standard film crew rates

In short: the more times a commercial is aired, the more a SAG actor makes. Below the line crew are responsible for the day to day filmmaking involved in pre-production, production, and post-production. Whereas Theatrical SAG rates depend on budget, SAG commercial rates depend on where and how many times youll be airing the commercial. In the eyes of the DGA, pilots get special treatment - DGA Rate Card 2022. However, calculating your SAG rates for TV is by far the most confusing. We begin by negotiating the expected length of Kennys workday. $750/10 is common. However, if you have to add additional days beyond the minimum, youll have to pay on a daily or weekly scale. However, you can negotiate based on your experience. 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. When it comes to DGA commercials, the DGA Rate Card is simple and easy to understand. If an actor appears in less than half of a seasons episode order, talent would then be classified as a major role (guest star). Note that minimum work weeks are not affected, as it still takes the same length of time to make a high budget film. I usually see PA rates from 175200 (on the high end) in Atlanta. We also drummed up a tool to help you find the right SAGcontract. And then after 12, depending on what state shes working in, she may even be entitled to double time. (Who often end up costing the producer and the film more money due to their inexperience, slowness, and/or flat out ineptitude, relative to that of an experienced crew. For crew positions that require equipment and resources (ACs, HMU, audio, etc), they will charge an extra kit/gear rate. For example, tier one, feature films between $1 million $3 million. $1000USD/day for commercial DOP, usually ask the same for anything with ok to decent budget. Rate is anywhere from 2600 to 1400 depending upon the job and what gear o mine is needed, RED EPIC W Package and Steadicam Package ($2500 a day), At least 1500. The day rates listed below will give you a good indication of the cost of video production. Cast and Crew. I frequently go down to $1000. If youre making a studio flick, then chances are this is where youll find your DGA rates. Under this contract, actors must make a SAG day rate of $703, or $2,441 per week. Lower budgets go to $700/10 or /12 depending. Your productions only legal obligation for non-union rates is to achieve payroll compliance with all federal and local labor laws. DGA Rate Cards 2020 to 2021 In addition to these rates, commercial contracts will require a 19.25-20.5% pension and health contribution. Editor! You took the leap and became a freelance filmmaker. This much-requested tool allows crew in the field to enter their purchase orders, including vendor and payment info, and email the file to the lead accountant. WebMovie Production and Film Crew Pay Rates in the U.S. - Entertainment Partners THE PAYMASTER RATE GUIDE The industry's most comprehensive guide. For example, lets say were trying to hire your old friend Kenny as a gaffer on our low-budget, non-union production. 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. Instead, for films with budgets between 2.6 and 3.75 million dollars, you must guarantee your director work on the project for 13 weeks and ensure the rate for the whole job is no less than $75,000. Loader/Data gets $250-$500/10 and $250-$500 gear. When Im doing super basic stuff, it usually comes out to $850950/day. Tier 1.5 positions with immense responsibilities but are more focused in scope and often more technical: Principal Makeup, Sound Mixer, SFX lead, Script Supervisor. Their concept of a 10-hour day at say $500 per day is $50 per hour. It can take many years of working in the film industry before you have enough experience to join a union. Overtime laws vary state to state, but they usually kick in after eight hours in a given workday. apher. WebFilm Crew Pricing Sheet: Director of Photography Day Rate: $1,500 to $2,500 Camera Operator Day Rate: $850 to $1250 Digital Image Technician Day Rate: $500 to $750 Gaffer/Key Grip Day Rate: $500 to $600 Grip/Electric Day Rate: $400 to $500 Swing Day Rate: $350 to $500 Sound Recordist Day Rate: $900-$1200 Studio Shooting: $100/hour to SAG has not updated anything beyond July, 2022 so it stays at $703. Filmmaker, photographer, digital marketer. Standard rate for steadi is 1k for op and 1k for gear. WebFilm & Television or Commercials & Corporate or Pop Promo Photographic Standard day & overtime rates The industry standard for a photographic job is 300 for a half day (up to 5hrs) and 500 for a full day (up to 10hrs).Overtime where applicable is charged at 20% of the daily rate per hour. The P&H rate for background actors is 20%. Calculating production crew rates is no easy task. Ill show up for $1500, though. DGA rates are the minimum amounts of money the Directors Guild of America will allow its members to work for on a given project. Like SAG rates, the DGA minimums are based on the budget of your project. Unions operating in the film industry generally mandate minimum rate requirements that productions must meet in order to remain compliant. 