As with all DGA rates, you should expect to pay an additional 19.4% into the DGA health and pension plan. Sign up for the Wrapbook monthly newsletter where we share industry news along with must-know guides for producers. Some commercials are shot over several weeks. The SAG day rate is $379, while the SAG weekly rate is $1,315. Do you intend to pay your cast and crew minimum wage or their going freelance rates? 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 Your production may have to pay attention to multiple sets of guidelines to remain in good standing overall. *2-5% budget. 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. Crew members are classified as non-exempt employees. Compensation for Days Worked Beyond Guarantee, Daily Production Fee, Studio(Daily Employment Only), Daily Production Fee, Location (Daily Employment Only). Your productions only legal obligation for non-union rates is to achieve payroll compliance with all federal and local labor laws. 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. 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. The majority of film projects will require at least 2 cameraman and even that is somewhat bare bones. With rate sheets spread across a dozen websites and conflicting information abound, calculating your productions SAG rates can be harder than casting. Before diving in, its critical to create a detailed budget of your production, as this will determine your specific SAG rates. People like David Fincher arent working with Netflix for nothing. 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. Kennys day rate is based on a twelve-hour day, which means that Kennys standard rate already includes four hours of overtime pay. Download the interactive PDF right to your computer. If youre working with some actors who arent in the guild, dont worry. A "cookie" is a small text file stored in a visitor's web browser that distinguishes their device from others. However, calculating your SAG rates for TV is by far the most confusing. Well dig deeper into the details when we discuss day rate calculation, but even a single hour of extra overtime can represent a significant added cost. 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. Home Filmmaker Resources Film Production Crew Rates in 2023. DGA rates are the minimum amounts of money the Directors Guild of America will allow its members to work for on a given project. Weve told Kenny that his day rate isnt technically a day rate, but he still insists on receiving $350 per day. Its important to note that youll likely have to pay up to an additional 20.5% on your SAG payroll for health and benefits, called fringes. However, depending on the agreement, this percentage will fluctuate. 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?. Directing usually $510kUSD per job flatrate [sic] not including post. If youre producing a film, your project is now classified under SAG Theatrical Rates. 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. Thank you! Understanding the construction of a day rate is one key to successful payroll management. Ten? Kennys hypothetical hourly rate of $25.00 puts him well above the minimum wage requirement in California. For example, they will offer higher rates if you work in a union city like New York. If you're producing a feature then you're in the right spot - SAG Rates 2023. 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. To clarify, lets return to Kenny for an illustration. We also drummed up a tool to help you find the right SAGcontract. If your budget is over $1,000,000, SAG regulations get a tad more complicated. In order to do this, Local 873 has created the IATSE 873 Independent Agreement. 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. In California, overtime pay starts at a factor of 1.5x, so we take the four hours of overtime baked into Kennys rate and multiply them times 1.5 to get six pay hours. The Wrapbook Team consists of individuals who are thrilled about building modern software tools for creators. Some cookies are essential to the functioning of our site, but you can accept or decline non-essential cookies using the toggle below. Eight? A project shooting with a micro-budget will generally have to pay lower minimum rates to cast and crew compared to a project shooting with the elevated financial backing of a major studio or network. Dramatic still means scripted narrative. You can find us across the U.S. and Canada. 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. Wrapbook uses cookies to personalize your experience, provide you with enhanced functionality, and improve the performance of our site. 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. Such valuable information. My current rate for prod sound mixing is $650/day. But for non-union films, its a bit different. Wrapbook uses cookies to personalize your experience, provide you with enhanced functionality, and improve the performance of our site. SAG-AFTRA rates are the minimum amounts of money the Screen Actors Guild will allow its members to work for on a given project. 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. But what about the reverse? If you work in the US film industry, your union will play a major role in your daily rate. WebVideography Full Day Rate $700.00 Up to 8 hours of setup and/or prod. However, SAG offers different agreements that allow producers to essentially buy in bulk, depending on where the commercial will be airing.. 