Dailies

Definition and Purpose

Dailies—also called rushes—are the day-to-day assemblies of footage processed overnight for director, DP and producers to review. They ensure technical quality, performance coverage and continuity before subsequent shooting days. Dailies typically include synced audio, a basic color grade and timecode burn-ins.

Reviewing dailies allows identification of focus issues, lighting inconsistencies and performance takes that require pickups or reshoots, preserving production efficiency and budget control.

Workflow and Technology

Laboratories or in-house post teams generate dailies from camera originals or proxies. Modern facilities automate transcoding, color correction and QC checks (checking for dropped frames, codec errors). Secure dailies platforms enable remote review by stakeholders, with annotation tools for shot selection and notes.

Creative and Logistical Impact

Timely dailies empower editors to begin assembling scenes in parallel with shooting, detecting coverage gaps early. They also engage producers and financiers by providing tangible progress. Well-executed dailies pipelines bridge production and post-production, aligning creative vision with technical execution.