standard film crew rates


Something went wrong while submitting the form. Every negotiation will be different. With built-in features like Quickbooks integration and automatic calculations of LA commercial IATSE and Teamster timecards, Wrapbook is constantly innovating to streamline entertainment payroll and maximize your productions efficiency. Heavy lifters start $4500. WebAbove the line crew are involved in the creative development of the film. Like other low budget agreements, theres only a SAG day player rate. $700750/10 as a 1st, and ~$600700 as a 2nd. Experienced crew members and producers will be well aware of how crew members day rates function. Feature films, television shows, commercials, and new media all operate under slightly different regulations. We also drummed up a tool to help you find the right SAGcontract. Hair & makeup artist: $900 a day (includes kit). Once again, your union will decide your day rates for the project type. Lets just say its unlikely youll be paying flat day rates anytime soon. Whats the difference, right? Though exceptions may occur, areas that see higher volumes of production will generally maintain higher minimum rates than those that see lesser volumes of production. Per the DGA Rate Card, you have to guarantee a set number of days for pre-production, shooting, and post. Actors Feature Film Collective Agreement (AFFCA) Summary, January 2023. 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. Be sure to check back on this post periodically for the most updated rates. Their concept of a 10-hour day at say $500 per day is $50 per hour. If your project falls between 3.75 and 8.5 million dollars, youll have to pay your directors 25% less than they would make under the basic DGA theatrical contract. If your budget is over $1,000,000, SAG regulations get a tad more complicated. Compensation for Days Worked Beyond Guarantee, Daily Production Fee, Studio(Daily Employment Only), Daily Production Fee, Location (Daily Employment Only). To become part of a union, you must meet their terms. Rate shall be equal to 65% of the rate from the Basic Agreement current at the time of performance. How do you translate day rates into hourly rates? Then, once weve found the total number of pay hours included in Kennys daily earnings, we can use it to finally calculate Kennys base hourly rate. As such, you now work for yourself and must find your production crew rate. Kennys hypothetical hourly rate of $25.00 puts him well above the minimum wage requirement in California. In Kennys case, we divide a rate of $350 by a pay hour total of fourteen. Gear is $700-$1200 per day. Here are a few things that are considered when working out crew rates. Job Role. 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. It would be nice if we all got paid the same all of the time, but thats just not the case. As with all DGA rates, you should expect to pay an additional 19.4% into the DGA health and pension plan. Making a television pilot is an extremely laborious process. This should be read in conjunction with the one-page summary of rates and allowances. In the market for a good PA? Usually in the $800/10 range. 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. Wrapbook document.write(new Date().getFullYear()). In California, there is a daily overtime limit of 8 hours, whereas in New York, as long as the weekly limit of 40 hours isn't reached, a worker could work 10 hours and then begin accruing overtime after that. 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. There are of course, way more stipulations that go into determining whether or not someone is exempt. On union productions, this will never be an issue, but it does pop up from time to time on non-union shoots. Say a crew member leaves set after 10 hours, and they get into a fender bender on the drive home. But for non-union films, its a bit different. 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.". For films, you should refer to SAG Theatrical Rates. Thank you! Some cookies are essential to the functioning of our site, but you can accept or decline non-essential cookies using the toggle below. I know union assistants cant make less than $450/day, so use that as a guide. depends on how big of a crew usually on a commercial 650 gaffer key grip 650 bestboys respectively 600 electrics and grips 550 each, then you gotta rent a grip truck. Wrapbook uses cookies to personalize your experience, provide you with enhanced functionality, and improve the performance of our site. Please note these rates listed are for reference only to give you some idea of what to charge. You can find us across the U.S. and Canada. Ten? All of these rates are based on a crew that works in the United States in major markets (unless indicated). Producers and production accountants can simply register for the Labor Guide for instant access to union and guild rates and contracts. 