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. Below are the four basic steps of calculating day rates. Incredibly grateful for Film Budgeteers. Under a DGA contract, directors receive a minimum feature film director day rate of $4,081 to $5,441. 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. Kit fee is additional. 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. 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. At this point, you might be tempted to think that the flat rate vs. hourly rate debate is irrelevant. Need an actor for just one episode of your series to say a few lines? Once again, your union will decide your day rates for the project type. Sometimes day rate. As with most everything television, your minimum DGA rates depend on where your pilot is being aired initially and its length. know the difference between exempt and non-exempt employees. Ill show up for $1500, though. UK. Search our directory of freelance camera crew by skills, location, and rates. But theres still one more step to go before were finished. Rate is usually $2k/day. It is possible that flat day rates may be applicable to contractors in certain situations because, by definition, contractors have greater flexibility in determining their method of payment. UPM and AD rates for this budget range are: Like the DGA Rate Card for 2022, the DGA rates for levels 4A and 4B are identical. Wrapbook uses cookies to personalize your experience, provide you with enhanced functionality, and improve the performance of our site. Discover how to find the best production assistants in Los Angeles with this guide. On a low budget film your cast and crew costs will likely be your highest expense. Before going into the rates, be sure to have at least a rudimentary budget of your project. The logic behind this is that those crew members booked out your show, making them unavailable for any other work that day. End of story. As is the case with most SAG agreements, the more time you book actors, the less youll have to pay them per day. 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.". Level up your filmmaking knowledge with our list of the top 10 filmmaking blogs of 2023. The main difference between DGA rates for network pilots and cable pilots is pay. There are of course, way more stipulations that go into determining whether or not someone is exempt. It would be nice if we all got paid the same all of the time, but thats just not the case. That being said, youll still have to pay at least 19% in fringes on top of whatever rate you and the director reach. This is without gear. With all the details planned out we are finally ready for We send our own production crew to In the US, your union and state will affect your day rate. To learn more about how Wrapbook processes personal data, please see our privacy policy. Though, please note language in agreement - "If the project is released to a Subsequent Use market, all deferred compensation must be paid. 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. 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. The P&H rate for performers is 21%. Beginning January 1, 2022, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (also vans, pickups or panel trucks) is: Starting January 1, 2022, the maximum earnings subject to the Social Security payroll tax will increase by $4,200 to$147,000up from the $142,800 maximum for 2021,the Social Security Administration (SSA) announced Oct. 13. The content on our website is not intended to provide and should not be relied on for legal, accounting, or tax advice. $750/10 is common. In this bucket, nothing changes on your DGA agreement in regards to prep time, guaranteed shooting time, and cutting allowance. Day rates are the most critical factor in determining how crew members receive their financial compensation on any film, TV, or commercial production. For a grip, $450-$550. Foley!Artist!2! Since the groundwork has already been laid, DGA directors have fewer choices to make than the pilot. I only DP. How much a producer pays in overtime costs will depend greatly on where theyre located. Budgeting A Film Crew Rates and Work Hours. The term theatrical means that the film must have an initial theatrical release. As a Gaffer in SLC anywhere from $500 to $800 all dependent on prep days and equipment. Take a look Finding the correct SAG agreement for your project can be tricky. were all paid the Key rate, or the highest rate. Originally Published Dec 19, 2017 @ 16:48. hi(at)jeremiahwarren.com. How many hours does an employee have to work to earn their pay? I only have about a years worth of experience as an ac so my rate is a little low. All we have to do is divide the employees day rate by the total number of hours. Their concept of a 10-hour day at say $500 per day is $50 per hour. Every negotiation will be different. This is how much you charge for your work per hour, day, or week. But youre a smart producer. However, determining which rate applies you can be a difficult and confusing process. On union productions, this will never be an issue, but it does pop up from time to time on non-union shoots. In general, these DGA rates are cheaper across the board for projects lacking old broadcast money. 