A film's first authorized cut — unedited source material or director's release print. Distinguishes theatrical master from reworked versions or international edits.
You're in the editing suite and the director says, "Show me the original." This doesn't mean the first take from set – but the authorized master version of the film as approved by the director. In the classic workflow, the original is created after the final color grade, after the complete sound mix, when all decisions have been made. It is the reference version against which all other versions are measured.
In practice, you distinguish between several layers: First, there is the original audio – the language in which it was shot (usually English or the original language). Then come dubs, but they don't affect the original itself. The original remains untouched in the archive, often as a DCP or on film stock. It contains the director's final cut, the color correction in its final form, and the sound mix in the version authorized by the sound designer.
For international theatrical releases, you then need variations: dubbed versions for other languages, shortened versions for TV or streaming platforms, extended cuts for home video. All these derivatives refer to the original – they are derived from it. If a restoration is planned later, you work from the original, not from a television version or a shortened theatrical cut.
The crucial practical point: The original is a documentation of artistic intent. It's not simply the "first cut" – it's the final, authorized one. You recognize it by the director's signature or approval and by the mastering file. On set or in the editing suite: When someone asks, "Do we still have the original?", they are referring to this one definitive version that justifies all downstream formats.