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. *2-5% budget. And most of these rates will likely change again by June 30th, 2022, with commercial rates valid through November. $1000USD/day for commercial DOP, usually ask the same for anything with ok to decent budget. It is important to note that these are just DGA minimums; often, a directors quote will be far above what is legally required. If your budget falls under $50,000, you should refer to the SAG Short Term Agreement. However, the pay per week is higher as are all SAG rates, when you consider that youll have to pay health and pension on top of it. 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. To learn more about how Wrapbook processes personal data, please see our privacy policy. If youre a cheap producer working with a crew youre paying a flat rate, with no time and a half or double time, then at the very least youll want money set aside to keep your crew from mutinying should you need to go long in those rare emergencies. The most versatile film budgeting software on the market, Showbiz Budgeting allows you to actualize your film budget at the detail level, and display your actuals in column format alongside the original. Applied to films with budgets starting at $11 million dollars, this part of the DGA Rate Card outlines both minimum weeks allowed for a project along with pay expressed on a weekly scale. However, that does mean youll have to pay for the rest of production on those days too. If you cant pay your crew make sure to pay their expenses so they are not out of pocket. I usually see PA rates from 175200 (on the high end) in Atlanta. The minimum compensation for a Second Unit Director is $1,500 per day. hi(at)jeremiahwarren.com. The amount of prep time and guaranteed shooting are nearly identical. Most unions use a tier system to adjust rate scales according to production budget ranges. The rates are negotiated depending on the percentage of gross or net of a project. If your project is going straight to the web, start here - SAG Rates 2023. IATSE union rates West Coast and East Coast Agreements. In other words, yes, contractors technically could make their living via true day rate pay, as opposed to the veiled form of hourly pay that most crew members earn. 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. In television, theres more work keeping DGA directors busy than ever. Offered on both a daily and weekly scale, SAG rates are often determined by the project type, budget constraints, and distribution plan. Tier 2 positions with department leadership but who report to someone other than the director directly and are usually highly technical: Gaffer, Art Director, Camera Operator, DIT, Set Dresser, Greens, Key Grip, Wardrobe, Transpo, Crafty etc. Automatically receive update notifications for the year as they become available. As with anything related to DGA, you should always defer to their organizations website. This is without gear. The first AD runs the entire set. A day rate is still subject to change if the planned amount is exceeded. 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. Note, these are the compiled rates for main talent in a film, if youre looking for SAG background rates, or even a stunt performer, please view SAGs wage tables here. New Media productions with budgets between $250,000 and $700,000 should expect to pay major performers either $335 per day, or $1,116 per week. After eight hours, an employees hourly rate begins to be multiplied by a factor that increases as more continuous hours are worked. For the latest and greatest union rates, we like to recommend the Paymaster Rate Guide. Mostly camera op or 1st AC. See the specific agreements below. I scale pay with budget, so if I can get more Ill generally pay more, up to $1500/day for a DP. Feature films, documentaries, and short films fall under this DGA agreement - DGA Rate Card 2022. 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 Level 1A projects (under $500K) are not subject to any DGA rates, but must still abide by applicable federal or state minimum wage guidelines. 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. For more on SAG compliance, discover how to budget SAG payroll. 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. Ive been working freelance gigs in Knoxville, TN for 2 years. You may change your cookie settings at any time. 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. For UK filmmakers see advice provided byBECTU. The first step in calculating an employees hourly rate is figuring out how many hours make up the day in their so-called day rate. On a low budget film your cast and crew costs will likely be your highest expense. DGA rates depend on the type of production youre producing, your schedule, as well as your budget. ), All of this causes much consternation in the minds of many cheap, inconsiderate producers. In addition to these rates, commercial contracts will require a 19.25-20.5% pension and health contribution. Sign up for the Wrapbook monthly newsletter where we share industry news along with must-know guides for producers. A "cookie" is a small text file stored in a visitor's web browser that distinguishes their device from others. Get the best resources for producers delivered to your mailbox. For standard equipment rates, you should compare a few differentfilm equipment rental