Answer Print

An answer print is the first composite film print of a movie. A motion picture lab creates this print. It is a critical quality-control step in the traditional photochemical (analog) film workflow. This print is the first time the final, color-corrected picture and the final, synchronized soundtrack are combined, or “married,” onto a single roll of film. It is, in effect, the lab’s “answer” to the filmmaker’s creative decisions. The director, producer, and cinematographer then review this print to approve the film’s final look and sound.

The Role in Post-Production

The answer print process begins after the picture edit is locked. A negative cutter first conforms the original camera negative. They meticulously match the editor’s workprint, often using the A&B roll method. At the same time, the sound department creates the final audio mix.

The director and cinematographer then go to the lab to work with a “color timer.” This highly skilled lab specialist sets the color grading for each scene. They adjust the brightness (density), contrast, and color balance. The lab uses these precise, scene-by-scene instructions, known as “timing lights,” to create the answer print.

The First “Married Print”

The answer print is the first married print. This term means the final picture and the final soundtrack exist together on one piece of film. The lab takes the final audio mix. It then prints this mix as an optical soundtrack. This is a thin, wavy line of light-variable area that runs alongside the images. A projector’s sound head reads this optical track. This process allows the filmmaker to see and hear the fully synchronized film for the very first time.

The Approval Process

The creative team then screens the answer print in a calibrated theater. They look for any mistakes and check the color timing for consistency. Plus, they also check for any dust, scratches, or dirt that may have been printed onto the film. They also listen for any audio sync issues or problems with the sound quality.

If the team finds problems, they give detailed notes to the lab. The lab then makes a second, corrected answer print. This review process may repeat several times. Each new print costs time and money. When the filmmaker is perfectly satisfied, they approve the print. This final, approved version is often called the check print. This check print then becomes the master guide. The lab uses it to strike all the release prints. These are the final copies that are shipped to movie theaters.

The Digital Equivalent

The photochemical answer print is now a part of film history. Digital filmmaking has almost completely replaced this workflow. Today, the DCP (Digital Cinema Package) is the modern equivalent. A colorist grades the film digitally. This process is called the Digital Intermediate (DI). The director approves this final digital file in a color-grading suite. A post-production lab then packages this approved master file into the DCP. The DCP is the encrypted hard drive that theaters use for digital projection. The function of quality control remains the same, but filmmakers now use a file-based process, not a physical one.