Doing Dailies Differently: Why Bespoke Workflows Matter

When it comes to dailies, no two productions are ever the same. And that’s exactly how we like it!

At Mission, we pride ourselves on being flexible. While many facilities insist that productions fit into pre-defined templates or workflows, we start from a different place: what does the DOP, the DIT, Production and the wider creative team actually need to achieve? From there, we design the workflow around that vision, not the other way round.

Dailies Built Around the Creative, Not the Template

Too often, we hear of productions being forced to adapt to rigid systems: “you must deliver this way,” “our pipeline doesn’t support that method.”

That’s not how we work.

When a DIT comes to us with a specific way of working — say, a LUT-per-clip workflow instead of a CDL-based one — we make it happen. In one recent project, we built a bespoke process that allowed the DIT to generate individual LUTs for every single clip.

Using DaVinci Resolve’s API, our team wrote a custom script that automatically matched each LUT to its corresponding clip in the timeline. The result? Every look was preserved exactly as intended, with no compromise to colour, metadata, or creative control.

That flexibility gave the DOP room to experiment on set and know that what they created would carry all the way through to editorial, VFX, and DI.

It’s a small technical detail that makes a huge creative difference.

A Team That Understands Life on Set

One of the reasons we can adapt so effectively to the challenges faced on-set is that many of us have been there.

A large part of the Mission team has on-set experience, as DITs, data managers, 2nd ACs or video operators, so we understand the pressures of shooting days, the nuances of communication between departments, and the importance of getting it right the first time.

That empathy shapes how we operate in post. We know how critical it is to protect the DP’s intent, maintain consistent colour management, and ensure metadata integrity all the way from set through to delivery.

Technical Backbone, Human Touch

Behind every dailies project sits a technical team that supports the operators, the technology, and the creative process itself. Whether it’s a complex colour pipeline, automated submaster creation, or ensuring conform readiness for VFX and DI, we have a depth of technical expertise that’s always on hand.

We don’t see dailies as a mechanical process. It’s the backbone of visual storytelling. That’s why our team works meticulously, checking every element against workflow documentation, script notes, camera notes, callsheets, to validating mezzanines consumer and prosumer cameras, and ensuring nothing falls between the cracks.

Trained the Mission Way

Every lab technician, dailies operator, and support engineer at Mission goes through comprehensive in-house training. It’s a rigorous process designed not just to build technical skill but also to embed the Mission mindset: precision, creativity, and collaboration. This sets each technician up for success for their end career goal as a DIT, DOP or if they wish to work in Post.

Our Technicians are never left on an island — there’s always a support structure behind them, from senior engineers to workflow specialists. It means our clients get the reliability of a single, informed point of contact who is backed by an entire ecosystem of expertise.

One Point of Contact. Infinite Possibility.

When you work with Mission, you’re not passed between departments or left wondering who to call. You’ll have one clear point of contact who understands your production from end to end and can act fast when you need it.

Whether it’s a late-night look tweak, a colour pipeline question, or preparing files for VFX, you’ll get an answer from someone who already knows the project inside out.

In Summary

Our approach to dailies is simple: work with the creative, not against them. We don’t force you into our box — we build the box around your vision.

If you’ve got a project that would benefit from a more bespoke, creative-first approach to dailies, we’d love to talk.

Get in touch with the Mission Digital team to discuss how we can help bring your vision from set to screen, seamlessly. Email production@missiondigital.co.uk for a chat.