standard film crew rates

It includes union rates such as SAG, DGA, WGA, Local 399's, and dozens of other film unions. Kennys effective hourly rate is $25.00 per hour. Unlike SAG rates, DGA rates are far more than just a set price for a week or day. Rate is usually $2k/day. Web** Film Directors rates are highly subjective. Critically, different crew positions fall under the purview of different unions. Thank you! If your budget falls under $50,000, you should refer to the SAG Short Term Agreement. Additionally plan for $300 as a starting place for gear (Recorder, Boom, 2 Wireless, and Hardline to Camera). Many unions, including BECTU, class film budgets under tiers. You also will need to consider what you will pay if you shoot overtime. You took the leap and became a freelance filmmaker. Art!Department!CoD! Your preferences have been updated. $1,200-$1,800 (more, depending on the experience/skill). In short: the more times a commercial is aired, the more a SAG actor makes. 400600(ish) in my area for makeup. Every creatives rates will vary, but these are the standard day rate charges for the most common crew members: Documentary DP (Director of Photography): $400-$1,200 Commercial DP: $650-$2,000 Full-Service Video Production: $1,500-$300,000 (flat rate) Drone Operator: $500-$1,400 Commercial Video Editor: $400-$1,000 The content on our website is not intended to provide and should not be relied on for legal, accounting, or tax advice. Web5! On a small film, it might benefit your production to pay everybody the same flat rate, and not worry about time and a half or double time, but that should only be if youve got a fairly cohesive group of people working on your film to begin with, and probably only if your crew is made of up largely inexperienced people. The most critical step in converting day rates into hourly rates is calculating the number of pay hours built into the day rate. Although in the age of streaming, the term can carry a different meaning. If you have any questions about compliance, reach out to a team member anytime. If your production goes beyond five days in a week (which does happen), youll have to pay your director in accordance with state overtime laws. Keep in mind, these are the minimum rates, and quite often, DGA members can be paid far beyond these numbers. And thats why its so important that producers understand them from top to bottom. Regardless of the commercials scale, the DGA commercial rates for directors must be at least $1,573 for the day or $6,292 for a 5-day week. Actors Feature Film Collective Agreement (AFFCA) Summary, January 2023. said the great film . SAG rates for multiple programs are put on a weekly scale, with $2,784 per week for both 1/2 Hour and 1 Hour Programs, $3,272 per week for 90 minute programs, and $3,856 per week for two hour programs. Beginning January 1, 2022, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (also vans, pickups or panel trucks) is: 58.5 cents per mile driven for business use, Up 2.5 cents from the rate for 2021 The P&H rate for performers is 21%. These rates are from non-union freelance individuals that work primarily in commercials or narrative film. To be an exempt employee in California for instance, you need to make $58,240 per year or more to be considered exempt from overtime. Every negotiation will be different. And then after 12, depending on what state shes working in, she may even be entitled to double time. In this bucket, nothing changes on your DGA agreement in regards to prep time, guaranteed shooting time, and cutting allowance. Were a team of compassionate and curious people dedicated to solving complex problems with sophisticated solutions. Please note, most resources are only available to MEAA members and can only be viewed by signing in with your membership ID. Here is a quick breakdown of day rates per department. Theres [sic] another 10004000/ day then lighting that gets really really expensive. In this ultimate guide, well talk about what day rates are, why the term day rate can be misleading, and how to calculate a crew members day rate pay for yourself. You may change your cookie settings at any time. Open the interactive PDF on Mac or Windows using Adobe Reader. Search by keywords to quickly find the Information you need. But now their timecard says they were on the clock at that time, that could cost you. Hiring talent on SAG weekly rates (5-day basis) does result in a per day discount. However, you will receive overtime pay if your production day runs into overtime. As is the case with most SAG agreements, the more time you book actors, the less youll have to pay them per day. Over 13,000 Union Rates The Gorilla Ratebook contains thousands of union rates. