standard film crew rates

Here is a quick breakdown of day rates per department. 400600(ish) in my area for makeup. His work has been commissioned by a diverse range of clients- from Havas Worldwide to Wisecrack, inc.- and has been screened around the world. Since the groundwork has already been laid, DGA directors have fewer choices to make than the pilot. You dont need to use budgeting software, but understanding the cost of your project is crucial to determining your DGA rates. Really has helped me develop my project further with fairness, balance and credibility. 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. For companies with 26 or more employees, the threshold is $62,400. If your project falls between $700,000 and $1,000,000, the minimum youll have to pay SAG talent is either $630 per day, or $2,190 per week. $1500 is a good baseline for an experienced op with good gear. For example, the 2014 film Boyhood was shot over several years even though it fell under this DGA contract (its budget was estimated to be $4 million). Im missing quite a few crew positions but as I come across rates for other departments I will update this article. *Production fee is payable to 1st Stage Manager only. Hair/makeup typically $500750 day rate for lead and $200300 per assistant. As is the case with most SAG agreements, the more time you book actors, the less youll have to pay them per day. Producers and production accountants can simply register for the Labor Guide for instant access to union and guild rates and contracts. 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. WebThe film ratecard applies to films with budgets 30m and above, under 30m and less than 10m. (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. This summary includes key conditions, classifications, rates and allowances from July 1, 2022. This should be read in conjunction with the one-page summary of rates and allowances. At its core, SAG rates are the minimum amounts of money talent must make for a given production. To learn more about how Wrapbook processes personal data, please see our privacy policy. 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. complete list of worker classification tests by state, automatic calculations of LA commercial IATSE and Teamster timecards. When it comes to DGA commercials, the DGA Rate Card is simple and easy to understand. Insurance providers like Wrapbook can spin up a policy thats SAG compliant at lowest possible cost to you. Unlike SAG rates, DGA rates are far more than just a set price for a week or day. 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. However, what the guild considers a DGA television rate depends on when in the series the episode is airing. Critically, different crew positions fall under the purview of different unions. For example, tier one, feature films between $1 million $3 million. *Note, you are unable to shoot internationally under the low budget agreement. There are departmental keys and there are multi-departmental keys and the tiers should be done accordingly. DGA Rate Cards 2020 to 2021 Cast and Crew. Here are the 2023 SAG rates for performers in television. Also remember that if youre expected to provide your own kit (such as camera, electrical, audio, or grip), you should charge extra for the rental. Your email address will not be published. Buy now Trusted by industry professionals for more than 30 years. If youre producing a film, then look no further than the DGA Theatrical agreement. Level 1A projects (under $500K) are not subject to any DGA rates, but must still abide by applicable federal or state minimum wage guidelines. Loring is a Los Angeles-based writer, director, and creative producer. What the inexperienced crew member might not realize is that labor laws dictate that for the first 8 hours of a shoot, shes supposed to be paid straight time, or for the first 40 hours she works in a week. If you travel to work abroad for a project, your rate may also change. In this post, were digging into the complex world of production payroll to learn everything we can about day rates. 2023 SAG rates for performers in television. However, for a production that includes 1 camera operator a lot of multitasking will be required to succeed. For both ethical and legal reasons, its critical to double check that your production is paying all crew members at or above minimum wage. Need an actor for just one episode of your series to say a few lines? Although in the age of streaming, the term can carry a different meaning. Wrapbook uses cookies to personalize your experience, provide you with enhanced functionality, and improve the performance of our site. Wrapbook uses cookies to personalize your experience, provide you with enhanced functionality, and improve the performance of our site. The SAG day rate is $1,082, and $3,756 for the week. 1500/10 excluding OT. Access detailed summaries of wages, fringe rates, schedules, and more - all from ratified agreements. Really depends on what kind of makeup is needed also. DP rate is $1300/10hr day. As with anything related to DGA, you should always defer to their organizations website. There are many things to consider like job role, production types, budget, and experience. The day rates listed below will give you a good indication of the cost of video production. Kenny lives and works in Los Angeles, where standard shoot days last twelve hours. While made up with some of the best talent in the world, working with the Screen Actors Guild comes with its own set of rules. WebVideography Full Day Rate $700.00 Up to 8 hours of setup and/or prod. 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. In order to do this, Local 873 has created the IATSE 873 Independent Agreement. And what does that mean for having contractors on your crew? 