Assistant Editor Series: Dailies
Here we go, first day of dailies. Let the madness begin.
By the way, here’s the definition of the term, Dailies, just in case you don’t know: Dailies are the raw unedited shots that you receive from set. They are called Dailies because they are rushed to the editing room every day (hence the film term Rushes).
Seeing the raw unedited footage every day = Dailies.
Before I dive right into my habits during the Dailies stage. I do want to mention that I prepare way in advance before the first day of the shoot.
Prepare before first shooting day.
How? I read the script twice. On the first pass, I just read to understand the story. On the second pass, I read as an Assistant Editor.
I break down the script into scenes and create a list of assets I’ll need for that scene so that my Editor will have all the necessary things to build the scene as best as he/she can.
For instance, if there’s a car chase scene, I'll mark down that I’ll need crash sound effects, sirens, tires peeling out, etc. Similarly, if there’s a VFX heavy scene, I’ll note that I’ll need to temp up an intricate VFX shot. This comes in extremely handy because Production will NOT shoot in order of the script.
You will always check what Production is shooting the next day and prepare for that day after you’ve delivered the Dailies to your Editor. It’s a fast moving train and anything that I can do to proactively get something done, I will do it.
First day of dailies.
You’re going to feel overwhelmed and stressed out because the first week is always the toughest. It’s hard because:
workflow problems might arise
the speed when delivering Editor’s requests might be slower than normal because you’re still getting used to it
you’re trying to get into a rhythm to accommodate all of the requests from your Editor, Producer, and Post-Supervisor
Remember, your 5 best friends during this stage are:
Script Supervisor
Production Sound Mixer
2nd Assistant Camera
Post-Supervisor
Editor
If you have the time to visit set, meet the top three people. They are YOUR eyes/ears on set during Dailies. Befriend them and get to know them because you will need them when the footage comes through and you find mismatches.
When production mistakes happen, have empathy for them and be nice to them. They are the ones out in the field while you sit in a nice air conditioned room. It’s important to understand that. It will go a long way if you can put yourself in their shoes.
Script Supervisor.
You must build a solid relationship and cadence with your Script Supervisor. A bad start can be extremely ugly and will necessitate a lot of extra work on your part. Think about it, if the script notes do not match the footage after being ingested into the editing system… you won’t know if you have every shot that was recorded.
This will mean that you have to become a forensic scientist and investigate what exactly happened on that shoot day. Let’s say there’s 4 takes in the editing system and on the script notes, the Script Supervisor writes 5 takes. What I do in this scenario is I contact the Script Supervisor explaining this situation and ask if there was in fact only 4 takes. Usually, they remember exactly what happened and confirm that the first take she noted on the script was a “false” roll which prompted him/her to write five 5 takes.
The important lesson here is that you get this confirmation in written email form! And then I “Cc” my Editor and Post-Supervisor so that they know as well.
You don’t want something like this to go unnoticed where you’re the only one in the know because if several days go by and your Editor notices that there’s 5 takes in the notes and only 4 in the editing system… you’ll be in trouble for not updating them.
That’s why it’s good to always keep your Editor and Post-Supervisor informed. Remember, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Production Sound Mixer.
Similar to the Script Supervisor, your Production Sound Mixer will be your best friend when something goes awry on the audio side of things. You will rely on his/her Sound Notes Log.
This is especially true when you have Wild Track Lines (Extra audio that is recorded off-camera that is necessary to complete the scene). You will need those Wild Track Lines in the bin that you give to your Editor.
Again, keep everyone informed when an audio-related issue comes up.
2nd Assistant Camera.
He/She will be your direct line to camera team. The 2nd AC will be extremely valuable to you when you and the Script Supervisor have differences on the Script Notes. The 2nd AC will most definitely be able to remember exactly what went down and they are another great resource for figuring out what happened on set.
If your production is doing everything “in-house”, meaning that you or another Assistant Editor is in charge of taking the RAW Camera Cards and ingesting them into a Dailies system for transcoding. The 2nd AC will be your point of contact during this scenario. You and the 2nd AC will make sure you have a system of handing off Camera Cards and being extremely careful to write “CLEARED TO ERASE (Your Initials)” on the ones that have been saved and archived. Handling Camera Cards are no joke, this can be an extremely costly responsibility if done incorrectly. If you are tasked with this, be very careful and quadruple check that you are sending “Cleared” Camera Cards.
Post-Supervisor.
Your Logistics boss. For instance, during your first week, you’ll be setting up your system so if you need certain software, hard drives, monitors, etc. - your Post-Supervisor will help you out. Throughout the process of the film, your Post-Supervisor will request a lot of things from you because you are the “keeper of the cut” so anything from VFX Shot Totals to Cut Scenes to send to a Trailer house will be asked of you.
Editor.
Your Creative boss. Your Editor needs to be prioritized at all times. And if not, he/she should know that you are in the middle of doing something for a Post-Supervisor or Producer. Remember, you NEED to keep your Editor busy and working efficiently as possible. And if you can keep it a stress free experience for the Editor, you’ll be hired over and over again.
It’s a tough dance during this Dailies stage but when you get into a rhythm, it becomes fun.
In the rhythm.
Now that you’ve got a cadence going every day, try to maximize your extra time that you have (if any) that can benefit you. What I normally like to do is to edit my own version of the scenes. It’s a great time to practice because you can compare your version with your Editors. I normally share to my Editor that I’m practicing my editing skills and more often than not, they are willing to give you notes on it. Again, only do this when you have extra time on your hands and have finished all of your Assistant Editor work. I like to think of it as a reward for myself. Finish all of my work = cut a scene.
And then on some days, I feel proactive and think ahead. This may be doing temp VFX that isn’t necessarily due immediately, or finding sound effects/music for future scenes. Anything that I’ll need at a later date.
In conclusion.
Again, Dailies are the most stressful and overwhelming part of the filmmaking process because you’re consistently trying to keep up with Production. The best advice I can give an Assistant Editor during this phase is…
Always make sure your Editor has something to do. Never be the reason why they are waiting.
If there seems to be a problem with a specific scene and needs troubleshooting, move on and deliver another scene to your Editor and fix it while your Editor is cutting. Always prioritize your Editor. Period.
Personally, I always let my Editor know what’s going on behind the scenes (even if it doesn’t affect them). It helps build trust and actually helps you because they’ll have empathy if something is turned in later than usual. Always keep your Editor informed.
Well, I hope this gives you a bit more insight on the Dailies stage. If you want more advice on having a successful Dailies experience, I do 1-on-1 phone mentorship calls to help you navigate your way through this process. Schedule an appointment here.
Thanks so much for reading my blog. Hope you got something out of this and catch you on the next one.
-Alfonso