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations the rate is set by statute and remains unchanged from 2021. Lets just say its unlikely youll be paying flat day rates anytime soon. The first AD runs the entire set. So if youre not producing a pilot, these are your rates. Offered on both a daily and weekly scale, SAG rates are often determined by the project type, budget constraints, and distribution plan. This is all for Inspire 2. Please note, most resources are only available to MEAA members and can only be viewed by signing in with your membership ID. If you're producing an existing episode of a TV series, start here - DGA Rate Card 2022. Before diving in, its critical to create a detailed budget of your production, as this will determine your specific SAG rates. These localities have minimum wage requirements that are different or higher than the state or federal minimum wage, or they will in 2022: In 2022, the Internal Revenue Service issued optional standard mileage rates used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical or moving purposes. How many hours does an employee have to work to earn their pay? Grips in TV Ratecard 2022 Grip Department Rates for Film 2022 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. WebThe Gorilla Ratebook is the premiere guide to get up-to-date crew rates. The SAG Low Budget Agreement applies to films with budgets between $700,000 and $2,000,000, making this the SAG pay scale of most independent films. Additional days cost a few thousand dollars more as well. Unlike DGA television rates, directors have a greater number of included days baked into their agreement. People like David Fincher arent working with Netflix for nothing. With all the details planned out we are finally ready for We send our own production crew to HMUA here, my rates vary depending on the size of the project $550-$1050 per day, Hair/makeup typically $500750 day rate for lead and $200300 per assistant. You dont need to use budgeting software, but understanding the cost of your project is crucial to determining your DGA rates. The most critical step in converting day rates into hourly rates is calculating the number of pay hours built into the day rate. As with most everything television, your minimum DGA rates depend on where your pilot is being aired initially and its length. Oops! For that same $500 for 10 hours, the hourly rate would be $45.45. In the market for a good PA? You may change your cookie settings at any time. Films made under this pact can be released at film festivals, on free-streaming sites like Vimeo or YouTube. The DGA rates for UPMs and ADs though vary whether its level 4A ( $3.75MM - $5.5MM) or 4B ($5.5MM - $8.5MM): Unlike the DGA Television rates, Level 3 doesnt set a specific program rate, prep period, or even a DGA rate for work beyond a guaranteed commitment. 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. Sound gear rates are based on the needs of the shoot, $300 is a great starting place, but anything passed [sic] a basic kit will increase the price. One page summary of the latest TVC/Corporate Video, Television, Feature/Short Film and Live theatre minimum rates. The key distinguisher here is that they report directly to the director on creative decisions. That means instead of paying $1000 for the day youll have to pay an additional fee ($194) on top of that. After eight hours, an employees hourly rate begins to be multiplied by a factor that increases as more continuous hours are worked. 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?. As such, you now work for yourself and must find your production crew rate. In a very real sense, day rates make the entire world of professional filmmaking go round. Compensation for Days Worked Beyond Guarantee, Daily Production Fee, Studio(Daily Employment Only), Daily Production Fee, Location (Daily Employment Only). See the specific agreements below. In other words, each hour worked above eight hours is actually worth more than one hour in terms of pay. Per the DGA rate card, television rates only apply to directors directing an episode of an existing show. For network pilots, DGA directors must receive a flat rate for their efforts, increasing with program length. UK. Traditionally, the Netcode was divided into either front of the book or back of the book rates where front of the book deals with either non-network or network non-primetime programs, (like soaps, game shows, award shows, or specials), while back of the book rates were often used for dramatic programs. The content on our website is not intended to provide and should not be relied on for legal, accounting, or tax advice. Unlike the SAG rates for Class A, you have to pay slightly more if New York City is one of your cities, which is why most opt for the first agreement. If you travel to work abroad for a project, your rate may also change. The project types will also determine production crew rates. Something went wrong while submitting the form. $1500 is a good baseline for an experienced op with good gear. My current rate for prod sound mixing is $650/day. Buy now Trusted by industry professionals for more than 30 years. The logic behind this is that those crew members booked out your show, making them unavailable for any other work that day. However, for a production that includes 1 camera operator a lot of multitasking will be required to succeed. They will have recommended rates for films within a budget range. 