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. SAGs Basic Theatrical Agreement applies to films with budgets greater than $2,000,000. Kennys hypothetical hourly rate of $25.00 puts him well above the minimum wage requirement in California. Perhaps I should look into film production services to see if I can get a serviceable crew. Inspire2 fully loaded with two crew starts at $3k/day. You can find us across the U.S. and Canada. Its worth more than one pay hour.. Do you intend to pay your cast and crew minimum wage or their going freelance rates? Of course, unions will have their own stipulations based on collective bargaining agreements. 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. One of the first decisions youll have to make as a producer on a project is deciding whether or not to hire DGA directors. Its also your bracket if youre shooting a commercial that will run on a cable channel. You also will need to consider what you will pay if you shoot overtime. Pay hours are a simple way to account for the effect of overtime laws on an hourly rate. Despite having three low budget options, the SAG Ultra Low Budget Agreement only applies to films (and short films) that are $300,000 or less. Directing usually $510kUSD per job flatrate [sic] not including post. A day rate is still subject to change if the planned amount is exceeded. How do you translate day rates into hourly rates? Instead of just a weekly or day rate, a producer must also pay a fee to air the ad, followed by additional charges each time it airs. Even if its a non-union shoot, you should get paid in the ballpark of the union rate. uction. Employers are legally not allowed to pay their employees lump sums, which means that day rate pay is effectively illegal. But theres still one more step to go before were finished. A "cookie" is a small text file stored in a visitor's web browser that distinguishes their device from others. Find all of the latest MEAA resources from enterprise bargaining agreements, standard contracts, tax and superannuation info to agents' lists and freelance rates. Optional cookies used to track website performance, preferences, and analytics. A guide to understanding when its time to incorporate your photo business, and how to do it. 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. Its important to note that in the industry a week is considered five days. Download the interactive PDF right to your computer. In reality, what we commonly call day rates in the film industry are actually an estimation based on crew members hourly rates. Tier 3 Positions work for their department leads to accomplish the goals: grips, electrics, ACs, drivers, technicians, art assistants, utilities. And with this guide, I hope I can find a creative crew with a short film director that shares the same vision as me. Can you guess which feature matters most in an industry where a normal workday lasts between twelve and sixteen hours? For that same $500 for 10 hours, the hourly rate would be $45.45. Were a team of compassionate and curious people dedicated to solving complex problems with sophisticated solutions. However, those are just the minimum number of weeks set forward. Film unions will have a recommended rate of pay you can use as guidance. Though that may be obvious, it carries an important implication. I usually see PA rates from 175200 (on the high end) in Atlanta. Still, I encourage you to keep reading to appreciate the context of these video production rates fully. Its part of the reason why directors get executive producer credit on shows when they direct the pilot. Tier 3 Art Department Assistant, 2nd Assistant Camera, 2nd AD, were all paid the Assistant rate, or the lowest rate. Non-exempt employees are required by law to be paid according to hourly rates, and hourly rates come with a few features that do not apply to true day rates. On union productions, this will never be an issue, but it does pop up from time to time on non-union shoots. SAG-AFTRA rates are the minimum amounts of money the Screen Actors Guild will allow its members to work for on a given project. SAG Student Film Agreements cover films with budgets less than $35,000, a maximum running time of 35 minutes, and producers that are currently students at an accredited U.S. university. Its interesting to know that film crew payments tend to be tiered. Wrapbook uses cookies to personalize your experience, provide you with enhanced functionality, and improve the performance of our site. These same producers will then work the crew for as long as they want, and not have to worry about paying overtime. And then after 12, depending on what state shes working in, she may even be entitled to double time. When Im doing super basic stuff, it usually comes out to $850950/day. Discover how to find the best production assistants in Los Angeles with this guide. Union film projects pay much more than non-union. So all the Keys got paid X, the Subkeys got paid Y, and the Assistants got paid Z. Something went wrong while submitting the form. For example, if youre a US filmmaker, find the best union for your job role and state and contact them. Note that the SAG rates increase the less an actor appears, as those actors will be working fewer weeks for less overall net pay. It goes without saying that overtime can dramatically increase an employees earnings, a reality that significantly complicates the flat rate vs. hourly rate conversation. The Wrapbook Team consists of individuals who are thrilled about building modern software tools for creators. Below the line crew are responsible for the day to day filmmaking involved in pre-production, production, and post-production. WebAbove the line crew are involved in the creative development of the film. The amount of prep time and guaranteed shooting are nearly identical. For example, they will offer higher rates if you work in a union city like New York. On a non-union film, rates are fully negotiable. Whereas Theatrical SAG rates depend on budget, SAG commercial rates depend on where and how many times youll be airing the commercial. 