diff --git a/app.cpp b/app.cpp
index e26e4ee..2ef920b 100644
--- a/app.cpp
+++ b/app.cpp
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
 #include <chrono>
 #include <iostream>
 
+#include <opentimelineio/clip.h>
+
 void DrawMenu();
 void DrawToolbar(ImVec2 buttonSize);
 void DrawDroppedFilesPrompt();
@@ -238,7 +240,7 @@ std::string otio_error_string(otio::ErrorStatus const& error_status) {
 }
 
 void LoadTimeline(otio::Timeline* timeline) {
-    appState.timeline = timeline;
+    appState.root = timeline;
     DetectPlayheadLimits();
     appState.playhead = appState.playhead_limit.start_time();
     FitZoomWholeTimeline();
@@ -275,9 +277,8 @@ void LoadFile(std::string path) {
     auto start = std::chrono::high_resolution_clock::now();
 
     otio::ErrorStatus error_status;
-    auto timeline = dynamic_cast<otio::Timeline*>(
-        otio::Timeline::from_json_file(path, &error_status));
-    if (!timeline || otio::is_error(error_status)) {
+    auto root = otio::Timeline::from_json_file(path, &error_status);
+    if (!root || otio::is_error(error_status)) {
         Message(
             "Error loading \"%s\": %s",
             path.c_str(),
@@ -285,7 +286,26 @@ void LoadFile(std::string path) {
         return;
     }
 
-    LoadTimeline(timeline);
+    std::string file_name;
+    if (root->schema_name() == "Timeline") {
+        auto timeline = dynamic_cast<otio::Timeline*>(root);
+        LoadTimeline(timeline);
+        file_name = timeline->name();
+    } else if (root->schema_name() == "Clip") {
+        auto clip = dynamic_cast<otio::Clip*>(root);
+        file_name = clip->name();
+        appState.root = clip;
+
+        auto timeline = new otio::Timeline();
+        SelectObject(clip);
+    } else{
+        Message(
+            "Error loading \"%s\": Unsupported root schema: %s",
+            path.c_str(),
+            root->schema_name().c_str()
+        );
+        return;
+    }
 
     appState.file_path = path;
 
@@ -294,12 +314,12 @@ void LoadFile(std::string path) {
     double elapsed_seconds = elapsed.count();
     Message(
         "Loaded \"%s\" in %.3f seconds",
-        timeline->name().c_str(),
+        file_name.c_str(),
         elapsed_seconds);
 }
 
 void SaveFile(std::string path) {
-    auto timeline = appState.timeline;
+    auto timeline = appState.root;
     if (!timeline)
         return;
 
@@ -390,6 +410,12 @@ bool IconButton(const char* label, const ImVec2 size = ImVec2(0, 0)) {
 
 void AppUpdate() { }
 
+void DrawRoot(){
+    if (appState.root->schema_name() == "Timeline") {
+        DrawTimeline(dynamic_cast<otio::Timeline*>(appState.root));
+    }
+}
+
 void MainGui() {
     AppUpdate();
 
@@ -532,12 +558,14 @@ void MainGui() {
         contentSize.y -= ImGui::GetTextLineHeightWithSpacing() + 7;
         ImGui::BeginChild("##TimelineContainer", contentSize);
 
-        DrawTimeline(appState.timeline);
+        DrawRoot();
 
         ImGui::EndChild();
 
