Congratulations! You took the leap and became a freelance filmmaker.
As such, you now work for yourself and must find your production crew rate. This is how much you charge for your work per hour, day, or week.
Your first step is to seek the advice of your local film union, as they can provide recommended rates. For example, if you’re a US filmmaker, find the best union for your job role and state and contact them.
Below, you will find recommended day rates for the main core film job roles.
Please note that the rates listed are for reference and only to give you some idea of what to charge. However, you can negotiate based on your experience. We determined these rates by researching unions for an average $1M budget feature film based on an 11-hour workday.
Above-the-Line Crew
Above-the-line crew are involved in the creative development of the film. Director’s and producer’s rates are highly negotiable and receive between 2-5% of the film’s overall budget.
| Producer | *2-5% budget |
| Director | *2-5% budget |
| Director of Photography | *$700 – $1000 |
| Production Designer | *$500 – $700 |
Below-the-Line Crew
Below-the-line crew are responsible for the day-to-day filmmaking involved in pre-production, production, and post-production. Here is a quick breakdown of day rates per department.
Production Management
| Production Manager | $430 |
| Production Coordinator | $433 |
| Production Secretary | $208 |
| Runner | $170 |
Casting Department
| Casting Director | $307 |
| Casting Assistant | $170 |
Location Department
| Location Manager | $450 |
| Unit Manager | $401 |
| Location Scout | $247 |
AD Department
| 1st Assistant Director | $337 |
| 2nd Assistant Director | $274 |
| 3rd Assistant Director | $255 |
Art Department
| Set Designer | $441 |
| Set Decorator | $400 |
| Art Director | $487 |
| Standby Props | $354 |
| Art Assistant | $180 |
Costume Department
| Costume Designer | $437 |
| Costume Supervisor | $385 |
| Costume Standby | $342 |
Hair and Makeup Department
| Hair/Makeup Designer | $433 |
| Hair/Makeup Artist | $387 |
Camera Department
| Camera Operator | $576 |
| 1st Assistant Camera | $535 |
| 2nd Assistant Camera | $410 |
| DIT | $427 |
| Script Supervisor | $418 |
Grip Department
| Key Grip | $433 |
| Best Boy Grip | $387 |
Lighting Department
| Gaffer | $570 |
| Best Boy Gaffer | $506 |
Sound Department
| Sound Designer | $564 |
| Boom Operator | $473 |
| Sound Assistant | $354 |
Post-Production
| Editor | $478 |
| 1st Assistant Editor | $353 |
How To Work Out Your Own Rate
Calculating your rate is no easy task. There are many things to consider, such as job role, production types, budget, and experience. Here are a few quick questions to ask:
Are you a member of a union or non-union?
If you work in the US film industry, your union will play a major role in your rate. Union film projects pay much more than non-union. In addition, they will help to arrange your rate and workers’ rights, such as break hours and overtime pay.
To become part of a union, you must meet their terms. These terms typically require several work credits and a certain number of hours on a film set. It can take many years of working in the film industry before you have enough experience to join a union.
What’s the production type? e.g Film, TV, Commercial
The project types will also determine rates. For example, feature films and TV dramas will pay more than short films, online videos, and unscripted TV. Once again, your union will decide your rate for the project type.
What’s the production location?
In the US, your union and state will affect your rate. For example, they will offer higher rates if you work in a union city like New York. Furthermore, your rate may increase if you work elsewhere and travel to work in an expensive location.
If you travel to work abroad for a project, your rate may also change. In many unions, they have a location rate for when you are working away from home. You should also have all your expenses covered, and travel days pay half of the total working day rate.
What tier does the budget fall under?
Many unions class film budgets under tiers. They will have recommended rates for films within a budget range. For example, tier-one feature films are between $1-3 million. In general, your day rate will increase the higher the project budget.
What is the length of the shoot day?
The recommended rates above are for 12-hour work days with a 1-hour lunch break. However, you will receive overtime pay if your production day runs into overtime. Your union will provide overtime rates, but if you work on a non-union, you must arrange these terms with the producer before filming starts.
Summary
To sum up, it can be difficult to calculate exact rates for crew as they can vary for each production. It would be nice if we all got paid the same all of the time, but that’s just not the case. Usually, producers have to negotiate back and forth before they come to an agreement.
Also, remember that if you’re expected to provide your own kit (such as camera, electrical, audio, or grip), you should charge extra for the rental. For standard equipment rates, you should compare a few different film rental companies.
