Your film moves through five structured stages — and at each one, your Director delivers something for you to review and approve. That approval isn't just a formality: it locks in what's been delivered, opens the next stage, and determines what's included at no charge versus what becomes a priced Change Order.
Here's exactly what to look for at each stage, what's always free to revise, and where the line sits.
The Five Stages
1. Director's Notes (Pre-Production)
2. Scene Summary & Shot List
3. Rough Cut (Early Approval Delivery)
4. Final Cut Delivery
5. Final Approval & Delivery
Approval must come through the production portal, or in writing to [email protected] if the portal's down. Once given, it can't be revoked — so timely, thoughtful review at each stage keeps your production on schedule and protects the work you've already paid for.
Stage by Stage
1. Director's Notes — Cast, Locations & Props
Delivered before any generation begins. Review character appearance, casting, wardrobe, props, locations, visual style, tone, and overall creative direction.
This is the cheapest, fastest stage to make major changes — nothing's been generated yet. Consolidate your feedback into one round. Once approved, these decisions lock for the rest of production.
2. Scene Summary & Shot List
Review story flow, scene order, coverage, camera angles, planned shots, pacing, and any missing or unnecessary scenes.
Your last chance for structural changes. One Included Revision round is available — once approved, visual identity, characters, settings, and scene structure lock, and generation begins.
3. Rough Cut
The first batch of completed scenes — generally the first half of the project, or roughly the first five minutes for projects over ten minutes.
Always included: editing, timing, sequencing, audio sync, continuity, minor visual and technical fixes.
Generally out of scope: new scenes, new characters, story rewrites, major creative changes, new locations.
One Included Revision round is available on scenes delivered at this stage — regardless of how much footage needs regenerating, as long as it's an issue with the current delivery.
4. Final Cut Delivery
The final film, incorporating all approved revisions, delivered for final approval.
Always included: caption edits, opening/closing credits, color grading notes, sound mix adjustments.
One Included Revision round for minor corrections only. Reopening a character, location, shot list, or story already locked at an earlier stage requires a Change Order.
5. Final Approval & Delivery
Upon final approval and final payment, your finished film files release. No further revisions — this marks the completion of your production.
What Counts as an Included Revision
The simple rule: if something in the current delivery didn't turn out the way you hoped, fixing it is always included — regardless of how much needs to be redone.
An action sequence that didn't turn out visually — regenerate it, no charge
Background music that doesn't fit the scene — swap it, no charge
Sound effects that feel off or are missing — fix them, no charge
Footage that rendered incorrectly or has technical issues — redo it, no charge
Shot pacing, dialogue timing, or caption corrections
Color grading or visual style adjustments within the current stage
Changes to characters, locations, or props during Director's Notes, or to shot descriptions before the Shot List is approved
What Makes a Revision Out-of-Scope
A revision is only Out-of-Scope when BOTH of these are true:
① It requires regenerating more than 20 seconds of footage per 60 seconds of the affected content (roughly one-third of the sequence); and
② It involves changing something already approved at a prior stage — a character's appearance or voice, a location, the shot list structure, the storyboard layout, or a locked story element.
Every Out-of-Scope revision becomes a documented Change Order, quoted in writing before any work begins. You're never required to approve one.
Feedback Timelines & Tracking
Submit feedback as soon as possible, and no later than five (5) business days after each stage is delivered. Feedback that arrives later may mean the stage is considered approved and production moves forward. To count toward your Included Revision allotment, requests must go through the production portal or in writing to [email protected] — Creatorwood confirms receipt of each one. Notes sent through informal channels (like chat messages) may not be tracked.
At a Glance
Stage | Acceptable Revisions | Out-of-Scope |
1. Director's Notes | Redesign a character, swap casting/location, adjust tone/palette/style, change wardrobe or props | Introducing a story element not in the original brief |
2. Shot List | Reorder/trim scenes, adjust coverage or angles, refine pacing, add/cut a shot | Reopening an approved character, location, or prop; changing story direction or tone |
3. Rough Cut | Re-time a scene, fix audio sync, correct continuity, minor technical fixes | New scenes/characters, story rewrites, major creative changes, new locations |
4. Final Cut | Caption/text corrections, color grading, sound mix tweaks | New scenes or story changes, reopening earlier locked elements |
5. Final Approval | No further revisions — files release upon approval and final payment. |
Why Staged Approvals Matter
Keeps production on schedule: timely feedback keeps your Director moving without idle time.
Protects your budget: revisions caught early are always included — the further a change reaches into production, the more footage has to be regenerated, which is what Change Orders exist to price fairly.
Avoids unnecessary rework: locking approved elements stage by stage means every later stage builds on a stable foundation.
Puts decisions where they're cheapest to make: a character redesign is quick and free in Director's Notes. The same change after scenes are rendered around it is a different undertaking entirely.
Questions about a specific stage or revision? Reach out to your Production team any time — we're glad to walk through it together. [email protected]
