Camera sources and a rendered master use different references
An editorial EDL usually describes both the source clip range and its position in the finished sequence. A flattened master contains that finished sequence as one media file. Its shot positions correspond to the edit’s record ranges, provided the master has the same timecode origin.
This distinction matters when preparing a cut-up timeline for grading in DaVinci Resolve. The original source reel names may identify dozens of camera clips that were intentionally not supplied. A conform looking for those clips can stay offline even when the master contains all the required pictures.
Identify the matching problem before changing timecodes
Check the chosen conform/import workflow and whether it is matching against original camera clips or the supplied master. Compare the master’s first timecode, the sequence start and a recognizable cut. Inspect filename/reel matching as well as timecode.
Do not copy record timecodes to source automatically. A preconform workflow may already use the record positions appropriately; in that case the matching settings, not the EDL timing, may be the problem. Keep the original EDL and change only the values required by the intended workflow.
Example: the same cut in two timecode systems
| Reference | In | Out |
|---|---|---|
| Original camera source | 10:02:14:00 | 10:02:18:00 |
| Record position | 01:00:12:00 | 01:00:16:00 |
| Master with matching start | 01:00:12:00 | 01:00:16:00 |
The four-second shot begins twelve seconds into a master whose start is 01:00:00:00. If the intended import needs source ranges into that master, Record → Source makes those source ranges match the record ranges.
When the master starts at a different address
If the same master instead starts at 00:00:00:00, the shot begins at 00:00:12:00 in that file. Copying record to source alone would leave a one-hour error. At the same rate and numbering convention, subtract the sequence origin from the record address and add the master origin, using frame arithmetic.
In EDL Toolbox, stage Record → Source first and then a known Source offset. Keep record positions unchanged. Review the cumulative result in Side-by-Side before approval; operation order matters. Confirm the relationship against actual picture at several points, especially if a slate or leader was added.
Check the reconstructed timeline
- Verify exact frame rate, DF/NDF convention and master timecode.
- Confirm whether filename or reel matching is appropriate for the supplied master.
- Check the first and last frame of representative shots against the reference.
- Inspect dissolves, speed effects, titles and composited shots separately.
- Save the original list and export the reviewed working copy under a new name.
A flattened master cannot recover original camera handles, separate layers or editable transitions that have already been rendered. EDL Toolbox changes edit-list metadata; it does not split the media file or detect cuts from picture.