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. Rate Cards (BA/FLTTA) To view the 2020 - 2021 Rate Cards (BA/FLTTA) as a single document, please click the PDF link directly below. $1500 for a single op setup. Level up your filmmaking knowledge with our list of the top 10 filmmaking blogs of 2023. Under a DGA contract, directors receive a minimum feature film director day rate of $4,081 to $5,441. If youre looking for a SAG short film agreement, this is likely the right place to start. To learn more about how Wrapbook processes personal data, please see our privacy policy. Here, you can find DGA rates for films across a variety of budgets. In Kennys case, we divide a rate of $350 by a pay hour total of fourteen. SAG Theatrical Rates apply to actors performing in films across a variety of budgets. You can see the new pension and health plan numbers here.. Told ya so, and attempt to reclassify your crew members as contractors, you might want to take a moment to read the fine print. Directors usually get 510% of the total budget. If youre interested in learning more, check out our post on payroll compliance, or visit our events page to learn live. In general, your day rate will increase the higher the project budget. This is for companies with up to 25 employees. Right now Im doing a Union $3mil feature for $2k/week. Thank you! In this guide, we break down the most current DGA rates according to the 2022 DGA Rate Card, so you can determine what you might owe your director on your next project. Jump into the database of searchable union rates for the following: The Labor Guide also displays overtime rates and guarantees per job category, plus a section of Fringe rates such as Pension, Health and Vacation pay. But for non-union films, its a bit different. Incredibly grateful for Film Budgeteers. Now, in California or for unions, that same rate would be interpreted as 8 hours at their regular rate + 2 hours at time and a half. 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. For unit production managers and assistant directors, rates are: Once you drop a dollar before 11 million dollars, your project falls into a low budget DGA production (I know). If you want one from [name of a major VFX studio] they bill $5000 a day. Download the updated rates. Wrapbook uses cookies to personalize your experience, provide you with enhanced functionality, and improve the performance of our site. Exempt employees will get their fixed day rate regardless if they're working for an hour or 12. Web** Film Directors rates are highly subjective. Wow, this is a very helpful guide for someone like me looking into producing a short film for a family reunion. (Twice her hourly rate. If you cant pay your crew make sure to pay their expenses so they are not out of pocket. Whats the difference, right? Crew members are classified as non-exempt employees. Travel rates may be negotiated depending on location. Its interesting to know that film crew payments tend to be tiered. 2022 Video Collective | Registered Trademark. However, determining which rate applies you can be a difficult and confusing process. Its important to note that youll have to pay an additional 19% on your DGA payroll for health and benefits, called fringes. You can see the new pension and health plan numbers here. Now you just have to repeat that process with every single other member of your crew. SAG has not updated anything beyond July, 2022, so day rate stays with a preferred minimum at $216. As is the case with most SAG agreements, the more time you book actors, the less youll have to pay them per day. The linked agreement above reads that if it isnt updated then 35% of the Theatrical Basic is used to determine these rates. *2-5% budget. 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. While the DGA Rate Card refers to dramatic programs, there isnt a separate rate card for comedies. But if you think a first AD is a tier 2 position, you havent worked with a good 1st. There are of course, way more stipulations that go into determining whether or not someone is exempt. Unless, of course, youd prefer to handle payroll the easy way. The cost of the videographer will vary based the number of hours of raw footage, the size of the video crew required, the amount of editing and retouching, the final length of the video, the location, and any additional services you request. For example, feature films and TV dramas will pay more than short films, online videos, and unscripted TV. Avoid opening yourself up to unnecessary risk wherever possible. For more on SAG compliance, discover how to budget SAG payroll. Some commercials are shot over several weeks. determining whether or not someone is exempt. hi(at)jeremiahwarren.com. Take our quick quiz and well point you to the contract thats yours. After a quick conversation, Kenny agrees that his old rate of $350/day will be officially recognized as $350/12 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. Instead of airing on a set network, wild spots only air on specific stations and markets. January 25, That being said, youll still have to pay at least 19% in fringes on top of whatever rate you and the director reach. With rate sheets spread across a dozen websites and conflicting information abound, calculating your productions SAG rates can be harder than casting. Tier 3.5 Production assistants learning the trade. DGA rates depend on the type of production youre producing, your schedule, as well as your budget. Sometimes a 1015% (or more) of budget. per videogr. Search our directory of freelance camera crew by skills, location, and rates. Union film projects pay much more than non-union. If youre making a television series thatll go directly online (ala Netflix) and your budget is under a million, then youll want to check out New Media. At Wrapbook, we pride ourselves on providing outstanding free resources to producers and their crews, but this post is for informational purposes only as of the date above. Then your production probably falls under a SAG AFTRA Theatrical Agreement. And if you know the difference between exempt and non-exempt employees, you know that this classification has a huge impact on how crew members total earnings are calculated. SAG actors are paid weekly for their time, with $3,756 / week for appearing in every episode, $4,300 per week for appearing in more than half, and $5,000 per week for appearing in half. Ultimately, the best way to know what a fair wage is for any department is to look at what their union has laid out for that particular job. 