Milestone map
Milestone map
3 milestones
Assemble rough cut and identify structural problems
1–2 weeks (2–3 hrs/day)
Assemble a rough cut of your film using your circled takes and dailies notes as a guide. The rough cut should be complete story-to-end: every scene present, in order, even if timing is rough. Produce a structural notes document (minimum half page) identifying the three most significant problems in the rough cut.
Proof required
Submit: (1) a screen recording or export of your rough cut (unlisted YouTube link or shared video file), (2) structural notes document identifying three specific problems.
What gets checked
- Rough cut is complete — all scenes present, no black gaps or placeholder titles
- Structural notes identify three specific problems with time codes — not vague observations
- Problems are structural (scene order, pacing, story clarity) not just technical (shaky shot, bad audio)
Common mistakes
- Rough cut skips difficult scenes because coverage is weak — masking a coverage problem until fine cut
- Structural notes focus on shot quality rather than story problems
- Rough cut is abandoned after one attempt — structural problems require multiple rough cut iterations
Resources
Foundationstart here
Depthgo deeper
Masteryfor the dedicated
What a verifier looks for
- Check rough cut is complete (all scenes present) — a partial rough cut is not a rough cut
- Verify structural notes identify three specific problems with time codes — vague observations don't demonstrate editorial thinking
- Ask student: what is the biggest structural problem in your rough cut? If they say 'not much', they haven't diagnosed it seriously
Produce fine cut with sound design and colour grade
2–3 weeks (2–3 hrs/day)
Address the structural problems identified in your rough cut notes to produce a fine cut. Layer your sound design (dialogue clean-up, sound effects, music) and apply a colour grade to every scene. The fine cut must be picture locked before sound mix is finalised.
Proof required
Submit your fine cut as an exported file or unlisted YouTube link (minimum 720p) with a brief production note (minimum half page) documenting: structural changes made from rough cut, sound design decisions, and colour grade approach.
What gets checked
- All three structural problems identified in rough cut are addressed — at minimum with documented reasoning if not solved
- Sound design is present in all scenes — no scenes with only location audio
- Colour grade is consistent across scenes — not random per-shot correction
Common mistakes
- Structural problems from rough cut not addressed — the same problem appears in the fine cut
- Sound design started before picture is locked — sound edit changes after the picture is relocked
- Colour grade corrects individual shots rather than establishing a grade for each scene
Resources
Foundationstart here
Depthgo deeper
Masteryfor the dedicated
What a verifier looks for
- Verify all three rough cut structural problems are addressed — if not, the fine cut is a rough cut renamed
- Check sound design is present throughout — not just under title cards
- Ask student to describe their colour grade approach for one scene — inability to describe a grade decision indicates the grade was corrective rather than expressive
Submit to director review and deliver final master
1 week
Submit your fine cut to your director, tutor, or an experienced film professional for a final review. Implement final notes, produce your deliverable master (minimum 1080p, correct aspect ratio), and submit a delivery note documenting the technical specifications of your master and the final changes made after review.
Proof required
Submit: (1) final master file link or export (minimum 1080p), (2) delivery note (technical specifications: resolution, frame rate, audio channels, codec; plus final changes made after director review).
What gets checked
- Master is minimum 1080p at correct aspect ratio — not exported at reduced resolution
- Delivery note names the specific technical specifications, not just 'HD'
- Final changes from director review are documented — not just 'made changes'
Common mistakes
- Director review skipped because 'it's finished' — final notes often identify problems the editor is too close to see
- Delivery note uses generic descriptions — 'HD, 24fps' without codec and audio channel specifications
- Master file is not properly backed up — post-production work lost
Resources
Foundationstart here
What a verifier looks for
- Check delivery note includes specific technical specifications (resolution, frame rate, audio channels, codec)
- Verify master is minimum 1080p — lower resolution indicates export settings were not checked
- Ask student: what were the final changes made after director review? If they can't name specific changes, the review was not productive
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