Agreements, rates and working conditions

Pay on a film set is calculated differently from most jobs. Crew are usually paid by the hour with a guaranteed minimum day, overtime at rising multiples, penalties when meal breaks or rest periods are missed and separate fees for equipment they supply. Understanding how these pieces work lets camera crew check their pay, negotiate deals and plan their finances, and it helps department heads manage budgets and protect their crews from exhausting schedules. This lesson explains the main elements of pay and working conditions under typical agreements and non-union deals. All rates and penalty amounts in this lesson are illustrative; real figures are set by the agreement that applies to each production and change with every new agreement.

Guarantees, scale and the structure of pay

Most camera crew on scripted productions are paid an hourly rate with a guaranteed minimum number of hours per day or week.

• Scale rate: the minimum hourly rate for a classification under the agreement, which differs by classification, budget tier and region.
• Daily or weekly guarantee: the minimum hours paid, such as a 10-hour or 12-hour day, even if the crew wraps early.
• Overtime: hours beyond a threshold paid at a higher multiple, often 1.5 times and then 2 times the base rate.
• Premium days: sixth and seventh consecutive days, holidays and night work may be paid at higher rates under many agreements.
• Overscale: experienced crew may negotiate a higher base rate than scale.

Non-union productions are not bound by these agreements, but employment standards laws still set minimums for employees, and many non-union deals follow similar structures, often with a flat day rate for a set number of hours.

Meal periods and meal penalties

Agreements usually require a meal break within a set number of hours from call, commonly around six hours, and again within six hours after the first meal. When the break is late, the production pays a meal penalty for each period, often each half hour, that the meal is delayed, with amounts that increase the longer the delay. Productions sometimes provide a "walking meal" or grace period under rules set by the agreement. Meal penalties encourage productions to feed and rest crews on time, and they also make some productions reluctant to break when a scene is going well.

Turnaround and rest periods

Turnaround is the rest period between wrap one day and call the next. Long hours and short turnarounds are a major safety concern, because tired crew drive home and make mistakes on set. Agreements set minimum rest periods; under recent IATSE agreements in the US, for example, most crew get at least 10 hours between days and a weekend rest period of 54 hours after a five-day week, with penalties when rest is invaded. When a production calls crew back before turnaround is complete, called a forced call, it pays a penalty, often by paying the invaded hours at a higher rate. CINE-340 covers fatigue and safety in more detail.

Kit rentals and box rentals

Camera crew often supply their own tools and equipment, from a 1st AC's tool kit and tape measures to monitors, wireless focus systems and complete camera packages. Productions pay a kit rental or box rental fee, usually per day or per week, separate from wages. Kit rentals are often paid without payroll deductions and reported as rental income, so crew must keep records and account for them in their taxes. Specialty operators may rent expensive rigs at substantial rates. Under the 2024 US IATSE agreements, for example, workers who voluntarily use approved AI tools of their own are entitled to a kit rental fee.

Working conditions in US agreements

US camera agreements, such as the Local 600 terms under the Basic Agreement and Area Standards Agreement, set minimum rates, guarantees, overtime, meal penalties, rest periods, holiday and vacation pay and contributions to pension and health plans. The 2024 agreements, for example, added triple-time pay for some hourly work beyond 15 hours, paid invaded rest periods at double time and expanded holiday and sick leave. Federal and state wage laws, such as the Fair Labor Standards Act and California's daily overtime rules, set minimums for non-union work. Check the agreement and the state rules that apply to the production.

Benefits contributions

On union productions, employers contribute to health and retirement plans for each hour worked, on top of wages. These contributions do not appear in the crew member's pay but build eligibility for health coverage and retirement benefits. Health plans often require a minimum number of hours in a qualifying period to stay covered. The US Motion Picture Industry Health Plan, for example, typically requires 400 hours in a qualifying period to maintain coverage, with higher hours to qualify for the first time and a bank for extra hours. In Canada, camera locals share a health and welfare plan and a retirement plan with their own rules. Freelancers need to track their hours to make sure coverage does not lapse between jobs.

Checking your pay

Pay errors are common on productions with complex rules, and crew are responsible for checking their own pay stubs.

• Keep your own record of in and out times, meal breaks and travel each day.
• Compare your record with the approved timecard and the pay stub, line by line.
• Check that overtime, meal penalties, premium days and kit rentals are included at the correct rates.
• Report errors promptly to the production accountant or payroll company, and to the union on union productions.

Small errors add up: a missed hour of double time each week over a 20-week series can be worth well over a thousand dollars.

Travel, per diems and distant locations

When a production takes crew away from home, agreements and deal memos set rules for travel days, per diems for meals and incidentals, lodging and transportation. Travel days are usually paid, sometimes at a lower rate or a set number of hours. Per diems may be paid in cash or added to payroll, and their tax treatment depends on the country and the circumstances. Crew should confirm these terms before agreeing to distant locations and keep records of travel expenses that are not reimbursed.

Low-budget agreements and tiers

Many unions have low-budget agreements or tiers that set lower minimum rates, fewer staffing requirements and different conditions for productions below set budget levels. These agreements help independent films and smaller series hire union crew. For crew, low-budget work can mean less pay but valuable credits, union days and relationships with emerging directors and DPs. Check the tier and rates when offered a low-budget job, because the minimums can be very different from a large studio production.

Rate sheets and how to read them

Unions publish rate sheets showing the minimum rates for each classification, budget tier and period of the agreement, often with separate columns for daily and weekly employees and for different regions. Read the sheet for the right agreement, tier and date, and check whether rates are hourly or daily, whether vacation and holiday pay are included and when the next increase takes effect.

When the rules are unclear

Agreements are long and detailed, and their rules interact in complicated ways, especially for travel, night work and holidays. When you are unsure how a rule applies, ask the union business representative or the production accountant rather than guessing, and keep a note of the answer for next time.