A first cut is the first complete and watchable version of a video. A rough cut is a more developed working version in which the structure, source selections and timing are becoming stable. A final cut is the selected edit after the required revisions are done. And none of those is automatically the approved publication file.
One honest caveat before the definitions: teams use these terms differently, and there is no universal industry standard. The terminology matters less than having a shared definition for what has been completed and what is still open for revision.
The four states at a glance
| Answers the question | May still change | |
|---|---|---|
| First cut | Is the right story and source material present? | Almost everything |
| Rough cut | Does the video work as an edit? | Details, not direction |
| Final cut | Is this the version we intend to export? | Nothing editorial |
| Approved export | Is this exact file authorised? | Nothing, without reopening approval |
The first cut
It contains the selected takes, an opening, the scene order, basic cuts, an ending and the CTA. It may still have weak pacing, missing captions, temporary visuals and open content questions; its purpose is making the full story reviewable. What it is not: a pile of isolated edited clips, a transcript, or anything automatically approved.
Review the big decisions here (message, sources, structure) and leave fonts and animation timing alone. There is little value in polishing details inside a scene that may still be removed.
The rough cut
Rough does not mean careless; it means still open to meaningful revision. Takes can swap, cut timing can shift, captions and B-roll can change. A useful smell test: if every review round still overturns the central message and scene order, the project has not actually reached this stage yet.
The final cut, and what comes after
The final cut has the approved selections, completed cuts and captions, and resolved blocking feedback. Final does not mean infallible: a render problem, a missing font or shifted captions can still appear downstream. Which is why the states after it deserve their own names: export candidate (the rendered file, awaiting inspection), approved export (the exact file authorised for its destination), published. Do not collapse all of that into "done".
Name versions accordingly: V1_First_Cut, V2_Structure_Revision, V3_Final_Cut, V4_Approved_Export. The latest version is not automatically the approved version, and final_final_new.mp4 is how wrong files get published.
Picture lock, briefly
Picture lock is the point where visual structure and timing stop changing, with audio, colour and delivery work continuing after. Formal picture lock is often unnecessary in short-form; a simpler status like "structure and sources approved" does the same job. Just do not declare anything locked while takes can still swap.
Where AI fits in the stages
AI can prepare transcripts, group takes, propose sources, make cuts and deliver a complete first version. What it does not change is the distinction between first version, revised version, final cut and approved export; those are states of your decision, not of the software.
Where ReadyForm fits
ReadyForm collapses the distance to the first complete version: it renders a complete edit from your takes, watchable end to end, every scene tied to its source. Whether you treat that as your final cut or as the start of a revision round is your call; the review stages above are yours to keep or skip. See how the edit is made.