Handles

Handles are extra frames of media retained before the in-point and after the out-point of every clip in a sequence, typically requested as a fixed duration like 24 frames (1 second at 24fps) or 48 frames (2 seconds). They give downstream departments the freedom to extend any cut without going back to source — the audio mixer might need an extra few frames to taper a reverb tail, the colorist might want more frames to design a transition, the VFX artist might need additional context for a tracking solve. Handles are typically specified when conforming or rendering output files for finishing: a turnover package to color or VFX includes each clip with its used in/out plus the requested handle length on each end, so the entire clip pulled to disk is somewhat longer than what appears in the cut. The handle length depends on workflow: 12 frames is tight, 24 is standard, 48 is generous, 96 or higher is reserved for productions with heavy ongoing revisions. Some studios specify scene-level handles (the entire scene preserved as a continuous clip), others specify clip-level. Handles consume disk space — a 100-minute feature with 24-frame handles can require 10-15% more storage than the locked cut alone. The change list propagated from editorial to downstream departments documents which handles each shot needs as the cut evolves.