Post-production is the most misunderstood phase of commercial production. Clients often treat it as a fast finishing step that follows the real work of the shoot. In practice, post-production takes as long as pre-production — sometimes longer — and the quality of the final film depends heavily on how it's managed.
Phase-by-phase breakdown
Data ingest and organization (Day 1–2)
All footage from the shoot is ingested, backed up to at least two separate drives, and organized by scene, take, and camera. This step is not glamorous but it is critical. An edit room that can't find a specific take — because footage was poorly organized — wastes time in the most expensive way possible.
Offline edit / first assembly (Week 1–2)
The editor works from the director's selects and the shoot notes to assemble a first cut. This is usually longer than the final film. For a 30-second TVC the first cut might run 60–90 seconds. The purpose is to establish the story logic, not the final timing. Music is usually temp at this stage.
Director's cut (Week 2)
The director reviews the assembly and the editor produces a director's cut — closer to the final length, with the director's preferred takes and pacing. This is usually the version presented in the first client review.
Client review rounds (Week 2–4)
The first cut goes to the client or agency. Feedback comes back. Revisions are made. A second cut is delivered. This cycle typically runs 2–4 rounds. Each round: deliver cut, wait for feedback (allow 3–5 business days per round), make revisions (2–3 days). Compressing review windows produces poor feedback and more revision rounds overall.
Picture lock (Week 3–5)
When the edit is approved, picture is locked. No further editorial changes happen after this point. Picture lock is when the colour grade, audio mix, and VFX work all begin in earnest — these processes are built on a locked picture. Changes after picture lock have a cost that scales with how far into finishing the project is.
Colour grade (Week 4–5)
A colourist works through the film shot by shot, balancing exposure, colour temperature, and creating the final visual look. This typically takes 1–3 days depending on the complexity of the grade and the number of VFX shots involved. Client attendance at the grade session is common for brand campaigns.
Sound design and mix (Week 4–5)
Dialogue is cleaned, foley and ambient sound are added, music is licensed and mixed, and the overall audio is mastered to broadcast or digital specifications. A standard TVC audio mix takes 1–2 days. Complex sound design work extends this.
VFX and compositing (Week 3–5, parallel)
Any visual effects work — screen replacements, sky replacements, product compositing, motion graphics — runs in parallel with the edit during offline, and is finalized after picture lock. VFX scope should be confirmed in pre-production. Scope that appears in post without prior discussion is the most common cause of timeline and budget overruns in post.
Final delivery (Week 5–6)
Finished film is exported to required specifications: broadcast masters, social media formats, various aspect ratios. A standard broadcast delivery package typically includes the 30-second TVC, a 15-second cut-down, and a :60 if required. Digital delivery adds 1:1, 4:5, and 9:16 formats. Each format requires QC. Allow 2–3 days for delivery and client QC sign-off.
Where post goes wrong
The most common problem is feedback that arrives without a clear decision-maker. If the editor receives three rounds of contradictory notes from different stakeholders, they cannot resolve them — they can only try to accommodate everyone and usually satisfy no one. Designate one approver on the client side whose notes are final.
The second most common problem is scope that wasn't confirmed in pre-production surfacing in post. A background replacement that wasn't in the brief costs 3–5 times as much in post as it would have cost to plan for in advance.