# Targeting movie clips
**URL:** https://forum.kirupa.com/t/targeting-movie-clips/2964
**Category:** Uncategorized
**Created:** [February 26, 2002, 1:34am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/targeting-movie-clips/2964 "2002-02-26T01:34:41Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2002, 1:34am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/targeting-movie-clips/2964/1 "2002-02-26T01:34:41Z")
Ok, here’s the deal. I have a MC in a MC, but i want to target the middle MC.\r\rMainStage -\> Clock -\> clock(art)\r\r\rthere is a button on “clock(art)” i want it to target “Clock” to animate. i know the root function should target the mainstage…how can i target that middle MC?
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### Author:  [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2002, 1:39am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/targeting-movie-clips/2964/2 "2002-02-26T01:39:06Z")
either \_parent or \_root.clock should do it.
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### Author:  [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2002, 1:43am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/targeting-movie-clips/2964/3 "2002-02-26T01:43:02Z")
@#%$ that was fast. ok thanks supra…i wasn’t sure if root was just for targeting main stage or what. thanks.
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### Author:  [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2002, 6:26am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/targeting-movie-clips/2964/4 "2002-02-26T06:26:25Z")
I’d use the parent method though. In the case of \_parent, if you choose to place this clock, the whole thing that is, inside any other movie clip, the \_root will not exactly work correctly.\r\rIt’s kind of like going backwards up the string of mc names instead of going to the beginning and then working your way forward.