export const meta = { title: "How to Set Up On-Set Dailies in DaVinci Resolve", description: "Learn how to create on-set dailies in DaVinci Resolve that preserve relink metadata, apply the right LUT, sync audio, add burn-ins, and export editorial and review files.", tldr: "Set up Resolve dailies by working from verified camera clones, matching the project frame rate to production, applying only the approved LUT/CDL pipeline, syncing and preserving production audio, and adding burn-ins only to review outputs. Use separate Deliver presets for editorial proxies and production review files so editorial gets clean, relinkable media with source timecode and metadata, while production gets playable H.264/H.265 files with readable burn-ins. Test a few clips in the recipient's NLE or player before rendering the full day.", slug: "how-to-set-up-on-set-dailies-in-davinci-resolve", publishedAt: "2026-08-23", readingTime: 8, thumbnail: "https://cdn.aspectlabs.dev/blog/how-to-set-up-on-set-dailies-in-davinci-resolve/cover-35cdf97a3926.png", authors: ["bright"], primaryTopic: "post-production", topics: ["post-production"], tags: ["dailies"], faq: [ { "question": "Should dailies be rendered from the original camera card in DaVinci Resolve?", "answer": "No. Render dailies from a verified copy or clone of the camera originals, not directly from the camera card. Preserve the original folder structure so metadata, filenames, timecode, and relink paths remain intact for editorial and finishing." }, { "question": "What is the difference between editorial proxies and production review files?", "answer": "Editorial proxies are made for cutting and later conform. They need source timecode, stable filenames, reel or camera roll metadata, correct audio channels, and an edit-friendly codec such as ProRes Proxy, ProRes LT, DNxHD, or DNxHR. Production review files are made for easy playback and communication. They often use H.264 or H.265 MP4, include burn-ins, have a baked-in LUT, and use smaller file sizes." }, { "question": "Where should the on-set LUT be applied in Resolve for dailies?", "answer": "The LUT can be applied at the clip level, timeline level, through color management, or in a node on the Color page, but the safest choice depends on the workflow. Clip-level or node-based application is usually better when multiple cameras, LUTs, or source color spaces are involved. A timeline-level LUT is faster but assumes every shot needs the same transform." }, { "question": "Should burn-ins be included on editorial dailies?", "answer": "Usually no, unless editorial specifically requests them. Burn-ins are most useful for production review, where viewers need to identify clip name, scene, take, source timecode, camera roll, shoot date, or LUT information. Clean editorial proxies should normally remain free of baked-in text so they can be used for offline editing without image distractions." }, { "question": "Can DaVinci Resolve sync production audio for dailies?", "answer": "Yes. Resolve can sync production audio to camera clips using matching timecode when the camera and sound recorder were jammed correctly. It can also use waveform sync in some situations, but timecode sync is generally more reliable for professional dailies workflows. After syncing, audio channel order and track layout should be checked against the editorial spec." }, { "question": "Do we still need to render separate review MP4s if the team is using a cloud review platform?", "answer": "You still need editorial proxies that match the conform and audio spec, but lightweight review copies may not always need a separate manual export. Aspect automatically creates generated proxies and previews, while Resolve renders remain useful when the review file needs a specific LUT, burn-in, naming convention, or audio mix." } ], } The first decision is what the dailies need to prove. On-set dailies usually serve two different jobs at the same time: editorial needs files that cut cleanly and relink later, while production needs files that play anywhere and show the day’s work with the intended look. DaVinci Resolve can do both, but the setup changes depending on whether you're making offline editorial media, lightweight review files, or both from the same camera originals. A good dailies setup in Resolve keeps the camera originals untouched, applies only the agreed on color pipeline, preserves timecode and metadata, and exports files that the receiving team can actually use without a science project. ## Start from the delivery requirement Before importing media, get the editorial spec and the review spec separated, because they may come from the same timeline, but they aren't the same deliverable. | Decision area | Editorial dailies | Production review files | | --- | --- | --- | | Main job | Cut smoothly and relink to the OCN later | Let stakeholders watch, identify, and comment on shots easily | | Typical format | ProRes Proxy, ProRes LT, ProRes 422, DNxHD, or DNxHR | H.264 or H.265 MP4 | | Render style | Usually [individual clips](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgZjL2e8yEg) | Individual clips, scene strings, or a daily roll | | Timecode and metadata | Preserve source timecode, clip name, reel or roll, scene, and take | Burn in the identifying metadata viewers need for notes | | Audio | Synced production audio with the editorial channel order | Stereo mix unless the review spec says otherwise | | Burn-ins | Usually clean unless editorial requests them | Usually enabled | | Naming | Source filename or an approved conform-safe convention | Human-readable shoot day, scene, take, and camera information | Editorial dailies are usually built for cutting and later conform, so they need stable filenames, timecode, reel or camera roll metadata, synced production audio when available, and a codec the NLE likes. Production review files are built for playback and communication, and they often need burn-ins, a baked LUT, compressed file sizes, and a format that works on laptops, tablets, phones, or a review platform. The common deliverable options are: - ProRes Proxy, ProRes LT, or ProRes 422 in a QuickTime container for Resolve, Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, and many general offline workflows - DNxHD or DNxHR for Avid-style editorial workflows, usually with MXF or QuickTime depending on the receiving spec - H.264 or H.265 MP4 for production review, client viewing, and small-file uploads - WAV or embedded audio depending on whether editorial wants synced audio in the picture files or separate production sound delivered alongside The important thing is to avoid making one file do everything poorly. A burned-in H.264 MP4 is great for a producer watching at breakfast, but it's usually a bad editorial proxy. A clean ProRes Proxy file with proper timecode is great for offline editing, but it may be too large or too plain for quick production review. ## Build the Resolve project around the camera originals Treat the camera originals as source evidence, not working media. Your team should generate dailies after safely copying and verifying the original camera negative. Don't point Resolve at the camera card and start rendering from there. Work from a [verified clone](https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve/media/) or storage volume that preserves the original camera folder structure. Aspect streams bytes to your NLE, so the Resolve dailies station can open large camera originals without waiting for a full download. The team works from the same shared media instead of passing around another duplicate drive. In Resolve, create a dedicated dailies project or a clearly separated dailies area inside the show project. For an on-set or near-set process, a simple structure is usually better than clever organization: - Shoot day - Camera letter - Card or mag number - Reel or roll - Scene or block, if reliable metadata exists - Audio by sound roll or day Resolve’s Media page is the right place to bring in the camera originals because you can inspect folder structure, clip metadata, duration, frame rate, timecode, audio channel layout, and file naming before anything hits a timeline. Add the media into bins that match the physical or logical structure of the shoot. If the camera team delivered a shot log, bring that information into your naming and metadata decisions early instead of trying to reconstruct it after export. Set the core [project settings](https://documents.blackmagicdesign.com/UserManuals/DaVinci-Resolve-20-Editors-Guide.pdf) before building timelines. The big one is timeline frame rate, because Resolve locks important timing behavior once timelines exist. Match the production frame rate unless editorial has explicitly requested something else. If the show shot 23.976, the dailies timeline shouldn't casually become 24.000, because that small difference becomes a very large problem when audio sync, timecode, and conform enter the room. The project settings worth locking down early include: - Timeline frame rate - Timeline resolution and monitoring aspect - Video monitoring format, if using a calibrated display - Audio sample rate, usually 48 kHz for production workflows - Camera RAW decode behavior, if working from RAW formats - Color management mode - Optimized media and proxy media settings, if the Resolve station needs playback help The goal is consistency, because if every shoot day uses a different project setup, dailies become harder to compare, harder to troubleshoot, and harder for editorial to trust. ## Import camera originals without damaging relink paths When you import camera media, preserve source filenames unless the workflow has a very specific reason not to. Editorial conform depends on being able to trace an offline clip back to the original source. Resolve can carry metadata, but humans still troubleshoot with filenames, roll names, and timecode. For RAW and high-resolution camera formats, teams often use Resolve because it can read the originals even when you shouldn't ask the NLE to handle them. That's the point of a dailies pipeline: Resolve reads the large OCN and renders lighter, organized editorial and review media. Pay attention to the metadata fields that help downstream systems reconnect the dots: - Source timecode - Clip name - Reel name, tape name, or camera roll - Camera ID - Sound roll - Scene and take - Shoot date - FPS - Resolution - Audio channel configuration If a clip shows the wrong frame rate, missing timecode, or