Production Rates & Estimate
Estimate
Why these rates
I'm not a union member yet. I'm working toward IATSE membership, and until then I pay the crew I hire union scale anyway. Florida is a right-to-work state and most corporate, event and live-stream work here is non-union, which is why rates swing so much from one company to the next.
What I pay the crew I hire
Everyone I hire for your job is paid at least the union minimum for their position, by the hour, with union overtime. These are the crew's wages, not prices you're quoted. The minimums come from the IATSE Videotape Agreement, the contract behind award shows and live TV, and the rate card of the International Cinematographers Guild (IATSE Local 600).
Photography and drone
On union film and TV productions, still photographers and drone camera crews work under the International Cinematographers Guild (IATSE Local 600). Drone camera work joined the guild's agreement in 2024, after the guild won an arbitration over it and the major studios agreed to cover drone camera operators.
When I bring in another photographer or a drone operator for your job, they're paid at least these minimums. My own photography and drone work is priced as a finished job, with the editing, the gear and the delivered photos and video included, so it's quoted differently from a union hourly wage.
Why a production costs more than the wages
A production estimate covers everything it takes to deliver the job, not just the hours on site:
- Planning before the shoot: calls, site checks, schedules and shot lists
- Booking, scheduling and coordinating the crew
- The gear: cameras, lenses, audio, switching and lighting, owned or rented for your job
- Editing and delivering the finished photos and video
- Travel, when the job is outside Miami-Dade and Broward
Compared with union crews
Union productions also pay pension and health contributions, payroll taxes and payroll-service fees on top of the wages above. For reference, union operators booked through the Broward County Convention Center bill $82 to $95 an hour each, with an 8-hour minimum, before sales tax.
Estimates, not set rates
Every number on this page is an estimate based on the options you choose, not a guaranteed rate. Once I've gone over your production, I'll send you a final quote, which can come in higher or lower.
Sources: IATSE Videotape Agreement wage schedules, 2024–27 · ICG Local 600 rate card, 2026–27 · Broward County Convention Center technical labor rates, Oct 2025 to Sep 2026 · Drone camera crews win union coverage (June 2024)
What you're paying for
A camera isn't just a camera. This industry has a pricing problem. Plenty of people own a camera, and a lot of media work gets priced against people who are just starting out. That pulls the going rate below what it takes to do the work well, and the difference shows up where it hurts: a missed moment, audio you can't use, a stream that drops in front of your audience.
What you pay tracks how good the production is. I don't build jobs around the cheapest gear that technically works. Sensors, lenses, switchers and audio chains are chosen for how the result looks and how it holds up live, and experienced crew cost more because they've already made their mistakes on someone else's show.
| Principle | What it means for your job |
|---|---|
| Pay the people properly | Every crew member I hire is paid union scale, so experienced people say yes to your job and stay for the whole day. |
| Use the right tools | Cameras, lenses, switchers and audio picked for the result, not because they're the cheapest thing that technically works. |
| Show where the money goes | Every estimate lists each seat, each piece of gear and each hour of editing, so you know exactly what you're paying for. |
Fine print
13 terms| Term | Details |
|---|---|
| Days & hours | A day is up to 10 hours on site and a half day is up to 5. Past that it's time and a half, then double after 12 hours. Photography is billed by the hour with a 2-hour minimum, editing included. |
| Hired crew | Paid by the hour at union scale with a 4-hour minimum call, time and a half after 8 hours and double after 12, the way union calls work. Production assistants have no union scale, so they're paid the going rate. |
| Minimum | The smallest job I take is $300. |
| Booking & payment | A 50% retainer holds your date and the balance is due on delivery. Established companies can apply for net-30 terms, approved case by case. |
| Cancellations | Cancel 48 hours or more before the call time and only the retainer is kept. Inside 48 hours, every booked seat is billed in full, because those people turned down other work to hold your date. |
| Travel | Miami-Dade and Broward are included. Beyond that it's mileage from Hollywood, FL at the IRS rate (76¢ a mile), and overnight jobs add a hotel and per diem. Outside South Florida I hire crew who live near you when I can. |
| Using your photos & video | Everything I deliver is yours to use anywhere, including ads and commercials, at no extra cost. The only exception is reselling it to others, like selling the photos or footage as stock. |
| Turnaround | Photos can come back the same day, or live while the event runs. Video follows normal post-production timelines, set when you book. If I'm not your editor, I offload your footage on location before I leave. |
| Gear | Most of the camera, lens, audio and drone kit is mine. Broadcast gear I don't own, like switchers, PTZ cameras and intercom, is priced from rental-house rates, so the estimate matches what the job actually needs. |
| Internet for live streams | A stream needs a dedicated wired line with at least 20 Mbps of steady upload, and I test it before the show. If the venue can't provide one, I bring a Starlink kit or a bonded cellular unit. |
| Short-form | Short-form starts from a concept: a creative brief, a set number of pieces and a shot list agreed before the shoot. I don't take open-ended content days, like following you around Brickell and cutting the day into as many reels as possible. |
| Estimates | The calculator gives an estimate based on the options you choose, not a set rate. Your final quote can come in higher or lower once I've gone over the details. Rates last updated October 2026. |
| Taxes | Taxes, where they apply, are added to the final invoice. |