Suggestion to Retire the term “Master”

A recent column by Scott Simmons on the Pro Video Coalition site strongly suggests it’s time for post-production professionals to retire the term “master” when referring to the locked, final, approved, archivable version of a TV show, feature film, or other moving-image content. Simmons took the question to Twitter and also to industry media sites, and he reports the unofficial consensus was that, in the view of many, the term “master” should be replaced with the term “main,” since we live in a world where so many versions of content exist depending on platforms and delivery methods. Other words like “primary,” “hero,” “final,” and “deliverable” were proposed, as well, in the discussions Simmons monitored, but he suggests that “main” best fits the modern nature and nuances of finishing content. It’s just a suggestion, he emphasizes, as there is no official body to make such terms official.