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. Though, it is best practice and highly suggested to stick to what is contractually agreed. The Showbiz Labor Guide has been the go-to authority for guild and union rates in the entertainment industry for over 25 years, including SAG-AFTRA scale. Cookies that are essential to the functionality of Wrapbook. 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. Once again, your union will decide your day rates for the project type. On the one hand, you want to make sure you get the best, most experienced non-union crew possible without breaking the bank, but on the other, you want to make sure that the rate youre offering your crew is competitive or at least not too far off the mark from what your crew gets paid typically on other non-union shoots. Henri K. W. Rapp www.henrirapp.com. USA. Please note these rates listed are for reference only to give you some idea of what to charge. The minimum for UPMs and ADs are as follows:UPM: $3,6191st AD: $3,441, Key 2nd AD: $2,306All other 2nd ADs: $1,325. No matter what your budget level, theres bound to be a bit inequity when it comes to how much Crew Member A is paid versus how much Crew Member B is paid. Professionals for more than one hour in terms of pay programs, isnt... To standard film crew rates budgeting software, but understanding the cost of video production air on specific stations and markets here. Only air on specific stations and markets television rates only apply to actors performing in films across a dozen and... To know that film crew payments tend to be tiered federal and local labor laws conversation! Numbers here making a studio flick, then chances are this is where youll find your DGA.! The day rates anytime soon used to determine these rates listed are for only. Updated anything beyond July, 2022, so day rate determining which rate applies you see. They 're working for an hour or 12 prod sound mixing is $ 50 per hour to learn Live whether! Someone like me looking into producing a pilot, these are your rates payroll compliance, $... There isnt a separate rate Card for comedies days baked into their agreement words each... Your rates for that same $ 500 gear pay on a set network, spots!, way more stipulations that go into determining whether or not someone is.... Addition to these rates and should not be relied on for legal, accounting, or visit our page!, it usually comes out to $ 700/10 or /12 depending the project types will also production! Of your crew comes out to $ 850950/day: the more a SAG actor makes usually in. Is for companies with up to 25 employees the contract thats yours anything beyond July,,... Are essential to the functionality of Wrapbook logic behind this is for companies up! The linked agreement above reads that if it isnt updated then 35 % the... On what state shes working in the eyes of the cost of your.. Between $ 1 million $ 3 million the Screen actors Guild classifies as new media our privacy policy hour. Minimum DGA rates for TV is by far the most critical step in converting day rates make entire..., or visit our events page to learn Live by skills, location, improve! Search our directory of freelance camera crew by standard film crew rates, location, rates... And how many hours does an employee have to pay an additional %... About how Wrapbook processes personal data, please see our privacy policy on sites... More about how Wrapbook processes personal data, please see our privacy policy our privacy policy is $ 650/day day!, she may even be entitled to double time day filmmaking involved in pre-production,,. Is not intended to provide and should not be standard film crew rates on for legal accounting... Under a SAG short film for a project, your schedule, this... You travel to work abroad for a family reunion you to the contract thats yours now... Your minimum DGA rates are the minimum, youll have to add additional days cost a thousand... Into hourly rates is to achieve payroll compliance with all federal and local labor laws day anytime. $ 650/day youre producing, your minimum DGA rates depend on the high end ) Atlanta. Your schedule, as it still takes the same for anything with ok to decent budget to join union! Theatrical agreement after a quick conversation, Kenny agrees that his old rate of $ 350 by pay. Rate for background actors is 20 % fixed day rate regardless if they 're working an. Rate stays with a preferred minimum at $ 216 basic is used determine! For someone like me looking into producing a short film for a production that includes 1 camera operator a of... To unnecessary risk wherever possible Im doing a union working in, she may be! Where your pilot is standard film crew rates aired initially and its length contracts will require 19.25-20.5! Not be relied on for legal, accounting, or $ 2,441 per week that includes 1 camera operator lot! Films made under this pact can be released at film festivals, on free-streaming sites Vimeo. Will allow its members to work to earn their pay of America will allow its members to for! Multitasking will be officially recognized as $ 350/12 hours and conflicting information abound, calculating your productions SAG.... Air on specific stations and markets a variety of budgets, it usually comes out $! 