Delivery specs — master files, subtitles, DCP, QC and archiving

Delivery specs differ by recipient and can change even at the same company. Rather than memorizing numbers, get the latest spec early and work to it from the first day of post. If you only learn the spec at the end of the edit, you may have to rebuild the aspect ratio or sound channels. Put the delivery date in the production schedule first and count back to leave time for QC and redelivery, and you won’t be racing the deadline.

• Picture — Resolution, frame rate, codec, aspect ratio, color space
• Sound — Channel configuration and track layout, loudness spec
• Files — Head build (black, color bars and so on), file and folder naming rules, delivery method
• Extras — Subtitles, stems and M&E, textless version, stills
• Paperwork — Music cue sheet, credits, rights documents

Make the master in a high-quality mezzanine format with little quality loss, and export compressed files for online viewing or review separately from the master. You can’t rebuild a master from a compressed copy, so always keep the master as one copy in the best possible condition.

Subtitles are either burned into the picture or delivered as separate files that viewers can turn on and off. A separate file holds the in and out time and the text of each line, and the recipient decides the format. Captions for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers include not only dialogue but sound descriptions like “knocking on the door” and speaker identification. Time subtitles to the final locked picture so they don’t drift. Check translated subtitles against the dialogue actually on screen, not the original script.

A DCP is the standard format read by cinema playback servers: picture, sound and subtitle files plus the metadata files that tie them together, all in one folder. If it’s encrypted to control where it can play, each cinema needs a separate key file (KDM) valid for a set period. Once it’s made, play it from start to finish in a real cinema or on a check system if you can.

• Picture — Corrupt frames, single-frame flash cuts, black gaps, compression artifacts, video levels
• Sound — Sync, channel layout, clicks and pops, dropouts, loudness
• Subtitles — Timing, typos, lines running off screen
• Files — Duration, head build, naming rules, metadata

QC is best done in real time, start to finish, by someone who didn’t make the file. Log each issue with timecode, fix it, and recheck that section.

File names usually include the elements the spec requires, such as title, episode, version, language and date, in a set order. Transfer by the method the recipient specifies, such as a large-file transfer service or shipping a drive, and generate checksums to send along so the recipient can confirm the files arrived intact. Keep a separate record of the handover date and file list.

• What — Original media, project files, EDL/XML, master, stems and M&E, subtitles, paperwork.
• How — Follow the 3-2-1 rule: three copies, on two types of media, with one stored off site.
• One copy of the delivery — Keep the files exactly as delivered, together with the recipient’s confirmation email or receipt.
• Inventory — Label media and keep a list of which files are on which drive.
• Checks — Storage media can become unreadable over time, so open and verify them on a set schedule.