Post-Production: Editing, Color and Sound

By 96Hz Agency

Published 2026-04-14T10:26:29.337353+00:00

Post-production covers organizing footage, editing, color, sound and delivery.

Post-production covers organizing footage, editing, color, sound and delivery. Agree on review stages and output formats before the edit starts.

Stage 1 — Ingest and organization

Copy footage to backup storage and verify the transfer with checksums. Agree on how copies are stored and protected before the shoot.

Transfer and verify with checksums
Sync external audio with clapboard or timecode
Label by scene, take, and quality
Create proxies for smooth editing

Stage 2 — Rough cut (editorial assembly)

The editor assembles a story from the best takes. This is NOT polished — it's structural. The goal is to lock the narrative, pacing, and emotional beats before worrying about color or sound.

Stage 3 — Fine cut and picture lock

After client feedback, the editor refines every cut — frame-accurate timing, j/l cuts for dialogue flow, breath beats between scenes. Once approved, the picture is "locked" — meaning no more edits. This is critical because color and sound work happens to locked frames.

Stage 4 — Color grading

Color grading is the art of establishing mood and visual consistency. It happens in two passes:

Color correction: Fix exposure, white balance, match shots
Creative grade: Apply a look that serves the story (warm, cool, cinematic, natural)

Stage 5 — Sound design and mix

Dialogue editing and noise reduction
Foley (footsteps, cloth, props)
Ambient room tone
Music selection and editing
Final mix balanced for target platform (cinema, broadcast, web, mobile)

Stage 6 — VFX, motion graphics, and titles

Graphics layers: lower thirds, logo animations, data visualizations, subtitles, kinetic typography. Complex VFX (sky replacement, object removal, 3D elements) often runs in parallel with editorial.

Stage 7 — Quality control and delivery

Full QC review on calibrated monitor and reference speakers
Export masters (ProRes or DNxHD)
Export web versions (H.264, multiple aspect ratios)
Loudness normalization per platform spec
Subtitle files (SRT, VTT)
Delivery via secure client portal

How long does post-production take?

Project typePost-production time Social spot (15–30s)3–7 days Corporate video (2–5 min)2–4 weeks TVC / commercial3–6 weeks Brand documentary (10+ min)6–10 weeks Music video2–4 weeks

Editing vs. color grading vs. sound design — what's the difference?

Editing decides the story: what to show, in what order, for how long.
Color grading decides how the story feels: warm or cool, bright or moody, natural or stylized.
Sound design decides what the story says to your ears: silence, music swells, texture, impact.

FAQ

Q: Why can't I see the finished video right after the shoot?
Because footage needs to be backed up, organized, edited, graded, mixed, and quality-checked. The shoot is raw material; post is where the film is actually made.

Q: How many revision rounds are normal? Agree on the number of review rounds, who consolidates feedback and what counts as a scope change.

Q: Can I request changes after picture lock? Changes after picture lock may require color, sound or VFX work to be revised. Check the schedule and cost before approving them.

Discuss the Post-Production Scope

Share your goal, schedule and required deliverables to discuss a production plan. Contact 9,6Hz Agency portfolio

Durations and schedules are discussion examples. Agree on the actual scope and delivery date for the project.