unexpected audio channels in the Media page, solve that before rendering, because once you export hundreds of clips with bad assumptions, every correction turns into a re-render. ## Apply the on-set LUT without over-grading the dailies Dailies should show the intended viewing transform and basic creative intent, not become a hidden final grade. [ARRI’s dailies guidance](https://www.arri.com/resource/blob/31938/003ed1931084419a4aa40b09187b2b9d/arri-rendering-dailies-in-davinci-resolve-workflow-guideline-data.pdf) describes Resolve as a fast option for delogged or color-corrected dailies from ARRIRAW or Apple ProRes camera originals, including workflows using 3D LUTs, per-shot LUTs, primary grading, and CDL export. That range is useful, but it also creates a trap: Resolve can do a full DI-style grade, so people start doing one. For most on-set dailies, keep the look reproducible: - Use the show LUT or camera LUT agreed in the workflow memo - Apply CDLs if the color pipeline calls for them - Use primary corrections for exposure and balance when needed - Avoid [secondary windows](https://partnerhelp.netflixstudios.com/hc/en-us/articles/4415931246995-Dailies-Best-Practices), tracking, keys, and heavy look work unless the finishing pipeline has a defined way to carry or recreate it - Keep SDR and HDR dailies separate if the production has both deliverables Where you apply the LUT depends on the workflow. A timeline-level LUT is fast, but it assumes every clip shares the same source color space and transform requirement. Clip-level LUTs are safer when multiple cameras, LUTs, or exposure-index decisions are involved. Node-based color on the Color page gives you clearer control and makes it easier to separate normalization, show LUT, and small balancing corrections. For example, a simple node structure might be: - Camera color space normalization or RAW decode adjustment - CDL or primary balance - Show LUT - Legalization or output trim if required for the viewing format Do a quick comparison against the on-set reference if you have one. If the DIT, DP, or camera team supplied stills, CDL values, or LUT names, the dailies should visibly match that intent. If they don't, don't “fix” the whole day creatively without asking. Dailies are a communication tool, and surprise color decisions create confusion fast. ## Sync audio and keep channel mapping boring If production sound is separate, sync before creating editorial dailies. Resolve can sync by timecode when the camera and audio recorder share jammed timecode, and it can also use waveform sync in some cases, but timecode remains the cleaner professional path when available. After syncing, inspect the [audio channel mapping](https://documents.blackmagicdesign.com/UserManuals/DaVinci-Resolve-16-Advanced-Editing-p1.pdf). Editorial may want a mix track on channel 1 and isolated mics on later channels, or they may have a specific channel order from the sound department. The dailies team shouldn't randomly collapse multichannel production audio into a stereo pair unless the spec says so. Confirm these audio details inside Resolve: - Embedded camera scratch audio is present where expected - Production WAVs match the shoot day and sound roll - Synced clips maintain source timecode - Channel count and order match editorial expectations - Sample rate is 48 kHz unless the show has a different standard - Dual-system audio remains traceable to the original sound files For production review MP4s, a simple stereo mix may be enough, while for editorial files, preserve what the assistant editor needs. Those are different outputs, and Resolve can render them separately. ## Add burn-ins that solve review problems Burn-ins aren't decoration, because they're there so someone watching a file can identify exactly what they're seeing and report a useful note. Aspect gives reviewers frame-accurate comments and annotations, so notes land on the exact shot and frame. The editor doesn't have to translate a timecode list from email back into Resolve. Resolve’s [Data Burn-In controls](https://documents.blackmagicdesign.com/UserManuals/DaVinci_Resolve_10_Reference_Manual.pdf) let you overlay clip and project metadata onto the image. For dailies, your team usually applies burn-ins to review files and sometimes to editorial viewing copies, but not to clean editorial proxies unless editorial requests them. Common dailies burn-in fields include: - Source clip name - Source timecode - Record timecode, if relevant - Scene and take - Camera roll or reel - Camera ID - Shoot date - Resolution or frame rate - LUT or color pipeline identifier - Audio roll or sync status Keep the burn-in readable but out of the way. If the show is framed for 2.39 inside a 16:9 file, place burn-ins in the letterbox area when possible. If there's no letterbox, use safe margins and avoid covering faces, slate information, or action. Reviewers need the metadata, but they also need to see the shot. Burn-ins should also match the file’s purpose. A director reviewing selects may need scene, take, and source timecode. A VFX supervisor may care more about clip name, frame count, and camera metadata. A post supervisor may want roll, date, and LUT ID. If you put everything on screen, nobody can read it. ## Choose