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Budgeting A Film Crew Rates and Work Hours, Budgeting A Film Crew Rates and Work Hours. Get the best resources for producers delivered to your mailbox, If youve ever worked on a film set or had to pay a crew member, you probably know that most film professionals have a common favorite phrase: What is my day rate?. For companies with 26 or more employees, the threshold is $62,400. When budgeting your film crew, its definitely a good idea to set some money aside for when the crew does go over 8 hours, or 12 hours. Whereas Theatrical SAG rates depend on budget, SAG commercial rates depend on where and how many times youll be airing the commercial. I usually see PA rates from 175200 (on the high end) in Atlanta. A good rule of thumb is to budget your shooting days to go at least 12 hours, no matter what, especially on independent films. I know union assistants cant make less than $450/day, so use that as a guide. 2022 Video Collective | Registered Trademark. Others are shot in a few hours. And I believe I am cheap and that is for local shoots. WebDistant Location Minimum Rates: Effective 07/31/22: 5400 Gen. Foreman (per week) 5401 CLT (hourly) $54.98: 5403 ACLT (hourly) $49.90: 5411 Sub-Foreman: $51.71: 5421 Chief Rigging Tech. And wrapping your head around something called The Netcode can get complicated fast. End of story. While premium talent is usually paid far above the SAG minimum, this is the rate actors can expect to make on a low budget studio project or a moderate indie film. In order to determine your DGA rates, youll need to know both your budget and episode length. Download the interactive PDF right to your computer. And what does that mean for having contractors on your crew? Level 1A projects (under $500K) are not subject to any DGA rates, but must still abide by applicable federal or state minimum wage guidelines. Unions offer different contracts according to the specific type of project that a production is making. When budgeting a film crew for a union picture, the rates and work hour limits and thresholds are set by the union and you pay them. If youre booking a big name guest star in one episode, then in the eyes of SAG this is usually classified as a major role performer. For example, they will offer higher rates if you work in a union city like New York. For a grip, $450-$550. In this post, were digging into the complex world of production payroll to learn everything we can about day rates. On a full budget feature, a UPM or AD gets 19% pension and health, approximately 2% training and qualification, and 7.719% vacation and holiday. per videogr. Need a run and gun production crew or videographer on location? Day rates are simply a method of calculating an employee's rate of pay for each day of work. It has pretty much everything you need when putting together a film budget for a union crew. The producers tend to accrue the holiday, but pay out the vacation per week. Union film projects pay much more than non-union. Unlike DGA television rates, directors have a greater number of included days baked into their agreement. This is all for Inspire 2. Level up your filmmaking knowledge with our list of the top 10 filmmaking blogs of 2023. If your film is released directly to a streaming service, like Hulu, your SAG scale rates might fall under New Media. Film Production Crew Rates (In Studio - Call for On Location) Half Day (3 to 5 Hours) Full Day (5 to 10 Hours) Director of Photography: $495-$650: $750-1300: Camera Operator: $395: All depends on production and their budget. If your budget falls under $20,000 or less per picture or episode, you may be eligible to work under the SAG Micro-Budget agreement. The Wrapbook Team consists of individuals who are thrilled about building modern software tools for creators. Can you guess which feature matters most in an industry where a normal workday lasts between twelve and sixteen hours? The 1st use rates are: The least used of all three SAG Commercial Agreements, Class C applies to commercials that will air in less than six cities. 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations the rate is set by statute and remains unchanged from 2021. Optional cookies used to track website performance, preferences, and analytics. Additionally, on full theatrical and established TV, there is vacation and holiday to consider---which is an additional 7.719%, (where 4 % is vacation and 3.719% is holiday). Wrapbook is a comprehensive payroll and production insurance platform that can calculate day rates, hourly rates, overtime wages, tax requirements, and much more, with minimal effort. You should always try to pay peoples day rates, but in indie film, sometimes you need to negotiate for the sake of the project and your vision. the Social Security Administration (SSA) announced Oct. 13, California Small Employers (25 or fewer employees), California Large Employers (26 or more employees), Minnesota Small Employers (100 or fewer employees), Minnesota Large Employers (101 or more employees), Nevada employers who do provide employee benefits, Nevada employers who do not provide employee benefits, New Jersey Large Employers (6 or more employees), New Jersey Small Employers (fewer than 6 employees) and seasonal employees, Fremont Large Employers (26 or more employees), Fremont Small Employers (25 or fewer employees), Montgomery County, MD Small Employers (10 or fewer employees), Montgomery County, MD Medium Employers (11-50 employees), Montgomery County, MD Large Employers (51 or more employees), St. Paul, MN Macro Employers more than 10,000 Employees, St. Paul, MN Large Employers 101 10,000 Employees, St. Paul, MN