Cut stages & review versions · Core
Locked cut
Also called: picture lock
ELI5
An edit whose picture decisions are approved against further ordinary change.
Used in conversation
“The current cut needs a clearer decision about the locked cut.”
Pitch context
You may encounter “Locked cut” in editing, colour, post & delivery conversations or materials.
Why it matters: Explains how recorded material becomes a finished, approved and technically deliverable work.
Connected terms
- Picture lockA locked cut indicates editorial restriction; picture lock is the formal point after which downstream departments rely on timing not changing.
Sources & evidence · 4
Supporting source families. This entry is an editorial synthesis rather than a quotation from one canonical glossary.
- Blackmagic Design — DaVinci Resolve Reference ManualSupporting source family · primary · checked 2026-08-14
- Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences / ACES — ACES Glossary and User GuidesSupporting source family · primary · checked 2026-08-14
- Netflix — Partner Help Center Delivery SpecificationsSupporting source family · primary · checked 2026-08-14
- European Broadcasting Union — EBU R 128 Loudness Normalisation and Permitted Maximum Level of Audio SignalsSupporting source family · primary · checked 2026-08-14