It's said that the last 5% of a project can take 95% of the time. Sometimes that's true in film...
Here is what needs to be done before your film is submitted:
1. Cuts:
- review it one final time and make a list of changes. Check EVERY cut.
- did you "cut to action"? (if not, fix)
- do you have "jump cuts"? (if so, fix - this can take some creative editing - maybe cutaways)
- Did you add excessive and distracting transitions? If so, consider removing them and going to straight cuts except in specific circumstances
2. Audio:
- Check EVERY clip for audio. Does it have audio? Is it aligned properly? Is it clear? Is there too much noise in the background?
- can you clearly hear the voice in shots where there is music in the background?
- *** IS THE AUDIO IN ALL OF YOUR SHOTS AT THE SAME LEVEL? *** Make sure you "normalize" your sound. This is a BIG job. You need to go through every clip to ensure the audio levels aren't louder in some shots. Obviously the sound will be louder when there are louder sounds, but for a given volume (i.e. talking) is one shot louder than another? If so, this is your chance to fix it.
- do your audio effects line up perfectly? Do they fit the action? Do they improve the experience for the viewer?
3. Titles:
- Do you have an appealing opening title screen?
- do you have closing credits?
- Do you list ALL of your audio sources (including music and sound effects)?
- Did you accurately list all members of the crew and spell their names correctly?
- Did you thank the family that hosted the crew?