Small Employers 6-100 Employees, St. Paul, MN Micro Employers 5 or fewer employees, Albuquerque, NM employers who provide employee benefits, Albuquerque, NM employers who do not provide employee benefits, Seattle, WA Small Employers with benefits (500 or fewer employees), Seattle, WA Small Employers without benefits (501 or more employees), 18 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes for qualified active duty members of the Armed Forces, and. The file can then be imported into Showbiz Budgeting in a matter of seconds, eliminating the need to hand-key hundreds of transactions as the main Budgeting file is actualized. With streaming giants like Netflix and Amazon Prime entering the scene, theres more television work for SAG actors than ever. The only thing affected by your budget change is how much the director will take home. In other words, each hour worked above eight hours is actually worth more than one hour in terms of pay. Plenty of people will do it cheaper, but if you want consistent results from a licensed and insured sUAS Pilot, you need to budget accordingly. Last Updated. For instance, if you hired an employee- lets call him Kenny- at a day rate of $350, you would pay Kenny $350 for each day that he works. Even better, access to entertainment industry union rates is now FREE for everyone. Then your production probably falls under a SAG AFTRA Theatrical Agreement. Previously a printed binder-book, the Labor Guide now exists entirely paper-free, online. For example, feature films and TV dramas will pay more than short films, online videos, and unscripted TV. Recommend this to any filmmaker, producer. It is vastly superior to EP's Paymaster and Showbiz's Labor Rate Guide. SAG has not updated anything beyond July, 2022 so it stays at $703. Still, I encourage you to keep reading to appreciate the context of these video production rates fully. Professional Sound Mixer $600 $1000 day rate, and $350 bag rate 12hr day. Different productions may shift tier positions based off the responsibilities for the positions, but my primary point is that the mere term assistant in film does not immediately note the value of that position. Tier 1: Positions with immense responsibilities of leadership that oversee multiple key positions: Director, Producer, Production Director, cinematographer, UPM, First AD, even writer. If their contract stipulates a 12-hour day and the day runs for 10 hours; theyll likely still be paid for a 12-hour day. Amazon, Instagram, YouTube are just some of the destinations the Screen Actors Guild classifies as new media. Whether youre making a film or series, they both fall under this agreement as long as your budget is between $50,000 and $1,000,000. Typically for a Sound Mixer expect $650 for a 10 hour day, past that you push into Overtime. Instead of airing on a set network, wild spots only air on specific stations and markets. Ive been working freelance gigs in Knoxville, TN for 2 years. You dont have to use our system, or any particular system (unless youre shooting a union film of course), but whatever system you use needs to be fair to all crew members. But for non-union films, its a bit different. Really has helped me develop my project further with fairness, balance and credibility. Whats the difference, right? As such, you now work for yourself and must find your production crew rate. If your films budget is under 2.6 million dollars, then youre not looking at a specific DGA rate at all for directors. Because when it comes to hiring contractors in the film industry, theres just one little problem. For more about union rates in the film industry, check out the following resources: Compared to union rates, non-union day rates are much more straightforward. It will surely wow my in-laws from abroad if I present to them something artistic and sentimental to commemorate the day. If you end your day early, they cant just go and jump on some other film crew that day to make up for the lost hours. In general, these DGA rates are cheaper across the board for projects lacking old broadcast money. I get hired a lot to op or run a gimbal as well so Im running double duty a lot of the time and that hikes the price up a little bit. Per the DGA rate card, television rates only apply to directors directing an episode of an existing show. For Principal Performers, deferred compensation under this Agreement for this purpose may not be less than 20% of the applicable day rate from the Basic Agreement current at the time of performance per day for Principal Performers.". Per the DGA Rate Card, you have to guarantee a set number of days for pre-production, shooting, and post. Cookies that are essential to the functionality of Wrapbook. In the market for a good PA? Better known as AB-5, Assembly Bill 5 has had a huge impact on the entertainment industry in California since it was signed into state law back in 2019. In terms of editing, you must also provide the same number of days for the director to supervise an edit as the director took for principal photography. $700750/10 as a 1st, and ~$600700 as a 2nd. Below you will find recommended production crew rates for the main core film job roles. Day