companies. However, for a production that includes 1 camera operator a lot of multitasking will be required to succeed. After all, who cares about hourly rates if each employee is being paid, more or less, by a day rate anyway? SAG has not updated anything beyond July, 2022, so rate stays at $216. I usually dont have any trouble getting $650/day. You'll need to know many cities your commercial will air in - SAG Rates 2023. You should also have all your expenses covered, and travel days pay half of the total working day rate. Counting some of the best working directors in its union, The Directors Guild of America comes with a few dozen rules you must follow to work with its talent one of which is paying minimum DGA rates set out in the DGA Rate Card. apher. Open the interactive PDF on Mac or Windows using Adobe Reader. *Production fee is payable to 1st Stage Manager only. 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. Add and save notes within the PDF for future use. As with most DGA rates, network rates are always higher than cable. Plus kit fee. WebArea Standards rates SAG-AFTRA scale rates WGA wage scales and fees DGA wage scales and fees AFM fees and schedules 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. I try and go for $750 a Day when I know theres Order Prep/Pick Up/Etc that Im not charging for, but it usually lands at $600 a day. Originally Published Dec 19, 2017 @ 16:48. The logic behind this is that those crew members booked out your show, making them unavailable for any other work that day. Every crew member deserves a minimum guarantee. That is, if your production stops filming on a particular day after 4 hours, you still owe them 8 hours in pay. If you're producing a feature then you're in the right spot - SAG Rates 2023. 1.5 years as a full time DP $1000/day NYC but I most often get my full rate out of state. Twenty-four? Extra financing may sound great, but it could hurt your bottom line if it pushes your production upward into a new tier. 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. Overtime pay for an entire crew could result in a production incurring extra expenses of thousands upon thousands of dollars. Thats just the single day rate. This is for companies with up to 25 employees. Although in the age of streaming, the term can carry a different meaning. Due to the immense amount of work directors put into a film, the DGA rates are most commonly expressed on a weekly scale with minimum work commitments. The weekly salary is 10% less than it would be on the basic DGA theatrical contract, also reflected in the compensation beyond guaranteed work and daily employment rate. Discover how to find the best production assistants in Los Angeles with this guide. You should consult with your own legal, accounting, or tax advisors to determine how this general information may apply to your specific circumstances. In many unions, they have a location rate for when you are working away from home. For unit production managers and assistant directors, rates are: LOW BUDGET - LEVEL 4C ($8.5 MM - $11 MM) Once you drop a dollar before 11 million dollars, your project falls into a low budget DGA production (I know). I charge $1000 a day + per diem. 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: Many producers will ask a crew member to agree to a flat day rate, and many crew members, especially new or inexperienced crew, will often agree to it. 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. Still, I encourage you to keep reading to appreciate the context of these video production rates fully. Dramatic still means scripted narrative. If they believe in the project, crew members will usually be willing to work with you for the sake of the budget. It is vastly superior to EP's Paymaster and Showbiz's Labor Rate Guide. A producer paying a worker thinks the crew members overtime after 10 hours would be based on the $50, but in reality, its actually based on the lower rate. Get the best resources for producers delivered to your mailbox. When converting so-called day rates to hourly rates, theres a chance that the resulting hourly rate might not meet a states minimum wage requirements. Plus kit fee. The rates for films with budgets 30m and above should be read in conjunction with the new agreement covering major motion pictures introduced on 2 April 2018. If its complicated enough to require a separate a cam op, then I charge $2500. And perhaps the most important rule is paying SAG rates. Typically for a Sound Mixer expect $650 for a 10 hour day, past that you push into Overtime. If your film is released directly to a streaming service, like Hulu, your SAG scale rates might fall under New Media. UPMs and AD rates vary whether its a level 2 ($2.6MM - $1.1MM) or level 1B ($500K - $1.1MM) project. I think 175250 is industry standard with 250 on the high/commerical [sic] end. 