ShotGrid API date/time fields: Unresolved timezone conversion behavior

Date/time handling in ShotGrid API

ShotGrid stores all timestamp fields internally in UTC and the REST API returns ISO 8601 strings without any explicit timezone offset. The web UI automatically converts these values to the user’s local time zone based on browser or profile settings. This design leaves a gap for client applications: they must assume UTC and perform their own conversion, which can become error‑prone when daylight‑saving rules change or when a client wishes to display times in a specific region.

Because the current API does not expose a mechanism to request timestamps in a particular time zone, developers face uncertainty about the optimal approach for time‑zone handling in their integrations.

Key questions:

1. Should the ShotGrid REST API include a query parameter that allows clients to request timestamps in a desired time zone?
2. Would it be preferable for the API to return ISO 8601 strings with explicit offsets instead of plain UTC?
3. What best‑practice guidance should ShotGrid provide for client‑side conversion, especially regarding daylight‑saving transitions?