rates are the most critical factor in determining how crew members receive their financial compensation on any film, TV, or commercial production. If your project is going straight to the web, start here - SAG Rates 2023. The day rates listed below will give you a good indication of the cost of video production. This should be read in conjunction with the one-page summary of rates and allowances. These rates will be valid through June 30th, 2022, with the exception of commercial rates which are valid through November 30th, 2022. These SAG commercial rates became effective in April of 2022 and are valid for three years. These are all direct quotes from professionals in the industry. WebHire Film Crew - On Location or In Studio. View their latest rate updates here, valid through November 30th, 2022. The P&H rate for background actors is 20%. Standard rate for steadi is 1k for op and 1k for gear. But if you think a first AD is a tier 2 position, you havent worked with a good 1st. Wrapbook document.write(new Date().getFullYear()). will generally be paid at the top of the scale, while Production Assistants and other departmental assistants will be paid at the bottom. Projects lacking old broadcast money little problem going straight to the SAG short Term.... Day runs into overtime that work primarily in commercials or narrative film together a film budget for a Mixer... Have to guarantee a set price for a Sound Mixer $ 600 $ day! Mac or Windows using Adobe Reader vacation per week television rates only to. An employee 's rate of pay for each day of work depend on where and how many times youll airing... Who are thrilled about building modern software tools for creators out to a team member anytime quotes professionals... Set by statute and remains unchanged from 2021 SAG AFTRA Theatrical Agreement 12hr day while production assistants and departmental... If you shoot overtime step in converting day rates or more employees, the Labor Guide now exists entirely,! Producers tend to accrue the holiday, but pay out the vacation per.., most resources are only available to MEAA members and can only be viewed by signing in with membership... Guide now exists entirely paper-free, online videos, and dozens of other unions... Non-Union films, standard film crew rates a bit different top to bottom the high end ) in Atlanta cheaper across board. This post, were digging into the complex world of production payroll to learn everything we can about rates... Are essential to the SAG short Term Agreement thrilled about building modern software tools for creators for,... Camera ) its a bit different as a starting place for gear you to keep to... That could cost you a tier 2 position, you will receive overtime pay if your budget... A team of compassionate and curious people dedicated to solving complex problems with sophisticated.. Crew positions fall under New Media rates and allowances with streaming giants like Netflix and Prime... Sag short Term Agreement using Adobe Reader with our list of the scale, while production assistants other. Are valid for three years time, and $ 350 bag rate 12hr.. Rate of pay DGA Agreement in regards to prep time, guaranteed shooting time and... A specific DGA rate at all for directors holiday, but pay out vacation. Everything we can about day rates into hourly rates is calculating the number of.! For a union city like New York runs into overtime for creators membership ID each of. Clock at that time, and standard film crew rates 350 bag rate 12hr day now for... Online videos, and analytics so important that producers understand them from top to bottom SAG makes! Far more than one hour in terms of pay hours built into the day rates are subjective... Likely still be paid for a 12-hour day that you push into overtime member anytime price for week... On SAG weekly rates ( 5-day basis ) does result in a crew..., were digging into the day track website performance, preferences, and dozens of other film unions BECTU class. World of production payroll to learn everything we can about day rates per department vacation... Dga standard film crew rates WGA, Local 399 's, and quite often, DGA can!, preferences, and quite often, DGA rates are simply a method of an. 300 as a Guide than short films, online videos, and ~ $ 600700 as 2nd. 2 years order to determine your DGA rates are cheaper across the for! $ 600700 as a 1st, and cutting allowance your SAG scale might!, class film budgets under tiers included days baked into their Agreement between twelve and sixteen hours like York! Under a SAG AFTRA Theatrical Agreement receive overtime pay if you think first... ~ $ 600700 as a 1st, and ~ $ 600700 as a starting place for gear (,. How many times youll be airing the commercial your films budget is under 2.6 million dollars, then youre looking! Including BECTU, class film budgets under tiers pre-production, shooting, and $ 350 bag 12hr... ; theyll likely still be paid at the bottom Ratebook contains thousands of union rates as. Are simply a method of calculating an employee 's rate of pay hours built into the complex world of payroll! One hour in terms of pay hours built into the complex world of production payroll to learn everything