transcode settings by recipient Resolve gives you several ways to create lower-bandwidth media: proxy generation, optimized media, Media Management transcodes, and Deliver page renders. For on-set dailies, the Deliver page is usually the most controlled option because it lets you combine sync, color, burn-in, naming, audio, and codec choices into repeatable presets. Blackmagic’s [Proxy Generator](https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve/collaboration) is useful when the goal is automatic proxy creation from watch folders, especially for Resolve-native workflows, and it can generate formats such as H.264, H.265, or ProRes proxies and link them back to originals. But if your dailies need a show LUT, data burn-in, synced production sound, CDL handling, or strict editorial naming, a managed Resolve render is usually a better fit. For editorial proxies, prioritize relinkability and edit performance: - Individual clips, not one long timeline movie - Same frame rate as source or agreed project rate - Source timecode preserved - Source filename or approved naming convention - Reel or roll metadata preserved where possible - Constant, edit-friendly codec - Audio channel layout matching the editorial spec These settings keep the files useful as offline media instead of turning them into simple viewing copies. For production review, prioritize playback and clarity: - H.264 MP4 for maximum compatibility - 1080p is often enough, unless framing or focus review requires higher resolution - Burn-in enabled - Stereo audio mix unless otherwise requested - File names that include shoot day, scene, take, or camera information The most common mistake is exporting review files and calling them editorial proxies. If the file has burn-ins baked into the image, heavily compressed long-GOP encoding, renamed clips with no source relationship, or missing timecode, editorial may be able to watch it, but they shouldn't have to cut with it. ## Render from the Deliver page with relink in mind On the Deliver page, use a render preset for each deliverable type. Don't manually rebuild settings every night when people are tired, because a dailies preset should define the format, codec, resolution, audio behavior, naming pattern, burn-in state, and whether Resolve renders individual source clips or a single timeline file. For editorial dailies, individual clips are usually the safer choice, because that keeps each rendered file aligned with a source clip and makes relinking, replacing, or reconforming easier. For production review, you may render individual clips, scene strings, or a single daily roll depending on how the team watches material. Naming matters, so if editorial wants source filenames, use them. If production wants human-readable review files, make a separate review export with a readable convention. Don't satisfy production by renaming editorial files in a way that breaks conform. Good render behavior is boring: - One output folder per shoot day and deliverable type - No accidental frame-rate conversion - No surprise resizing or cropping - Burn-ins only on the outputs that require them - Your team checks audio after render instead of assuming it's correct After the first few clips render, open the actual exported files outside Resolve. Check them in the kind of player or NLE the recipient will use, because this catches issues Resolve’s viewer won't reveal, such as MP4 playback problems, missing audio channels, unexpected gamma shifts, or filenames that sort badly. ## Watch for the failure modes that cost nights Most dailies problems come from small setup choices your team makes too early and discovers too late. The failures that cause the most pain are: - Project frame rate doesn't match the shoot or editorial spec - The assistant editor imported camera originals from an incomplete or unverified copy - The colorist applied the LUT twice, once through color management and once as a node or output LUT - The assistant editor rendered synced audio as stereo when editorial expected isolated tracks - The assistant editor changed source filenames without preserving reel or timecode metadata Build a tiny test round into the first day. Render one or two clips for each output type, send them to editorial and production, and get confirmation before you run the whole card, because that ten-minute test is cheaper than redoing the night. ## Make the handoff boring too The dailies package should tell the next person what they have, not force them to reverse-engineer your Resolve project. Alongside the rendered media, include whatever the production has agreed to exchange: ALE, CDL, sound reports, camera reports, LUT names, Resolve project exports, or simple notes about known issues. A clean package might include: - Editorial proxy folder - Production review folder - Audio folder, if separate - LUT or CDL folder, if part of the handoff - Camera and sound reports - A short render note with codec, resolution, frame rate, color pipeline, and any exceptions Dailies have to support both set review and downstream post. If editorial can cut immediately, production can review confidently, and finishing can trace every offline clip back to the OCN, the Resolve dailies setup is doing its job.