-        if (DrawTransportControls(appState.timeline)) {
-            appState.scroll_to_playhead = true;
+        if (appState.root->schema_name() == "Timeline"){
+            if (DrawTransportControls(dynamic_cast<otio::Timeline*>(appState.root))) {
+                appState.scroll_to_playhead = true;
+            }
         }
     }
     ImGui::End();
@@ -687,8 +715,8 @@ void DrawMenu() {
             if (ImGui::MenuItem("Revert")) {
                 LoadFile(appState.file_path);
             }
-            if (ImGui::MenuItem("Close", NULL, false, appState.timeline)) {
-                appState.timeline = NULL;
+            if (ImGui::MenuItem("Close", NULL, false, appState.root)) {
+                appState.root = NULL;
                 SelectObject(NULL);
             }
 #ifndef EMSCRIPTEN
@@ -889,7 +917,7 @@ void SelectObject(
         appState.selected_text = "No selection";
     } else {
         otio::ErrorStatus error_status;
-        appState.selected_text = object->to_json_string(&error_status);
+        //appState.selected_text = object->to_json_string(&error_status);
         if (otio::is_error(error_status)) {
             appState.selected_text = otio_error_string(error_status);
         }
@@ -914,14 +942,19 @@ void SnapPlayhead() {
 }
 
 void DetectPlayheadLimits() {
-    const auto timeline = appState.timeline;
-    appState.playhead_limit = otio::TimeRange(
-        timeline->global_start_time().value_or(otio::RationalTime()),
-        timeline->duration());
+    if (appState.root->schema_name() == "Timeline"){
+        const auto timeline = dynamic_cast<otio::Timeline*>(appState.root);
+        appState.playhead_limit = otio::TimeRange(
+            timeline->global_start_time().value_or(otio::RationalTime()),
+            timeline->duration());
+    }
 }
 
 void FitZoomWholeTimeline() {
-    appState.scale = appState.timeline_width / appState.timeline->duration().to_seconds();
+    if (appState.root->schema_name() == "Timeline"){
+        const auto timeline = dynamic_cast<otio::Timeline*>(appState.root);
+        appState.scale = appState.timeline_width / timeline->duration().to_seconds();
+    }
 }
 // GUI utility to add dynamic height to GUI elements
 
diff --git a/app.h b/app.h
index 8522e73..a72841e 100644
--- a/app.h
+++ b/app.h
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ struct AppState {
 
     // This holds the main timeline object.
     // Pretty much everything drills into this one entry point.
-    otio::SerializableObject::Retainer<otio::Timeline> timeline;
+    otio::SerializableObjectWithMetadata* root;
 
     // Timeline display settings
     float timeline_width = 100.0f; // automatically calculated (pixels)
diff --git a/editing.cpp b/editing.cpp
index 20335f7..12b6711 100644
--- a/editing.cpp
+++ b/editing.cpp
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 
 void DeleteSelectedObject() {
-    if (appState.selected_object == appState.timeline) {
-        appState.timeline = NULL;
+    if (appState.selected_object == appState.root) {
+        appState.root = NULL;
         SelectObject(NULL);
         return;
     }
@@ -57,10 +57,16 @@ void DeleteSelectedObject() {
 
 void AddMarkerAtPlayhead(otio::Item* item, std::string name, std::string color) {
     auto playhead = appState.playhead;
+    
+    
+    if (!appState.root)
+        return;
 
-    const auto& timeline = appState.timeline;
-    if (!timeline)
+    if (appState.root->schema_name() != "Timeline"){
         return;
+    }
+
+    const auto& timeline = dynamic_cast<otio::Timeline*>(appState.root);
 
     // Default to the selected item, or the top-level timeline.
     if (item == NULL) {
@@ -91,10 +97,15 @@ void AddMarkerAtPlayhead(otio::Item* item, std::string name, std::string color)
 }
 
 void AddTrack(std::string kind) {
-    const auto& timeline = appState.timeline;
-    if (!timeline)
+    if (!appState.root)
         return;
 
+    if (appState.root->schema_name() != "Timeline"){
+        return;
+    }
+
+    const auto& timeline = dynamic_cast<otio::Timeline*>(appState.root);
+
     // Fall back to the top level stack.
     int insertion_index = -1;
     otio::Stack* stack = timeline->tracks();
@@ -150,7 +161,7 @@ void AddTrack(std::string kind) {
 }
 
 void FlattenTrackDown() {
-    const auto& timeline = appState.timeline;
+    const auto& timeline = appState.root;
     if (!timeline) {
         Message("Cannot flatten: No timeline.");
         return;
diff --git a/inspector.cpp b/inspector.cpp
index ec4f9ff..3b0512a 100644
--- a/inspector.cpp
+++ b/inspector.cpp
@@ -616,20 +616,27 @@ void DrawMarkersInspector() {
     typedef std::pair<otio::SerializableObject::Retainer<otio::Marker>, otio::SerializableObject::Retainer<otio::Item>> marker_parent_pair;
     std::vector<marker_parent_pair> pairs;
 
