Viewing raw footage from previous day — director, camera, script assess coverage and decide on reshoots. Quality control and planning tool.
After shooting — usually the next morning in the dark screening room or on the monitor on set — you sit down with the director, camera department, and script supervisor to review what was actually captured the previous day. This is the dailies review. It's not a theoretical debate about lighting or acting, but a sober confrontation with the material. The director checks if the shot achieves what he envisioned. The cinematographer assesses focus, exposure, and movement. The script continuity checks for jumps in costume, props, or hair. You, as the DoP, make notes for the next similar scene — is the lighting consistent, or do I need to readjust?
The dailies review is not a luxury, but a necessity. It reveals errors before it's too late. An out-of-focus shot, an overexposed sky, a poorly acted dialogue scene — you recognize it now, not in the edit. This saves time and money on reshoots. In parallel, a shooting schedule for the coming days is developed: Do we need to reshoot this scene? Do we need an additional close-up for the edit? Which setups can we eliminate because they work well?
In the daily on-set routine, the dailies review functions pragmatically — often just the director, camera, and UPM in a mobile screening, sometimes on a laptop or tablet. For larger productions, it's a formal event with all involved departments. The rhythm is tight: watch material, make decisions, set the next shooting plan. No academic discussions. Every minute counts, and there isn't much time until the next shot.
Important: Dailies review is not about editing pleasure or artistic doubts. It's about craft control. Did the camera convey the story? Is the lighting functional? Does the take fit the concept dramatically? The director can then, on this basis, decide whether a safety take is still necessary or if the material is sufficient. Many problems in the edit arise because this control was ignored — because you shot with confidence instead of checking. With dailies review, you minimize surprises and lay the groundwork for a smooth edit.