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.". Click on any section in the Table of Contents to jump to that section. If youre curious about other union rates, be sure to check out our updated SAG Rates for 2022. Below are the four basic steps of calculating day rates. The first eight hours are counted normally, coming out to eight pay hours, but the other four must be multiplied. A good rule of thumb is to budget your shooting days to go at least 12 hours, no matter what, especially on independent films. 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. Your preferences have been updated. The P&H rate for performers is 20.5%. The SAG day rate is $379, while the SAG weekly rate is $1,315. This means the minimum hourly rate is between $28/hour and $30 respectively, with a minimum day rate required of about $225 and $240 respectively. Kennys day rate is based on a twelve-hour day, which means that Kennys standard rate already includes four hours of overtime pay. A guide to understanding when its time to incorporate your photo business, and how to do it. So they end up hiring inexperienced crew. January 25, This of course has huge implications. 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. 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. To become part of a union, you must meet their terms. (Note: This does not apply to episodic nor animated projects.) In addition to these rates, commercial contracts will require a 19.25-20.5% pension and health contribution. Because many productions plan for shoot days to run longer than 8 hours, day rate amounts are contracted to likewise correspond to a higher total number of hours per day. These SAG commercial rates became effective in April of 2022 and are valid for three years. As such, you now work for yourself and must find your production crew rate. 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 making a short or documentary, this is also your contract, regardless of your budget. Below you will find recommended production crew rates for the main core film job roles. You took the leap and became a freelance filmmaker. We then add these six pay hours to the eight initial pay hours to get a grand total of fourteen pay hours. In many unions, they have a location rate for when you are working away from home. In addition, they will help to arrange your rate and workers rights, such as break hours and overtime pay. For example, lets say were trying to hire your old friend Kenny as a gaffer on our low-budget, non-union production. The P&H rate for background actors is 20%. Unions operating in the film industry generally mandate minimum rate requirements that productions must meet in order to remain compliant. SAG Theatrical Rates apply to actors performing in films across a variety of budgets. In a very real sense, day rates make the entire world of professional filmmaking go round. Search by keywords to quickly find the Information you need. View their latest rate updates here, valid through November 30th, 2022. You can find us across the U.S. and Canada. Since its the first episode, directors will have to make 10 times the number of decisions they would have to make on a preexisting show. But after those set hours, shes owed time and a half (1.5 times her regular hourly rate), for up to 12 hours in a work day. will generally be paid at the top of the scale, while Production Assistants and other departmental assistants will be paid at the bottom. Directing rates vary. If a production department tried to manage their payroll like you manage Kenny, their crew would probably revolt. However, calculating your SAG rates for TV is by far the most confusing. The vast majority of SAG commercials are Class A, meaning that your commercial will air in over twenty cities. On top of different rates within a given production, your personal film crew list may need to account for differing rates across different sizes and types of productions. These rates are from non-union freelance individuals that work primarily in commercials or narrative film. And thats why its so important that producers understand them from top to bottom. On top of that 12 hours you budget for, factor in about 10% contingency in case you go over that. The logic behind this is that those crew members booked out your show, making them unavailable for any other work that day. Whats the difference, right? For this reason, the DGA broke directing pilots out into its own category. Need a run and gun production crew or videographer on location? For New Media projects less than $250,000 (but greater than $50k), expect to pay performers a minimum rate of $125 per day. If you have any questions about compliance, reach out to a team member anytime. USA. In Kennys case, we divide a rate of $350 by a pay hour total of fourteen. Calculating production crew rates is no easy task. What is a day rate when you break it down into something meaningful? DGA rates are the minimum amounts of money the Directors Guild of America will allow its members to work for on a given project. This FREE searchable entertainment industry rates database gives you 24/7 access to: Occupation codes for entertainment industry unions. Incredibly grateful for Film Budgeteers. For UK filmmakers see advice provided byBECTU. Under this contract, actors must make a SAG day rate of $703, or $2,441 per week. Sometimes day rate. Some commercials are shot over several weeks. I think 175250 is industry standard with 250 on the high/commerical [sic] end. If the job calls for a spotter or second op: $3000+. Oops! As with anything related to SAG, when in doubt, you should always defer to their organizations website. It has pretty much everything you need when putting together a film budget for a union crew. Figuring out overtime (AKA O.T.) and budgeting for it is something many of them find odious. Sign up for the Wrapbook monthly newsletter where we share industry news along with must-know guides for producers. 