-    auto root = appState.timeline->tracks();
-    auto global_start = appState.timeline->global_start_time().value_or(otio::RationalTime());
+    auto root = new otio::Stack();
+    auto global_start = otio::RationalTime(0.0);
 
-    for (const auto& marker : root->markers()) {
-        pairs.push_back(marker_parent_pair(marker, root));
-    }
+    if (appState.root->schema_name() == "Timeline"){
+        const auto& timeline = dynamic_cast<otio::Timeline*>(appState.root);
 
-    for (const auto& child :
-         appState.timeline->tracks()->find_children())
-    {
-        if (const auto& item = dynamic_cast<otio::Item*>(&*child))
+        root = timeline->tracks();
+        global_start = timeline->global_start_time().value_or(otio::RationalTime());
+
+        for (const auto& marker : root->markers()) {
+            pairs.push_back(marker_parent_pair(marker, root));
+        }
+
+        for (const auto& child :
+            timeline->tracks()->find_children())
         {
-            for (const auto& marker : item->markers()) {
-                pairs.push_back(marker_parent_pair(marker, item));
+            if (const auto& item = dynamic_cast<otio::Item*>(&*child))
+            {
+                for (const auto& marker : item->markers()) {
+                    pairs.push_back(marker_parent_pair(marker, item));
+                }
             }
         }
     }
@@ -714,20 +721,27 @@ void DrawEffectsInspector() {
     typedef std::pair<otio::SerializableObject::Retainer<otio::Effect>, otio::SerializableObject::Retainer<otio::Item>> effect_parent_pair;
     std::vector<effect_parent_pair> pairs;
 
-    auto root = appState.timeline->tracks();
-    auto global_start = appState.timeline->global_start_time().value_or(otio::RationalTime());
+    auto root = new otio::Stack();
+    auto global_start = otio::RationalTime(0.0);
 
-    for (const auto& effect : root->effects()) {
-        pairs.push_back(effect_parent_pair(effect, root));
-    }
+    if (appState.root->schema_name() == "Timeline"){
+        const auto& timeline = dynamic_cast<otio::Timeline*>(appState.root);
 
-    for (const auto& child :
-         appState.timeline->tracks()->find_children())
-    {
-        if (const auto& item = dynamic_cast<otio::Item*>(&*child))
+        root = timeline->tracks();
+        global_start = timeline->global_start_time().value_or(otio::RationalTime());
+
+        for (const auto& effect : root->effects()) {
+            pairs.push_back(effect_parent_pair(effect, root));
+        }
+
+        for (const auto& child :
+            timeline->tracks()->find_children())
         {
-            for (const auto& effect : item->effects()) {
-                pairs.push_back(effect_parent_pair(effect, item));
+            if (const auto& item = dynamic_cast<otio::Item*>(&*child))
+            {
+                for (const auto& effect : item->effects()) {
+                    pairs.push_back(effect_parent_pair(effect, item));
+                }
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/timeline.cpp b/timeline.cpp
index ccddf0e..e0baf99 100644
--- a/timeline.cpp
+++ b/timeline.cpp
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ void TopLevelTimeRangeMap(
     std::map<otio::Composable*, otio::TimeRange>& range_map,
     otio::Item* context) {
     auto zero = otio::RationalTime();
-    auto top = appState.timeline->tracks();
+    auto top = dynamic_cast<otio::Timeline*>(appState.root)->tracks();
     auto offset = context->transformed_time(zero, top);
 
     for (auto& pair : range_map) {