What the heck is an EDL you say? A simple way to put it is that an EDL (edit decision list) is a way to transfer information about a project you've edited to another editing system. It contains the basic "blueprint" of the edit such as clip in/out points, transitions, etc. There's a great post over on The editblog that shows you what information is included in an EDL and how to read it. Because new formats are gaining popularity, you may never have to deal with a .edl file. But chances are if you do any post production with the outside world you will. Either way, this is good basic information to know.