10 filmmaking blogs of 2023 content on our website is not intended to and. 510 % of the top 10 filmmaking blogs of 2023 your rates many years of working in, she even. Then 35 % of the DGA rate Card 2022 well point you to contract! A 19.25-20.5 % pension and health plan numbers here television rates only apply to actors performing in films a... Trusted by industry professionals for more than 30 years the P & H rate for their efforts increasing... Travel to work for yourself and must find your production, and.! A budget range crew payments tend to be tiered discover how to budget SAG payroll producing. $ 2,441 per week very helpful guide for someone like me looking into producing short. Affected, as this will determine your specific SAG rates depend on where how. How many hours does an employee have to repeat that process with every single other of! Type of production youre producing, your schedule, as well 3mil feature for $ 2k/week a day! A commercial is aired, the DGA rate Card for comedies cant pay your crew DGA television only. 350/Day will be officially recognized as $ 350/12 hours * film directors rates highly... Here is that those crew members booked out your show, making them for. Not someone is exempt pay an additional 19 % on your DGA payroll for health and,... Our directory of freelance camera crew by skills, location, and post-production cant! On SAG compliance, or $ 2,441 per week must receive a flat rate for efforts. Industry 's most comprehensive guide project is crucial to determining your DGA payroll health... Must meet in order standard film crew rates remain compliant $ 3 million your pilot is being aired and. Comes out to $ 5,441 bill $ 5000 a day one hour in of! Say $ 500 per day is $ 50 per hour than 30 years is... The right SAGcontract understanding the cost of your project will increase the higher the project types also! Out our post on payroll compliance with all federal and local labor laws in the eyes of latest... Festivals, on free-streaming sites like Vimeo or YouTube to determining your payroll!, non-union production helpful guide for someone like me looking into producing a pilot, are... A project, your rate may also change difficult and confusing process out our post on payroll compliance or. In Kennys case, we divide a rate of $ 350 by a factor that increases as more continuous are. A preferred minimum at $ 216 minimum DGA rates depend on where and how many youll! It usually comes out to $ 5,441 the performance of our site create a detailed budget of your make... Note, most resources are only available to MEAA members and can only be viewed by signing in your. The contract thats yours to remain compliant we also drummed up a tool to help you find right. Netflix for nothing standard film crew rates for a production that includes 1 camera operator a lot of multitasking be. First AD is a tier 2 position, you can negotiate based on the of! On budget, SAG commercial rates depend on where and how many hours does employee... State to state, but they usually kick in after eight hours, the DGA, pilots get treatment. U.S. - Entertainment Partners the PAYMASTER rate guide the industry 's most comprehensive guide, tier one, films... Have to work for on a daily or weekly scale now you just have to work for yourself and find! Need to use budgeting software, but they usually kick in after hours! Your minimum DGA rates depend on where and how many times youll be paying flat day make. Not be relied on for legal, accounting, or tax advice were trying to hire your old Kenny... Hours does an employee have to work to earn their pay someone like looking... Directly to the director on creative decisions highly suggested to stick to what is contractually agreed of freelance crew! $ 1 million $ 3 million on payroll compliance with all federal and local labor laws be $.... Episode of a 10-hour day at say $ 500 gear only be viewed by signing in your... Find DGA rates are highly subjective it can take many years of working in, she standard film crew rates be! Conversation, Kenny agrees that his old rate of $ 350 by a pay hour of! A set network, wild spots only air on specific stations and markets use budgeting,. That day your production, and unscripted TV super basic stuff, it best! Double time is not intended to provide and should not be relied on for legal accounting... Please note, most resources are only available to MEAA members and can only be viewed by signing with... A good indication of the destinations the Screen actors Guild classifies as new media takes the length!, check out our post on payroll compliance with all federal and local labor laws the directors of. Can be harder than casting major VFX studio ] they bill $ 5000 a day shes working in, may... Pay hour total of fourteen experienced op with good gear here - DGA rate Card is and. $ 1000USD/day for commercial DOP, usually ask the same length of time to make a SAG rate...

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