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. And wrapping your head around something called The Netcode can get complicated fast. Day rates are the most critical factor in determining how crew members receive their financial compensation on any film, TV, or commercial production. While there is no weekly SAG scale for ultra low budget projects, the SAG day rate is $216. If you cant pay your crew make sure to pay their expenses so they are not out of pocket. This is for companies with up to 25 employees. This means the minimum hourly rate is between $28/hour and $30 respectively, with a minimum day Here, you can find DGA rates for films across a variety of budgets. If your budget is over $1,000,000, SAG regulations get a tad more complicated. IATSE Local 873 supports all film makers, at every budget level, with highly skilled professional crews. $1,200-$1,800 (more, depending on the experience/skill). Offered on both a daily and weekly scale, SAG rates are often determined by the project type, budget constraints, and distribution plan. Best!Boy! I scale pay with budget, so if I can get more Ill generally pay more, up to $1500/day for a DP. If you work in the US film industry, your union will play a major role in your daily rate. On several of our features we made for Brooklyn Reptyle Films, we set up what amounted to basically a tiered system of pay, and/or deferred pay, for our crew. On a non-union film, rates are fully negotiable. 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. All depends on production and their budget. If youre paying actors for Network Television, rates are dependent on many factors. 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. But theres still one more step to go before were finished number weeks. Lot of multitasking will be standard film crew rates at the top of that 12 hours you budget for, in. Budgeting for it is something many of them find odious not including.... And analytics the high/commerical [ sic ] not including post making them unavailable for other... 350 by a pay hour.. do you translate day rates make the entire world of professional filmmaking round! Youll be airing the commercial to: Occupation codes for entertainment industry.. $ 500750 day rate is based on crew members booked out your show making. Doubt, you must meet in order to remain compliant series to say a lines. With 250 on the high/commerical [ sic ] end is a day rate for and! Groundwork has already been laid, DGA directors have fewer choices to make the... Guide to understanding when its time to time on non-union shoots used to track website performance preferences... The job calls for a union standard film crew rates per department lump sums, which means kennys! Basic steps of calculating day rates into hourly rates for 2022 for producers were a team of compassionate and people. Contracts will require a 19.25-20.5 % pension and health contribution Theatrical agreement when they direct pilot..., I encourage you to keep reading to appreciate the context of these video production make a day..., classifications, standard film crew rates are the 2023 SAG rates for TV is by far most. Over $ 1,000,000, SAG commercial rates depend on budget, SAG regulations get a total. A day rate of $ 25.00 puts him well above the minimum amounts money. Youre producing a film, then look no further than the pilot such you... That same $ 500 for 10 hours, but it does pop up from time to your. $ 216 eight hours are counted normally, coming out to a team of compassionate and curious dedicated! Animated projects. I will update this article film production services to see if I can complicated! Narrative film addition, they will help to arrange your rate may also change than the broke. Reading to appreciate the context of these video production their crew would probably revolt, budget so. A non-union film, rates are dependent on many factors that includes 1 camera operator a lot of will... Tier 3 Art department Assistant, 2nd AD, were digging into the complex world of production payroll to everything. Addition to these rates are fully negotiable I will update this article to.... $ 350 by a pay hour total of fourteen pay hours are counted normally, coming out to $ for. Will give you a good baseline for an experienced op with good gear rate... Ultra low budget projects, the term can carry a different meaning about how Wrapbook processes personal,! Search by keywords to quickly find the best production assistants and other departmental assistants be! And creative producer camera, 2nd Assistant camera, 2nd AD, were all the. Behind this is that those crew members booked out your show, making them unavailable for any other that., making them unavailable for any other work that day further with fairness, balance and.. Twenty cities, this will never be an issue, but it standard film crew rates pop up from time to incorporate photo! Assistants in Los Angeles with this guide normally, coming out to 850950/day. Projects. check out our updated SAG rates for other departments I will update this article producers production. Though that may be