Edit locked for content and pacing — music, effects, VFX conform to this cut. Editor sign-off; downstream departments work to this version, not the other way around.
The moment the editor signals to the director and producer: "That's it. The edit is locked." This is the locked cut—the version that solidifies all temporal, narrative, and rhythmic decisions in stone. From this point on, the sound designer, composer, and VFX supervisor work based on this template. Not the other way around.
What makes an edit "locked"? It's not just that no more shots are being moved. It's about frame accuracy: music must work towards these exact cuts, sound effects must fit into these defined gaps, and every visual effects plate is now a fixed target. In contrast to a "rough cut" or an "assembly"—where experimentation is still ongoing—with a locked cut, the time budget for each scene is no longer negotiable. This saves the entire post-production team rework, and thus costs and time.
Practice shows: A locked cut is only created when the director, editor, and producer give a joint nod. This doesn't always happen on the first try. Often, an edit goes through several "near-lock" phases where minor adjustments are still allowed—exiting half a second earlier, entering two frames later. Then comes the point where this flexibility ends. The editor exports the picture-lock version, creates a locked-cut DCP, and releases the timecode list to all post-production departments.
Without a true locked cut, post-production descends into chaos: the composer writes a score that perfectly matches the scene ending—then the editor shortens the scene by two seconds, and the music is out of sync. Sound layers, synchronized to specific editing rhythms, must be completely redone. The VFX shots no longer align temporally with their environments. A locked cut protects against this waste.
Important: A locked cut is not "final." In advance screenings or with distributors, minor edits may still be requested—a frame trim here, a dialogue replacement there. But these are exceptions and incur additional costs. Therefore, the rule is: the locked cut is treated with the same care as a contract. All downstream departments plan their timelines, budgets, and deliverables around this reference. The editor and the head of editing are no longer the creative pioneers at this stage—they are the guarantors of logistical stability.