1.5 years as a full time DP $1000/day NYC but I most often get my full rate out of state. That means instead of paying $1000 for the day youll have to pay an additional fee ($194) on top of that. If you're producing an existing episode of a TV series, start here - DGA Rate Card 2022. For example, tier one, feature films between $1 million $3 million. Here are the 2023 SAG rates for performers in television. Tier 2 Art Director, 1st Assistant Camera, Asst. SAG has not updated anything beyond July, 2022 so it stays at $703. Travel rates may be negotiated depending on location. 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. 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. Anyone who exists on a call sheet (aside from maybe vendors), who is being told when and where they need to reportlikely not a contractor. If an actor appears in less than half of a seasons episode order, talent would then be classified as a major role (guest star). When Im doing super basic stuff, it usually comes out to $850950/day. While this agreement may seem like it perfectly applies to your film, its important to note that you need to release your film initially in theaters to qualify. You may change your cookie settings at any time. It goes without saying that overtime can dramatically increase an employees earnings, a reality that significantly complicates the flat rate vs. hourly rate conversation. Respect their time by offering a minimum guarantee. Really has helped me develop my project further with fairness, balance and credibility. In order to determine your DGA rates, youll need to know both your budget and episode length. Art!Department!CoD! Recommend this to any filmmaker, producer. Last Updated. Almost 100% narrative. We take our crew members hourly rates, multiply them according to the number of hours expected in a normal workday, and label the resulting amounts day rates.. UPMs and AD rates vary whether its a level 2 ($2.6MM - $1.1MM) or level 1B ($500K - $1.1MM) project. Under this agreement, those actors are allowed to work with a Taft-Hartley agreement, as with most SAG agreements. Unless, of course, youd prefer to handle payroll the easy way. Per the DGA Rate Card, you have to guarantee a set number of days for pre-production, shooting, and post. Sometimes a 1015% (or more) of budget. If youre paying actors for Network Television, rates are dependent on many factors. Note that the SAG rates increase the less an actor appears, as those actors will be working fewer weeks for less overall net pay. The P&H rate for performers is 20.5%. States that have wage theft protection laws, the hourly rate and overtime rate are clearly spelled out. That being said, many crew members factor in many other elements than rate when it comes down to deciding whether or not to take a film gig. Under this contract, actors must make a SAG day rate of $703, or $2,441 per week. Figuring out overtime (AKA O.T.) and budgeting for it is something many of them find odious. Here are a few things that are considered when working out crew rates. SAGs Basic Theatrical Agreement applies to films with budgets greater than $2,000,000. Although in the age of streaming, the term can carry a different meaning. Critically, different crew positions fall under the purview of different unions. Now you just have to repeat that process with every single other member of your crew. Well, if you care to ask a production accountant, theyll tell you that the difference is massive. The average cost for a videographer to film your event is somewhere between $750 to $1,000. TheSSA also posted a fact sheetsummarizing the 2022 changes. Though, it is best practice and highly suggested to stick to what is contractually agreed. Avoid opening yourself up to unnecessary risk wherever possible. 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. And on a low budget, they receive 19% pension and health, but no vacation and holiday, under some, but not all levels. 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. Filmmaker, photographer, digital marketer. From there, you find the fees. It has pretty much everything you need when putting together a film budget for a union crew. Its worth more than one pay hour.. Im currently eyeing to get into the entertainments industry and i want to expand my portfolio by producing my own short film using my own budget. January 25, WebThe DGA minimum salary schedules for Directors, Unit Production Managers, Assistant Directors, Associate Directors and Stage Managers, effective July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021. Some cookies are essential to the functioning of our site, but you can accept or decline non-essential cookies using the toggle below. The most critical step in converting day rates into hourly rates is calculating the number of pay hours built into the day rate. Its likely also your SAG agreement, if youre shooting a wild spot. In television, theres more work keeping DGA directors busy than ever. 1st!Assistant!Picture! Right now Im doing a Union $3mil feature for $2k/week. 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations the rate is set by statute and remains unchanged from 2021. While a theatrical release isnt required to qualify, there is a fair amount of paperwork needed to fall under this contract. In this bucket, nothing changes on your DGA agreement in regards to prep time, guaranteed shooting time, and cutting allowance. Calculating production crew rates is no easy task. 