Costume Dailies are so called because they are employed on films on a day-to-day basis as temporary staff, rather than as part of the core Costume team.  In some circumstances, Dailies may be employed for the entire shoot, depending on departmental needs.  Dailies are responsible to the Costume and Wardrobe Supervisors, the Costume Design Assistant and the Costume Designer.  Their role is similar to that of the Costume Assistant, but Dailies have less responsibility, e.g., Dailies do not usually oversee continuity during filming.  Their duties depend on what is required at specific times, but usually include crowd fittings, dressing performers and standby work.

Responsibilities
Costume Dailies are often brought in for crowd fittings; they collaborate with the Costume Supervisor, Costume Assistants and Costume Design Assistants.  They work with extras, to find the right costumes to suit particular faces or physiques, and they may be responsible for taking Polaroid photographs of the costumes for Continuity purposes.  On some productions, Dailies may help in the Costume Workshop, assisting the Pattern Cutters and Costume Makers.  During the shoot Dailies work with the Supervisor and Assistants, organising the costumes, and ensuring that the appropriate outfits are correctly placed for the Actors use throughout the shooting day. 

Dailies may dress performers, explain their costumes to them, and check that their costumes match continuity requirements. They monitor the costumes for damage, performing any last-minute alterations, or sending garments to the workrooms for specialist treatment.  They may also act as Standbys on set, dressing the costumes to camera by referring to a monitor, and making sure that changes of clothes are always available in case of wet weather on locations.  In breaks, and between shoot days, Costume Dailies clean and iron costumes, and look after accessories such as hats and gloves. They may carry out other tasks such as purchasing items, visiting costumiers, or carrying out research.

Skills
Costume Dailies must be highly organised and efficient, with the keen attention to detail needed to check continuity.  They should be able to respond positively to others' requests, have good communication and interpersonal skills, and be able to work long hours under pressure as part of a team.  The ability to solve problems creatively is essential, as are flexibility and stamina. 

Dailies need to be familiar with call sheets and schedules, and aware of the correct etiquette whilst on set.  They must understand the research process, and know how to source information.  They work closely with Actors in a physical sense, and must therefore be tactful, sensitive and able to put people at their ease.  Costume Dailies must understand how to care for and maintain costumes, and need general knowledge about the qualities of different types of fabric.  Knowledge of both period costume and contemporary fashion is useful. Good IT skills (Mac and PC) are essential. 

Qualifications/Experience
Costume Dailies may have a qualification in a related field such as a BA Hons or BTEC in Fashion, Costume Design or Performing Arts (with a design module). However, practical experience is the key to progressing in the industry.  Some apprentice-style programmes, such as the FT2 New Entrant Technical Training Scheme, can prove helpful in this respect, and it is also possible to work on productions as a Costume Trainee.  Alternatively, Costume Dailies may have worked at one of the large Costumiers, gaining experience in costume and establishing valuable contacts with film production staff.  As the role involves travel, a full EU driving licence is required.

Individual course accreditation in certain subject areas is currently being piloted. As part of Skillset's and the UK Film Council's Film Skills Strategy, A Bigger Future, a network of Screen Academies and a Film Business Academy have been approved as centres of excellence in education and training for film.

Where to go for more information
Skillset is the Sector Skills Council for the Audio Visual Industries. The first sources of information for all jobs in the industry are the National Occupational Standards. Browse Skillset's website for links to our network of training partners, information about training and access to the comprehensive Skillset/BFI course database. Finally, Skillset Careers is UK's only specialist media careers advice service; for detailed media careers information and advice, visit www.skillset.org/careers.