Some embodiments provide a non-transitory machine readable medium that stores a media-editing application which when executed by at least one processing unit provides a graphical user interface (GUI) for creating a composite media presentation from several media clips. The GUI includes a composite display area for placing media clips to specify the composite media presentation. The composite display area includes (1) a primary lane for placing a primary sequence of media clips and (2) several secondary lanes for placing media clips that are anchored to media clips in the primary lane. The GUI includes an editing tool that includes a first mode for performing an edit operation to a particular media clip and a set of media clips anchored to the particular media clip and a second mode for performing the edit operation to the particular media clip without performing the edit operation to the set of media clips anchored to the particular media clip.