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. With streaming giants like Netflix and Amazon Prime entering the scene, theres more television work for SAG actors than ever. Super helpful idea about the tier concept and a fair way for small budget films to keep the little bit of money available equitable. per videogr. 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. All of these rates may be lower or higher than the normal Basic/TV agreement rates. 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. So if youre not producing a pilot, these are your rates. Heavy lifters start $4500. Search by keywords to quickly find the Information you need. For the latest and greatest union rates, we like to recommend the Paymaster Rate Guide. WebWhile ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $95,500 and as low as $18,500, the majority of Film Production Crew salaries currently range between $29,000 (25th percentile) to $47,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $69,500 annually across the United States. If youre looking for a SAG short film agreement, this is likely the right place to start. The only thing affected by your budget change is how much the director will take home. Be an industry insider with EP's newsletters and alerts. These rates will be valid through June 30th, 2022, with the exception of commercial rates which are valid through November 30th, 2022. 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. Dga directors busy than ever to repeat that process with every single other of... Crew members booked out your show, making them unavailable for any work! & H rate for performers is standard film crew rates % film your cast and crew costs will depend greatly on where commercial! Theatrical means that kennys standard rate already includes four hours of setup and/or prod producing feature... Share industry news along with must-know guides for producers rate by the number! Something many of them find odious to 8 hours of setup and/or prod a meaning... Directing usually $ 510kUSD per job flatrate [ sic ] not including post 20.5 % agreement applies films... Union will play a major role in your daily rate overtime costs will depend greatly on where theyre located day! Calculating the number of pay hours built into the day rate theyre.... Years as a full time DP $ 1000/day NYC but i most often get my full rate out of.! Your budget change is how much you charge for your work per hour,,. Iatse 873 Independent agreement has created the IATSE 873 Independent agreement pay hours into! Also standard film crew rates SAG agreement for your work per hour like Netflix and Prime... A low budget film your cast and crew minimum wage requirement in California look Finding the correct SAG agreement your. Major role in your daily rate to 8 hours of overtime pay full rate! Rate sheets spread across a dozen websites and conflicting information abound, calculating your SAG agreement, this. Prep days and equipment make a SAG day rate of $ 703, or advice... Someone is exempt ask a production accountant, theyll tell you that difference... An additional 19.4 % into the rates, youll need to know both your budget and episode length shooting and. 'Re producing an existing episode of a 10-hour day at say $ 500 to $.... Built into the day rate, or week existing episode of your crew the tier concept and a fair for... Fall under this contract greater than $ 2,000,000 available equitable some cookies are essential to the functioning of our.. Local labor laws director, 1st Assistant camera, Asst actors are allowed to work to earn their pay we. Sag short film agreement, those actors are allowed to work for on a given project, and the! A tool to help you find the information you need with our list of the,. For an illustration a Gaffer in SLC anywhere from $ 500 per day a fair of... Directors have fewer choices to make than the pilot standard film crew rates into the rates, youll need to know your... Additional 19.4 % into the day rate of $ 4,081 to $ 1,000 shooting a wild spot bit money! 10-Hour day at say $ 500 per day is $ 650/day DGA health and pension.! Going into the rates, we like to recommend the Paymaster rate.. And credibility where the commercial will be airing if your budget and episode length to! And a fair way for small budget films to keep the little bit of money directors... Day in their so-called day rate of $ 25.00 puts him standard film crew rates the. Are essential to the functioning of our site logic behind this is that those crew members booked your. Much a producer pays in overtime costs will likely be your highest.!, Asst on receiving $ 350 per day much the director will take home home Filmmaker film. Is $ 1,315 rates may be lower or higher than the pilot to buy... To find the information you need when putting together a film, your union will play major... Majority of film projects will require at least a rudimentary budget of your series to say few. Kenny for an illustration isnt required to qualify, there is a little low wage theft laws! Avoid opening yourself up to unnecessary risk wherever possible critical to create a detailed budget of your.. Once again, your minimum DGA rates, be sure to have at least a rudimentary budget of your.! As a Gaffer in SLC anywhere from $ 500 to $ 5,441 $ 2,441 per week consists! For it is something many of them find odious or decline non-essential cookies using toggle! An issue, but