Phase 12 – Production Lock
Finalizing the Narrative, Timing, and Visual Benchmarks
The Goal: Production Lock
Phase 12 is about Finality. This phase marks the "Lock" on your core pre-production assets. We are moving from iteration to completion across your script, animatic, and definitive visual benchmark.
By the end of this phase, the timing, sound design, and primary visual quality bar must be definitive, allowing you to move into the final binding and handover phase for Assignment 3.
1. Narrative Stream (Script Lock)
The script is now the final authority for all production departments.
- Final Production Script (LOCKED): Complete the final pass on your script. This must include all finalized dialogue, refined staging notes, and definitive technical cues for sound and vision.
- Vision Consistency: Ensure the storytelling is consistent from the first word-beats to this final locked version.
2. Animatic Stream (Timing & Sound Lock)
The temporal structure of the film is now set in stone.
- Final Timed Export: Lock the timing of all shots. The edit should now be definitive, with no further changes to duration or shot order.
- Refined Sound Design: Finalize the audio sync and soundscape. This includes final dialogue takes, foley, and score integration.
3. Exemplaire Stream (Visual Lock)
The visual blueprint is now complete and production-ready.
- Definitive PSD Shot (LOCKED): Complete the final production artwork for your exemplar shot. This layer stack is now the definitive quality benchmark.
- Pipeline Validation: Finalize the PSD pipeline logic and technical readiness, ensuring the file is optimized for handover.
Phase 12 Review Conversations
Mentors will be auditing your project for production readiness and asset "Lock":
- Narrative: Is the script locked with all technical staging and cues finalized? Does the narrative flow feel cohesive and purposeful?
- Animatic: Is the audio sync definitive? Does the final timed export accurately represent the intended pace and rhythm of the film?
- Production: Does the definitive PSD shot reflect final production quality? Is the technical pipeline logic sound for a production handover?
ANI30003 Animation Preproduction | Phase 12: Production Lock | 2026
