# Locked script

Source: https://storiara.com/glossary/locked-script
Last updated: 2026-09-14
Author: Nick Harty, Storiara

> A locked script is a production draft whose scene numbers and page numbers have been frozen. After locking, changes are issued as colored revision pages, new material gets A-page or A-scene numbers, and cut scenes stay marked as omitted, so every breakdown, schedule, and call sheet reference stays valid.

## Locking pages and locking scenes

People say "locked script" for two related things, and software treats them as two settings.

Locking scene numbers freezes the numbers beside each [scene heading](https://storiara.com/glossary/scene-heading). New scenes become [A-scenes](https://storiara.com/glossary/a-scenes) like 42A, and deleted scenes stay as [omitted scenes](https://storiara.com/glossary/omitted-scene).

Locking pages freezes where each page starts and ends. If a revision adds half a page to page 23, the overflow goes onto page 23A instead of pushing every page after it forward. See [A-pages](https://storiara.com/glossary/a-pages).

Productions lock both at the same time, usually when the white production draft goes out. From then on, the page a crew member scribbled on in prep is still page 23 on day 30.

## What changes after the lock

Here's a typical first revision after lock:

| Change | Result in the script |
|---|---|
| New dialogue in scene 42 adds 3/8 page | Page 31 revised, overflow onto 31A, both on blue paper |
| Scene 57 cut | "57 OMITTED" on a blue page 44 |
| New scene between 60 and 61 | Scene 60A on page 47, blue |
| Typo fixed on page 12 | Page 12 reissued on blue with an asterisk in the margin |

Each changed page goes out in the next [revision color](https://storiara.com/glossary/revision-colors), with a header like "BLUE REVISIONS 10/02/26" and asterisks in the right margin beside changed lines. Only changed pages are distributed, with a cover sheet listing them, so the crew swaps pages into their existing scripts.

## Why ADs care

Everything built in prep references page and scene numbers: [breakdown sheets](https://storiara.com/glossary/breakdown-sheet), strips, the [shooting schedule](https://storiara.com/glossary/shooting-schedule), the [day out of days](https://storiara.com/glossary/day-out-of-days), department lists, and the [lined script](https://storiara.com/glossary/lined-script). Unlocked numbering in the middle of prep is how you get a call sheet listing scene 42 when the grips' scripts say 42 is a different scene.

Page counts are easy to miss. A revision that adds 3/8 to scene 42 has to update that scene's eighths on its sheet and strip, and the day's total pages. If revisions are frequent, recheck each day's page total before the call sheet goes out.

## Who does it

On TV, the [writers' assistant](https://storiara.com/roles/writers-assistant) or script coordinator usually produces revision pages. On features it's often the production office, with the [production coordinator](https://storiara.com/roles/production-coordinator) handling distribution. The [1st AD](https://storiara.com/roles/first-assistant-director) needs to see every revision before it goes out, because the schedule changes with it.

## Frequently asked questions

### Does a locked script mean the writing is finished?

No. Locking freezes the numbering, and the writing can keep changing through the whole shoot. It means changes come out as revision pages in the next color instead of a fresh, renumbered draft.

### When should a production lock the script?

Before the 1st AD does the scheduling breakdown and before department heads start their own breakdowns. Locking after those have started means someone has to reconcile old and new numbers.

### How do you lock a script in Final Draft?

Final Draft has page-locking and scene-numbering options among its production features, and most other screenwriting programs have equivalents. Once pages are locked, additions produce A-pages and new scenes get lettered numbers automatically.