static function nestedStart($tag, $media_tag)
 {
     $neg_one = floatval(-1);
     // start for a nested tag is the sum of its start and its parents
     $parent = $tag;
     $result = floatval((string) $parent['start']);
     while ($parent != NULL && (int) $parent['track'] < 0) {
         $child = $parent;
         $type = (string) $child['type'];
         $parent = MovieMasher_Coder_Decoder::parentTag($child);
         switch ($type) {
             case 'theme':
                 // TODO: create a property for themes to indicate how many composites to utilize
             // TODO: create a property for themes to indicate how many composites to utilize
             case 'video':
             case 'image':
                 // my parent is some sort of composite
                 // only include me if I'm the first child
                 if ($parent != NULL) {
                     $children = $parent->children();
                     if (sizeof($children)) {
                         $first_child = $children[0];
                         if (!($first_child == $child || $first_child->asXML() == $child->asXML())) {
                             return $neg_one;
                         }
                     }
                 }
         }
         if ($parent != NULL) {
             $result += floatval((string) $parent['start']);
         }
     }
     return $result;
 }