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Team Delegation, Outsourcing, Remote Editors & Production Pipelines

A project interchange export omits nested timelines, causing the assistant editor to receive only flattened sequences instead of the required editable structure.

Problem

A project interchange export omits nested timelines, causing the assistant editor to receive only flattened sequences instead of the required editable structure.

Solution

Root Cause / Diagnostic:
Standard interchange formats (such as basic EDL or older XML specifications) do not support multi-level nested sequence hierarchies, converting compound clips or nests into flattened single tracks or omitting them altogether.

Actionable Fix:
1. Deconstruct Nested Sequences Before Interchange Export: Duplicate the sequence and step into nested clips to decompose them into primary audio and video tracks.
2. Select Advanced Interchange Protocols: Utilize modern XML (FCPXML 1.9+) or AAF with timeline composition enabled rather than legacy EDL formats.
3. Package Secondary Sequences Independently: Export individual XMLs for each nested timeline alongside the master conform sequence.

Pro Tip:
Before exporting an XML for an assistant or colorist, duplicate your master sequence and run "Deconstruct Multicam" or "Decompose Compound Clip" to expose all underlying raw edits.