Timecode
Timecode is a frame-accurate clock signal that gives every recorded frame a unique address.
What this is about
Everything downstream of the shoot relies on timecode: syncing sound to picture, matching proxies to camera originals, conforming an edit back to full-resolution media, and referencing notes to exact moments. On set it usually runs as time-of-day, so a note taken at 14:32 points into the footage directly. Cameras and recorders drift apart over hours, which is why serious productions re-jam devices during the day or cable them to one sync source.
A term only helps when everyone on set means the same thing by it — so what follows is how it is used, not a dictionary definition.
What runs differently here
Where this differs from the general case:
- Time-of-day timecode makes set notes searchable in the footage
- Devices drift — re-jam after lunch, not just at call
- Timecode identifies frames; it does not synchronise devices by itself
With TillyGen
Review notes in TillyGen point at exact moments in a cut — meaningful only because timecode gives every frame an address.
Change one constraint and the consequences travel through the whole plan: affected shots are flagged, the call sheet is regenerated, and nobody keeps working from yesterday's version.
Frequently asked
Should every camera run the same timecode?
Yes — jam all cameras and recorders from one source, time-of-day in most cases, and re-jam during the day because internal clocks drift.
How long does it take to get started with TillyGen?
A first project takes under an hour to set up. There is no configuration phase in which templates and fields have to be defined before the tool produces anything.
Can the results be exported?
Yes — as PDF for the crew, CSV for downstream systems and through the API for anything automated. The plan stays the source; the exports are views of it.