Rates for freelance camera operators and PAs

E

EmileW

New member
I am a still photographer adding video to my repertoire and have recently been asked to submit a bid on an industrial video shoot.

A colleague of mine (also a still photographer) and I will be partnering, but we will need to hire a camera operator who knows the Sony EX-1 system inside and out, and a production assistant.

Can someone tell me what the day rate range is for a camera operator and if there are any resources out there where I might find a camera operator in the NY metro area? Also, what are the day rates for a production assistant?

I'm not looking to hire anyone at the moment, I just need to be able to put down numbers for those line items so I can come up with a reasonably accurate bid.

Thanks in advance for all your help.

-Emile
 
In my experience, a low level PA make's generally around $150-$200 a day, even on big budget movies. In the NY metro area, a 'camera operator' (which can range from 20 years experience to 2 months) seems to start around $350 a day for a basic job to a couple grand. A lot of it depends on who the client is, their budget, how the footage is going to be used and of course how low the cameraman is willing to go. I guess it boils down to how much skill and experience are you looking for?..
You get what you pay for applies.

Here in the jobs section and Craigslist in the jobs/ tv, film, video category is a good enough place to start probably.
 
FWIW, with an HVX, or HMC-150,

FWIW, with an HVX, or HMC-150,

when hired to bring my own cam, a good rate I often get is $ 120 per hour. (Of course, neither puts out SDI). For that price I include cam, tripod, mic(s), and lights, and I'm just a couple towns west of you, less than 10 miles away. I have no idea what an EX-1 op costs per hour.
For PA jobs, I pay and/or get $ 150 for up to 6 hrs.
HTH.
 
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