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. This means the minimum hourly rate is between $28/hour and $30 respectively, with a minimum day You may change your cookie settings at any time. Thank you! Beyond that, the DGA Rate Card for non-network television shows are very similar. Jeff OrgillAugust 3, 2015Film Budgeting Tips5 Comments. How many hours does an employee have to work to earn their pay? In short: the more times a commercial is aired, the more a SAG actor makes. Because when it comes to hiring contractors in the film industry, theres just one little problem. All we have to do is divide the employees day rate by the total number of hours. And if it's Network TV, it may be more complicated. Level up your filmmaking knowledge with our list of the top 10 filmmaking blogs of 2023. Associate director and stage manager rates for television programming vary by whether the show is a prime-time dramatic program or something other than [a] prime-time dramatic program.. Under this contract, actors must make a SAG day rate of $703, or $2,441 per week. Youll have to submit it to the DGA to get your project eligible and eventually pay your director. UK. Film crew members might have their own daily working rates and guidelines can be found on union websites. States that have wage theft protection laws, the hourly rate and overtime rate are clearly spelled out. Something went wrong while submitting the form. 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. 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 rates are negotiated depending on the percentage of gross or net of a,... With all DGA rates, network rates are negotiated depending on the type of production on those days.! Non-Network television shows, commercials, and they get into a new tier - SAG rates 2023 Paymaster Guide... Add and save notes within the PDF for future use industry standard with 250 the! They believe in the project, crew members will usually be willing to work to earn their?! Beyond July, 2022, standard film crew rates commercial rates valid through November rates, commercial contracts will a. Rates from 175200 ( on the drive home you push into overtime States that have wage theft laws! Or net of a 10-hour day at say $ 500 per day is $ 1,500 per day is $ per..., please see our privacy policy service, like Hulu, your schedule as! Has not updated anything beyond July, 2022, so if i can get more Ill generally pay more up. Particular day after 4 hours, you should always defer to their organizations website that is if. Actors feature film Collective Agreement ( AFFCA ) Summary, January 2023 650 for a production extra. Often get my full rate out of state + per diem $ 50 per.! And new media all operate under slightly different regulations with most DGA,... Encourage you to keep reading to appreciate the context of these rates, commercial contracts will require a %... Rate shall be equal to 65 % of the budget you should refer to SAG Theatrical.... If i can get more Ill generally pay more, up to $ 1500/day for a production that includes camera!, shooting, and they get into a fender bender on the high )! Assistants in Los Angeles with this Guide the amount of prep time and guaranteed are... Per diem `` cookie '' is a small text file stored in a visitor 's web browser that distinguishes device! Includes kit ) aware of how crew members will usually be willing to work earn!, its a bit different of many cheap, inconsiderate producers $ 2,441 week... The day in their so-called day rate say its unlikely youll be paying flat rates... With anything related to DGA, you should refer to SAG Theatrical rates employees! June 30th, 2022, so rate stays at $ 216 for a sound Mixer expect $ 650 for DP! And production accountants can simply register for the year as they become available the wrapbook monthly newsletter where we industry! Sag short Term Agreement short Term Agreement project, crew members and producers will be required to succeed depending the! Their expenses so they are not out of pocket if they believe in age! Standard with 250 on the drive home non-network television shows, commercials, and they get a! Of the total working day rate anyway charge $ 1000 a day + per diem that does mean have. With you for the latest and greatest union rates, we divide a of... Any time the hourly rate of $ 703, or $ 2,441 per week can get more Ill generally more... To guarantee a set number of days for pre-production, shooting, and improve the performance of our,... Use a tier system to adjust rate scales according to production budget ranges to their. Most important rule is paying SAG rates your union will decide your day rates.... To hiring contractors in the United States in major markets ( unless indicated.. Make a SAG day rate required to succeed sound Mixer expect $ for... Filmmaking knowledge with our list of the time, but it could hurt your bottom line if it 's TV! Hours in pay behind this is that those crew members booked out your show, them! East Coast agreements slightly different regulations of hours shooting are nearly identical should always defer to their organizations.. A factor that increases as more continuous hours are worked rate anyway under DGA. This Guide your experience, provide you with enhanced functionality, and ~ $ 600700 as a.! Must-Know guides for producers your SAG scale rates might fall under new media all operate under slightly different regulations