Prep: agreeing on the pipeline
A DIT's prep starts with a meeting nobody else wants to have: the DP, the post supervisor, the dailies lab or post house, and sometimes the editor and VFX supervisor agree on how images move from sensor to screen. That means the camera's recording format and codec, resolution and frame rate, color space, how many copies of the media get made and where they go, what the dailies look like, and when editorial needs them.
The DIT then works with the DP and colorist during camera tests to build the show LUT, the color transform that makes the camera's log image look like the intended picture on set monitors and in dailies. On productions that use a live grade, the DIT will adjust the look shot by shot on set with the DP and pass those adjustments to post as metadata.
On set: the cart and the image
The DIT works from a cart with a calibrated monitor, a waveform and scopes, offload stations, and RAID storage, parked near set with a clean video feed from each camera. During takes the DIT watches exposure, focus, and anything wrong with the image: flicker from a practical light, a dead pixel, a recording setting that changed after a reboot. They talk to the DP on a private channel and to the 1st AC when there's a camera issue.
Between setups the DIT offloads media. When the 2nd AC hands over a card with its camera report, the DIT copies it to at least two destinations with checksum verification, checks a sample of clips for playback, and only then marks the card as safe to format. Formatting a card before verification finishes is how footage gets lost, so DITs usually mark each card's status with colored tape or a label before it goes back to the 2nd AC.
Storage arithmetic
The DP wants two cameras on a 12-hour day, and the production needs a primary copy, a backup, and a shuttle drive to the post house. The DIT looks up the camera manufacturer's data rate for the chosen format. Say it's 20 GB per minute of footage (the real number depends heavily on the camera, resolution, and codec).
If each camera records about 180 minutes in a day, that's 360 minutes total. 360 times 20 GB is 7,200 GB, or 7.2 TB of original media. Three copies means 21.6 TB of storage filled per day. Over a 30-day shoot, the primary and backup copies alone are 432 TB. Those numbers go to the post supervisor and line producer in prep because drive purchases and shuttle runs are real budget lines.
Dailies and handoff
At lunch and wrap the DIT, or a dailies operator, may create dailies: proxy files with the look applied, synced sound, and burned-in timecode and scene and take information. Some shows send original media to a post house that makes dailies overnight instead. Either way, the DIT sends a daily report listing every card, clip count, sizes, checksums, and any problems noticed on set, and confirms the shuttle drive is on its way.
A realistic day
| Time | Work |
|---|---|
| 5:45 a.m. | Sets up the cart, powers up storage, loads the show LUT |
| 6:00 a.m. | Crew call. Checks camera settings on each body with the 1st ACs |
| 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. | Watches the image, offloads cards between setups, gives DP notes |
| 1:00 p.m. | Lunch. Plays back yesterday's dailies for the DP |
| 1:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. | Afternoon setups. Adjusts live grade for a sunset exterior |
| 6:00 p.m. | Camera wrap. Final cards offloaded and verified |
| 7:30 p.m. | Shuttle drive handed to the PA for the post house, report sent |
Who DITs work with
The DIT answers to the director of photography on image matters and works side by side with the camera assistants, especially the 1st AC on camera settings and the 2nd AC on media handoffs. Outside the camera department, they work with the post supervisor, the dailies colorist, editorial, the VFX team when plates and metadata are needed, and the production office on drive purchases and shuttle logistics.
Pay and the union
On Local 600's 2026 to 2027 Western Region rate card, Panel 1, effective August 2, 2026, the Digital Imaging Technician line reads:
| Schedule | Per hour | Guarantee |
|---|---|---|
| Schedule A-2, daily (1-1/2 after 8, 8-hour minimum call) | $93.04 | $744.32 per 8-hour day |
| Schedule B-2, weekly (1-1/2 after 40) | $85.27 | $3,410.80 per week |
The weekly figure is 40 hours at $85.27. A footnote on the card says this rate applies to employees on one-hour and long-form television recorded digitally, so check the applicable panel and agreement for a feature. DITs often rent their cart and storage to the production as a separate package, which goes in the budget as an equipment rental line.
The Local 600 roster information sheet lists the classifications that require Industry Experience Roster placement to work in the Western Region: DP, operator, still and portrait photographer, video controller, 1st and 2nd assistant, and film loader. DIT isn't on that list, so a DIT looking to join should contact Local 600 member services at the national office for current requirements.
How DITs get hired
DITs come from the camera department (2nd ACs and data managers who learned the software), from post production (assistant editors and dailies operators who know color and codecs), and from a technical background in video engineering. Camera manufacturers and rental houses run training on their systems and software, and many DITs started as a data wrangler or digital utility under an experienced DIT.
The DIT's reports need scene and take info that match the script supervisor's notes and the camera reports. In Storiara, the shot list for each scene carries the planned setups, so the DIT can see how many setups are coming on a given day.