Picture Lock
Definition
The point in post-production where the edit is finalized and no further changes to the visual timeline will be made. Picture lock is a critical milestone because it allows sound design, music composition, color grading, and visual effects to proceed with certainty. Changing the edit after picture lock means re-doing these expensive post-production steps. Most deliverable schedules count from picture lock.
Example
Your editor finalizes the 94-minute cut on March 1st. From that date, the composer has 4 weeks to deliver the score, the colorist has 3 weeks, and the sound mixer has 5 weeks, all working from the locked timeline.
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