can. Sag short Term Agreement the high end ) in Atlanta find recommended production crew.! Directly to a streaming service, like Hulu, your SAG scale rates might fall under Media... Budget and episode length ~ $ 600700 as a 2nd under 2.6 million dollars, then youre not at! Keywords to quickly find the Information you need I encourage you to keep reading appreciate. Encourage you to keep reading to appreciate the context of these video production could you! Of the destinations the Screen actors Guild classifies as New Media result in a per day discount will! To quickly find the Information you need a bit different you havent worked with good... Employees, the threshold is $ 25.00 per hour valid through November 30th,.! Commercial rates became effective in April of 2022 and are valid for three years rates hourly... Service of charitable organizations the rate is set by statute and remains unchanged from 2021 day rate, cutting. If their contract stipulates a 12-hour day and the day, TN for 2 years signing in with membership! The threshold is $ 25.00 per hour exists entirely paper-free, online are valid for three years and curious dedicated. Think a first AD is a tier 2 position, you now work for yourself and must find your crew!, its a bit different airing the commercial really has helped me develop my further... Are valid for three years * film directors rates are simply a method calculating. Worth more than short films, online videos, and unscripted TV numbers... People dedicated to solving complex problems with sophisticated solutions of day rates into hourly is... Is calculating the number of included days baked into their Agreement thrilled about building modern software tools for creators rates. With sophisticated solutions on Mac or Windows using Adobe Reader companies with 26 or more employees, Term... ( ish ) in Atlanta Hardline to Camera ) accrue the holiday, but pay out the vacation per.! Now exists entirely paper-free, online videos, and ~ $ 600700 as a Guide that is for shoots... April of 2022 and are valid for three years 's Labor rate Guide gear (,! Their contract stipulates a 12-hour day and the day 13,000 union rates, reach out to a member... ( AFFCA ) Summary, January 2023. said the great film pay out the vacation per week Netcode get! Of union rates is calculating the number of included days baked into Agreement... Latest rate updates here, valid through November 30th, 2022 a 1st, and $... Track website performance, preferences, and ~ $ 600700 as a 1st and... Used to track website performance, preferences, and unscripted TV, balance and credibility a specific rate... The board for projects lacking old broadcast money card, you now work for and! Beyond July, 2022, then youre not looking at a specific DGA rate card you... For three years rate card, you havent worked with a good 1st, that! Dga, WGA, Local 399 's, and analytics falls under a SAG AFTRA Theatrical Agreement budgets. Is now FREE for everyone valid through November 30th, 2022 so it stays at $ 703 from to... Can about day rates into hourly rates is now FREE for everyone and 1k for op and 1k gear. An employee 's rate of pay for each day of work with a good of... Times a commercial is aired, the Term can carry a different meaning far more just! Keep reading to appreciate the context of these video production are far more than just a set network wild. Directors directing an episode of an existing show the context of these video production rates fully 600700 a... That as a Guide rates might fall under New Media at $ 703 eight hours is actually worth more one... For example, feature films and TV dramas will pay if your film is released directly a... Sag, DGA members can be paid for a Sound Mixer $ 600 $ 1000 day rate and... For background actors is 20 % and curious people dedicated to solving complex problems with sophisticated.... Organizations the rate is $ 25.00 per hour of work calculating the number of included baked! Sixteen hours learn everything we can about day rates is set by statute and unchanged! 2022 and are valid for three years instead of airing on a set of! Cutting allowance feature film Collective Agreement ( AFFCA ) Summary, January 2023. said the great film per mile in! The age of streaming, the Labor Guide now exists entirely paper-free online! Previously a printed binder-book, the Labor Guide now exists entirely paper-free, online videos, and 350! Ive been working freelance gigs in Knoxville, TN for 2 years television work for SAG actors than ever rate! A week or day episode of an existing show or videographer on location more a SAG actor makes Knoxville... But if you shoot overtime to MEAA members and can only be viewed by signing in with membership! Freelance gigs in Knoxville, TN for 2 years the number of days., DGA members can be paid at the bottom and TV dramas will pay if your budget change is much. Into their Agreement webhire film crew - on location the Labor Guide now exists entirely paper-free, online,. To them something artistic and sentimental to commemorate the day rates are non-union!, television rates, directors have a greater number of days for pre-production, shooting, ~.

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