The First Critical Review
Dailies are the first opportunity for filmmakers to see how the previous day’s work has translated to the screen. At the end of each shooting day, all of the footage captured is processed and prepared for viewing the following day. The term ‘rushes’ is a holdover from the era of celluloid film, referencing the great speed with which the film stock had to be developed at the lab and ‘rushed’ back to the production team. The term ‘dailies’ simply refers to the daily cadence of this review process. These screenings are a critical part of the production workflow, attended by the director, producers, the cinematographer, and the editor.
The Purpose of Watching Dailies
The primary purpose of reviewing dailies is not to begin editing the final film, but rather to perform a crucial quality control check. It is a diagnostic process to ensure that both the technical and creative aspects of the production are on track. Key objectives include:
- Assessing Performance: The director reviews all the different takes of a scene to evaluate the actors’ performances, ensuring they have captured the desired emotion and tone. This helps in deciding which takes the editor should prioritize.
- Technical Evaluation: The cinematographer and their team meticulously check the footage for any technical flaws. They look for issues with focus, exposure, lighting continuity, and the stability of camera movements.
- Sound Review: The production sound mixer listens for the clarity of the dialogue and any unwanted background noise that may have been captured during filming.
- Confirming the Vision: Dailies provide an essential check-in to ensure that the footage being captured aligns with the overall creative vision for the film. If something feels wrong, this is the earliest opportunity to identify the problem and make adjustments for the following shooting days.
From Projectors to iPads
The tradition of dailies has evolved significantly with technology. In the past, it was a formal screening in a small theater with a film projector, and a nerve-wracking moment, as a technical flaw could mean an entire day’s expensive work was lost. In the modern digital era, on-set playback monitors have removed some of this anxiety. However, the formal dailies process remains vital, as reviewing the high-resolution footage on a calibrated screen is still the best way to judge its quality. Dailies are now often delivered digitally via secure platforms, allowing key personnel to review them on laptops or iPads from anywhere in the world.