budget... Are of course, way more stipulations that go into determining whether not! Network TV, it may be more complicated SAG has not updated anything beyond July, 2022 with... Rates, you must meet their terms day after 4 hours, you must their! Paymaster and Showbiz 's Labor rate Guide and short films fall under this,. Tool to help you find the right spot - SAG rates 2023 of. Most important rule is paying SAG rates 2023 more on SAG compliance, discover how to find right! To hiring contractors in the film industry, theres just one little.. Rate and overtime rate are clearly spelled out of hours instant access to union and guild rates contracts. The wrapbook monthly newsletter where we share industry news along with must-know guides for.... The DGA rate Card, you must meet their terms production rates fully day player rate change! Los Angeles with this Guide make sure to check back on this post periodically for the project, members... 'Re in the project, crew members will usually be willing to work to earn their pay budget... Step in calculating an employees hourly rate and overtime rate are clearly spelled out should to! As such, you should refer to the web, start here - SAG rates 2023 number..., it may be more complicated incurring extra expenses of thousands upon thousands of dollars the functioning of our.! A full time DP $ 1000/day NYC but i most often get my full rate out of pocket 1,000,000 SAG... An employee have to work to earn their pay the most updated rates you now work for yourself must. ( ) ) note these rates will likely be your highest expense budget agreements, theres just one little.. Service, like Hulu, your schedule, as well as your budget is over $,! In short: the more a SAG actor makes [ sic ] end commercial. If the planned amount is exceeded not updated anything beyond July, 2022, so rate stays at $.. Day after 4 hours, and post to pay their expenses so they not! Making them unavailable for any other work that day commercial will air in SAG... Rates, network rates are based on a crew that works in the film industry theres! This causes much consternation in the United States in major markets ( unless indicated ) contracts will a... Industry, theres more work keeping DGA directors busy than ever wage requirement in California short films fall this. Rates function project eligible and eventually pay your crew make sure to pay for year. Pdf on Mac or Windows using Adobe Reader separate a cam op, then i charge $.... Make less than $ 450/day, so rate stays at $ 216 Angeles this... Beyond that, the DGA to get your project is going straight the... Amount of prep time and guaranteed shooting are nearly identical is vastly superior to EP 's Paymaster Showbiz..., inconsiderate producers same all of the budget found on union websites under slightly different regulations leaves after! That go into determining whether or not someone is exempt spot - rates... This DGA Agreement - DGA rate Card 2022 note these rates, network rates are always higher cable. Is exceeded per the DGA rate Card, you now work for yourself and must find production! Your union will decide your day rates function monthly newsletter where we share industry news along with must-know for. Be well aware of how crew members will usually be willing to work with you for latest. Gigs in Knoxville, TN for 2 years system to adjust rate scales according to budget. Best production assistants in Los Angeles with this Guide differentfilm equipment rental.... Of this causes much consternation in the film listed are for reference only to you. On those days too per diem more times a commercial is aired, the more a. Data, please see our privacy policy hiring contractors in the film a! Compliance, discover how to budget SAG payroll other low budget agreements, theres only a SAG actor makes production... You translate day rates function of rates and allowances more complicated $ 1,000,000, SAG regulations get tad! Divide the employees day rate of $ 703, or $ 2,441 per week the DGA Card! Reference only to give you some idea of what to charge result in a visitor 's web that... Beyond July, 2022, so use that as a 2nd Director is $ per! Usually dont have any trouble getting $ 650/day of these rates will be. Upward into a fender bender on the drive home thousands upon thousands of dollars to a! Anything beyond July, 2022, with commercial rates valid through November aware how. Overtime pay for the wrapbook monthly newsletter where we share industry news along must-know... To learn more about how wrapbook processes personal data, please see our privacy policy Collective Agreement ( ). Can be found standard film crew rates union websites wrapbook uses cookies to personalize your experience, provide you with functionality... Non-Union shoots Theatrical rates pre-production, shooting, and new media all operate under different... A full time DP $ 1000/day NYC but i most often get my full rate of... Non-Union films, you should compare a few differentfilm equipment rental companies for reference to... Cam op, then i charge $ 1000 a day rate your union will decide your rates!

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