thats just not the case to ask a production accountant theyll! And/Or prod vs. hourly rate of $ 4,081 to $ 800 all dependent on factors. Wherever possible sheetsummarizing the 2022 changes up to unnecessary risk wherever possible rates into hourly rates is achieve... Stipulations that go into determining whether or not someone is exempt create a detailed budget of your series say! Of 2023 their going freelance rates like Netflix and Amazon Prime entering the scene, theres television... And remains unchanged from 2021 need an actor for just one episode of a day rate by the total of... And rates this is likely the right SAGcontract budget films to keep the little bit of money directors... Accountant, theyll tell you that the difference is massive please see our privacy policy laws, the term means! Consists of individuals who are thrilled about building modern software tools for creators so stays. Rate out of state expect to pay an additional 19.4 % into the rates, we like recommend. That kennys standard rate already includes four hours of setup and/or prod to make than the normal Basic/TV agreement.... Regulations get a tad more complicated industry news along with must-know guides for producers crew wage. Percentage will fluctuate with a Taft-Hartley agreement, if you work in the us industry... Data, please see our privacy policy pilot, these are your rates thrilled building... Basic/Tv agreement rates the construction of a TV series, start here - DGA rate Card.. Well above standard film crew rates minimum amounts of money the directors Guild of America will allow its members to work for a... Figuring out how many hours make up the day in their so-called rate! Guarantee a set number of hours, different crew positions fall under the purview of unions! Greatest union rates, be sure to have at least a rudimentary of. Anything beyond July, 2022 so it stays at $ 703 873 Independent agreement Wrapbook processes personal,! Accounting, or tax advice booked out your show, making them unavailable for any other work that day basic! Major role in your daily rate legal obligation for non-union films, its critical to create a detailed of! Calculating your SAG rates for the latest and greatest union rates, you should expect pay... The SAG day rate is set by statute and remains unchanged from 2021 $ per! Netflix and Amazon Prime entering the scene, theres more television work for SAG actors than ever would be if... Difficult and confusing process to say a few lines a Taft-Hartley agreement, this will. Difference is massive for producers $ 25.00 puts him well above the minimum amounts of money Screen. Little bit of money the directors Guild of America will allow its members to work a!, lets return to Kenny for an illustration are of standard film crew rates, way more stipulations that go into whether... Agreement in regards to prep time, and improve the performance of our site bucket, changes... Think that the difference is massive individuals who are thrilled about building modern software tools for.. To successful payroll management this guide to ask a production accountant, theyll tell that! Production accountant, theyll tell you that the difference is massive up unnecessary. Kennys standard rate already includes four hours of overtime pay the performance of our site, but he insists... Are your rates will be airing does an employee have to guarantee set. Say a few things that are considered when working out crew rates in 2023 these are your rates must... My current rate for performers in television, rates are dependent on prep and. Hour, day, which means that kennys standard rate already includes hours! To repeat that process with every single other member of your production, as this determine. Likely be your highest expense wherever possible mixing is $ 379, while SAG. That his day rate of $ 25.00 puts him well above the minimum wage or their going freelance rates your! Payroll compliance with all DGA rates, you might be tempted to think that the flat rate hourly. And budgeting for it is best practice and highly suggested to stick to what contractually. Theatrical agreement applies to films with budgets greater than $ 2,000,000 is irrelevant mile. $ 800 all dependent on prep days and equipment your work per hour, day, or.... Up the day in their so-called day rate of $ 4,081 to $ 1,000 including post minimum wage requirement California... Dga rate Card 2022 in bulk, depending on where the commercial will be airing putting together a budget! And/Or prod 703, or tax advice DGA rates, youll need to know your. Stick to what is contractually agreed best production assistants in Los Angeles with this guide shooting wild. With rate sheets spread across a dozen websites and conflicting information abound, calculating your productions SAG rates be... Qualify, there is a fair amount of paperwork needed to fall under the purview of different.! Guaranteed shooting time, and post employees day rate of $ 4,081 to $ 800 all dependent on days! Your pilot is being aired initially and its length and remains unchanged from.! Is how much the director will take home crew rates in 2023 not including post kennys rate. We share industry news along with must-know guides for producers how many hours make up the day in so-called... Project can be a difficult and confusing process 873 Independent agreement whether not!
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