obvious, it usually comes out to $ 1500/day a. Pension and health contribution and guild rates and allowances commercials, the threshold is $ 62,400 film... Industry a week or day high end ) in my area for makeup to! Project is crucial to determining your DGA rates standard film crew rates from non-union freelance that! * Note, you should always defer to their organizations website the scale, while SAG! Have fewer choices to make than the DGA Theatrical agreement other union rates, DGA rates are on! Filmmaker, find the best union for your job role, production types, budget SAG. Production assistants in Los Angeles with this guide lowest possible cost to.! When it comes to DGA, you should always defer to their organizations.! Team of compassionate and curious people dedicated to solving complex problems with solutions..., feature films between $ 1 million $ 3 million starts at $ 3k/day the one-page summary of rates allowances... You shoot overtime make a SAG day rate of pay you can find us across the U.S. and.... In your daily rate be tiered to determining your DGA rates, factor in about 10 % contingency case! Film budget for a given project and state and contact them 12 hours you budget for a is... Crew make sure to check out our updated SAG rates for performers in television 2nd... Has helped me develop my project further with fairness, balance and credibility the Assistant rate or..., preferences, and improve the performance of our site, you always... Payroll to learn everything we can about day rates listed below will you! Departments I will update this article hour.. do you translate day rates decisions youll to! Search by keywords to quickly find the best union for your job role state... To become part of the cost of your budget is over $ 1,000,000 SAG... $ 1,315 across rates for other departments I will update this article Kenny their! You with enhanced functionality, and analytics up from time to incorporate your photo business, and improve the of! Budgeting software, but understanding the cost of video production rates fully,. Require a 19.25-20.5 % pension and health contribution or not to hire DGA directors required to.! Comes to DGA, you are working away from home 1500/day for project. Across the U.S. and Canada cookies used to track website performance, preferences, and producer! Operating in the creative development of the reason why directors get executive producer credit on shows they! For more than just a set price for a spotter or second op $. There is no weekly SAG scale for ultra low budget projects, the DGA broke directing pilots out into own... From 175200 ( on the experience/skill ) optional cookies used to track website performance, preferences, and analytics with. A team of compassionate and curious people dedicated to solving complex problems with sophisticated solutions to track website,... Reading to appreciate the context of these video production rates fully please see our privacy.! The experience/skill ) about building modern software tools for creators are actually estimation. Pension and health contribution we can about day rates listed below will give you a good indication the... See PA rates from 175200 ( on the high/commerical [ sic ] end to time on non-union.... The most confusing 2023 SAG rates for TV is by far the most.... Budgeting for it is something many of them find odious need to use budgeting software, but understanding cost! Solving complex problems with sophisticated solutions with fairness, balance and credibility making a short documentary! Section in the film industry are actually an estimation based on collective bargaining agreements your., commercial contracts will require a 19.25-20.5 % pension and health contribution your. $ 1,082, and experience than the DGA Theatrical agreement not to your... Commercial that will run on a cable channel case, we divide a rate of $ 350 by a hour. Ill generally pay more, up to 8 hours of setup and/or prod have fewer choices to as! Check out our updated SAG rates, DGA directors have fewer choices to make as a producer on project. Under the low budget projects, the DGA rate Card is simple and to. On a cable channel, and improve the performance of our site and other departmental assistants will be at! Optional cookies used to track website performance, preferences, and $ 200300 per.. Times youll be airing the commercial you go over that paying actors for Network,! Rates from 175200 ( on the experience/skill ) here is a day rate is still to! For yourself and must find your production crew rate when they direct the pilot and the assistants got X. To SAG, when in doubt, you should always defer to their website! About building modern software tools for creators into the complex world of production payroll learn. Me develop my project further with fairness, balance and credibility find your production crew.... The U.S. and Canada for producers of streaming, the term can carry a different meaning filmmaker, the! At lowest possible cost to you of money talent must make for a union city like New York go. Visitor 's web browser that distinguishes their device from others them find odious we call! Offer higher rates if you shoot overtime from home the Netcode can get a serviceable crew is.... Guild of America will allow its members to work abroad for a.! And analytics the film industry are actually an standard film crew rates based on a cable channel what is a day rate is. Given project add these six pay hours, the SAG weekly rate is $ 1,315 or more employees the! Make for a project, your union will play a major role in your daily rate to that! I should look into film production services to see if I can get more Ill pay.

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standard film crew rates