Why Post-Production Matters for Sora2

Sora2 can generate visually striking clips, but top-tier productions still rely on professional finishing. Editorial polish improves pacing, corrects colour, smooths motion artefacts, and lifts audio quality so the final piece is ready for clients or broadcast.

Because Sora2 exports ready-to-edit MP4 files with AAC audio, you can drop them directly into editors like Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, or Final Cut Pro. The steps below follow the same workflows used by creative studios shipping Sora-powered campaigns in 2025.

1. Prepare Your Project

Organise Source Media

  • Download each generation from the Sora interface and store them in clearly named folders (scene, take, aspect ratio)
  • Create a separate folder for audio, graphics, and exports before you open your NLE
  • Add prompt notes or storyboard cards as text files so editors understand the creative intent

Match Timeline Settings

Sora2 clips encode frame rate and resolution metadata. Start your sequence using the first clip so the editor inherits those settings, or manually match:

  • Frame rate: Keep the native value (typically 24, 25, 30, or 60 fps). Avoid mixing rates unless you plan to interpret footage.
  • Colour space: Work in Rec.709 (gamma 2.4) unless you have graded footage for HDR. Sora currently ships SDR masters.
  • Aspect ratio: Confirm whether the output is cinematic 16:9, square, or vertical 9:16 before adding graphics.
Tip: If you receive a 9:16 clip but plan a 16:9 edit, duplicate the sequence and design background plates or add blurred fills so the vertical video composites cleanly.

2. Clean Up the Edit

Trim for Timing

Most Sora generations default to 8–16 seconds. Tighten the in/out points to remove dead frames, match beats to your soundtrack, and layer additional clips for multi-shot sequences.

Stabilise and Retime

  • Use the built-in Warp Stabilizer (Premiere Pro) or Stabilizer (Resolve) to smooth handheld-style motion.
  • For slow motion, reinterpret the clip to a lower frame rate, then apply optical flow retiming. Resolve’s Speed Warp and Premiere’s Optical Flow deliver the cleanest results.
  • Freeze key hero frames by exporting stills and re-importing as 2–3 second holds to emphasise design details.

Patch Artefacts

Sora2 occasionally produces texture glitches or flicker. Paint them out using:

  • DaVinci Resolve’s Fusion planar tracker to patch geometry issues
  • Adobe After Effects with Content-Aware Fill for removing stray objects
  • Topaz Video AI or ReelSteady for smoothing noise and rolling-shutter wobble

3. Colour Correction and Grading

Balance First

Use primary wheels to neutralise white balance and match exposure across shots. Auto-balance tools in Resolve and Premiere provide a starting point, but always fine-tune manually.

Establish a Look

  • Apply a base LUT that matches your project genre (film emulation, teal-and-orange, Kodak 2383, etc.).
  • Add power windows to isolate faces or props and guide viewer attention.
  • Use curves to tame highlights; Sora can push specular highlights too far for SDR delivery.

Match Across Shots

Copy grade nodes or adjustment layers between clips and refine using split-screen wipe tools. For complex scenes, leverage Resolve’s Color Warper or Premiere’s Lumetri Color Match to align hues and contrast.

4. Audio Finishing

Enhance the Generative Track

Sora 2 adds synced sound design, but raw mixes may clip or include background noise. Run the audio through a limiter at -1 dBTP, clean with noise reduction (iZotope RX, Resolve Fairlight), and automate volume to suit your edit.

Add Voiceovers and Foley

  • Record narration in a treated space or use professional voice marketplaces if talent is unavailable.
  • Add Foley layers (footsteps, cloth rustle) from libraries such as Artlist or Epidemic Sound to reinforce realism.
  • Keep dialogue centered, effects in stereo, and music ducked 6–8 dB under speech for clarity.

Mix Deliverables

Create separate full mix, M&E (Music & Effects), and stems when delivering to agencies so regions can localise voiceover track-by-track.

5. Add Motion Graphics and VFX

Design Overlays

Use After Effects, Resolve Fusion, or Motion to add lower thirds, captions, and transitions. Keep typography inside 4% title-safe margins for platforms that crop aggressively.

Integrate 3D or Live Footage

  • Matchmove Sora clips in software like SynthEyes or Blender using tracked feature points.
  • Composite additional footage using blend modes and colour matching to maintain continuity.
  • Leverage depth maps (if provided in your generation) to integrate particles and atmospheric effects.
Note: Respect copyright when layering licensed characters or logos. OpenAI has pledged to block rights-protected IP in Sora 2 upon request from rights holders.

6. Collaborate Efficiently

Creative teams shipping commercial Sora work pair the model with modern review pipelines:

  • Sync project bins via Dropbox or LucidLink so remote colourists and sound designers work from the same media.
  • Collect feedback inside Frame.io, Wipster, or Vimeo Review Links to track notes timestamp-by-timestamp.
  • Archive prompts, version renders, and approval history in Notion or Airtable to maintain compliance records.

7. Deliver Final Masters

Create a Mezzanine Master

Export a high-quality intermediate (Apple ProRes 422 HQ or DNxHR HQX) at the project’s native frame rate. This master becomes the source for all social or broadcast encodes.

Generate Platform Versions

  • 16:9 UHD (3840×2160) or FHD (1920×1080) for YouTube and OTT platforms
  • 1:1 (1080×1080) and 4:5 (1080×1350) for Instagram feed placements
  • 9:16 (1080×1920) for TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts

Quality Control

Review exports frame-by-frame for banding, texture popping, or audio sync drift. Use tools like Telestream Switch or VLC to verify metadata before delivery.

Next Steps

With a polished master in hand, move on to the Export Settings guide for platform-specific encoding, or explore Advanced Workflows to scale multi-video campaigns.