widely used CMX 3600 format is simple and robust but limited: it handles one video track per list and has limits on clip-name length and effects. XML and AAF files carry much richer information, including multiple tracks, effects, speed changes and metadata, and are used for exchanges with colour, visual effects and sound departments.

Visual effects turnovers

Any shot that needs visual effects work, from a simple screen replacement to a complex creature, goes to the visual effects team in a turnover. Editorial prepares a list of effects shots, each with a unique identifier, the source media with handles, a reference clip showing the temp effect or editorial intent, and notes. Handles, extra frames before and after the cut, give the effects artists room for adjustments and let the editor trim slightly after the shot returns.

• Give every effects shot a unique, permanent identifier.
• Include handles, typically 8 to 16 frames per end depending on the vendor.
• Send reference clips and temp comps so artists understand intent.
• Track versions as shots return, cutting each into the timeline and noting approvals.

Colour and sound turnovers

For colour, editorial sends the colourist an interchange file and reference video so the colourist can rebuild the timeline from original media. Editors note any reframing, speed changes and temporary effects so they are recreated accurately. For sound, editorial sends an AAF with audio clips and handles, a reference video with burned-in timecode and the guide mix, as lesson 9 described. Both turnovers depend on accurate metadata linking every clip back to its source.

The conform and online

The conform rebuilds the edit from original high-quality media. Using the interchange files, the online editor or colourist relinks every shot to its camera original, recreates repositions, speed changes and dissolves, and cuts in finished visual effects and titles. Assistants then check the conform against a reference export of the offline cut, often by placing the two side by side or superimposing them in a difference view, to catch any shot that is wrong, missing or out of sync.

• Compare the conform to the offline reference frame by frame.
• Check reframing, speed ramps and flipped shots carefully, as they often fail to translate.
• Confirm that the latest version of every visual effects shot is in.
• Verify titles and credits for spelling and order.

Changes after lock

If a change is made after turnovers, editorial sends a change list describing what moved, so sound, music and visual effects can update their work. Change lists name each edit by reel and timecode, describe what was added, removed or trimmed, and state how much the following material has moved.

Deliverables

A finished film is delivered as a package of files and documents specified by each distributor, broadcaster or platform. Common items include a digital cinema package, or DCP, for theatres; a high-quality master file, often ProRes 422 HQ or 4444 or an IMF package for streaming; audio stems separating dialogue, music and effects; a music and effects track for foreign-language versions; closed captions and subtitles; a textless version for graphics; and paperwork such as music cue sheets, credits and rights documents. CINE-430 covers technical specifications in depth.

Canadian broadcasters and funders usually specify closed captioning in line with CRTC standards and may require described video for some programmes, so delivery schedules should allow time for captioning and description.

Archiving the project

When delivery is complete, the production archives the project so the film can be revisited later for new versions, remasters or disputes. A typical archive includes the camera originals, the final project files and interchange files, the finished masters and stems, visual effects deliveries, graphics files and documentation such as cue sheets and contracts. Archives are usually stored on long-term media such as LTO tape, with at least two copies in separate locations. Editors help by leaving the project organized and clearly labelled, so someone opening it years later can understand what each sequence is.

Quality control

Before delivery, masters usually pass through quality control, in which a technician or automated software checks every frame and every second of audio for problems such as dropped frames, digital artefacts, out-of-range video levels, sync drift, loudness errors and caption timing. Distributors may reject a master that fails, so finding problems before delivery saves time and money.