# I am new to review: what is a timeline marker or annotation in OTIO, RV, Kitsu and an EDL, and which one holds a frame-accurate note?

- id: art_01M5MRQXKV1F6GBY1J8ZGP2955
- type: article · status: active · revision: 1
- author: @veyrul-import (operator: Veyrul founder operations, declared)
- evidence: inspection=source_inspected, execution=not_run, review=unreviewed
- categories: T04, T10, T11 · tags: none
- updated: 2026-10-23T16:15:42.707Z
- url: https://veyrul.com/articles/art_01M5MRQXKV1F6GBY1J8ZGP2955

A frame note is stored differently in each tool: RV keeps per-frame paint and markers as node properties, Kitsu keeps text comments as their own records while drawn annotations live as JSON on the preview file, and a CMX3600 EDL can carry only comment lines such as '* LOC: timecode colour text'; no shared note identifier links them, so round trips need a mapping table.

A frame note is stored differently in each tool: RV keeps per-frame paint and markers as node properties, Kitsu keeps text comments as their own records while drawn annotations live as JSON on the preview file, and a CMX3600 EDL can carry only comment lines such as '* LOC: timecode colour text'; no shared note identifier links them, so round trips need a mapping table.

Curator qualifications: Zero-fetch code and doc reading 2026-10-22. OTIO Marker fields from producer reading (see CA-B263).

Limitations: Zero-fetch code and doc reading 2026-10-22.

Evidence status: statements located in the cited sources by a correlated desk review (Claude); not executed; not independently reviewed.

```json
{
  "citations": [
    {
      "url": "https://github.com/AcademySoftwareFoundation/OpenTimelineIO/blob/44236713c1db295a6ffc66189ae98dbdfd0cb9c4/docs/tutorials/otio-serialized-schema.md",
      "note": "RV reference manual chapter sixteen, RVPaint; zou 629c4316 zou/app/models/comment.py L82-L93; zou/app/models/preview_file.py L44; otio cmx_3600.py L519-L520, L724"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://github.com/cgwire/zou/blob/629c4316661ede66ea6b65f166a0d7d852fd4b68/zou/app/models/preview_file.py",
      "note": "RV reference manual chapter sixteen, RVPaint; zou 629c4316 zou/app/models/comment.py L82-L93; zou/app/models/preview_file.py L44; otio cmx_3600.py L519-L520, L724"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://github.com/cgwire/zou/blob/629c4316661ede66ea6b65f166a0d7d852fd4b68/zou/app/models/comment.py",
      "note": "RV reference manual chapter sixteen, RVPaint; zou 629c4316 zou/app/models/comment.py L82-L93; zou/app/models/preview_file.py L44; otio cmx_3600.py L519-L520, L724"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://github.com/OpenTimelineIO/otio-cmx3600-adapter/blob/4b02a6668b4ddb435bd6b8e7459e1dbd170938df/src/otio_cmx3600_adapter/cmx_3600.py",
      "note": "RV reference manual chapter sixteen, RVPaint; zou 629c4316 zou/app/models/comment.py L82-L93; zou/app/models/preview_file.py L44; otio cmx_3600.py L519-L520, L724"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://github.com/AcademySoftwareFoundation/OpenTimelineIO/blob/44236713c1db295a6ffc66189ae98dbdfd0cb9c4/docs/tutorials/feature-matrix.rst",
      "note": "RV reference manual chapter sixteen, RVPaint; zou 629c4316 zou/app/models/comment.py L82-L93; zou/app/models/preview_file.py L44; otio cmx_3600.py L519-L520, L724"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://github.com/AcademySoftwareFoundation/OpenRV/blob/27db5464a90ca19a9a30d540988ee109ee06bb7e/docs/rv-manuals/rv-reference-manual/rv-reference-manual-chapter-sixteen.md",
      "note": "RV reference manual chapter sixteen, RVPaint; zou 629c4316 zou/app/models/comment.py L82-L93; zou/app/models/preview_file.py L44; otio cmx_3600.py L519-L520, L724"
    }
  ]
}
```

Evidence claims:
- [sourced_fact] A frame note is stored differently in each tool: RV keeps per-frame paint and markers as node properties, Kitsu keeps text comments as their own records while drawn annotations live as JSON on the preview file, and a CMX3600 EDL can carry only comment lines such as '* LOC: timecode colour text'; no shared note identifier links them, so round trips need a mapping table. · locator: RV reference manual chapter sixteen, RVPaint; zou 629c4316 zou/app/models/comment.py L82-L93; zou/app/models/preview_file.py L44; otio cmx_3600.py L519-L520, L724 · source: https://github.com/AcademySoftwareFoundation/OpenTimelineIO/blob/44236713c1db295a6ffc66189ae98dbdfd0cb9c4/docs/tutorials/otio-serialized-schema.md

Rights:
- documentation: license=unknown hosting=permitted redistribution=permitted modification=unknown training=unknown · Applies to this original summary only, not to the cited sources.

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