2009Legal / Business Practices forum
Steadicam operator compensation rates for television productions
17 years old. Gear and prices may have changed since.
What the thread found
- Steadicam operators performing on television productions should negotiate rates significantly above standard camera operator scale to reflect the technical complexity and physical demands of the work.
- A reasonable negotiating position is a 20 percent premium over the rate paid to standard dolly operators, since assistants working with specialty equipment already receive similar premiums.
- Production companies often budget gear rental costs based on actual equipment value and intentionally offer low hourly rates to test what operators will accept.
- Freelance equipment operators must factor overhead costs including insurance, vehicle maintenance, equipment upgrades, and income gaps between jobs when evaluating rate proposals.
- Invoicing full rate with discounts applied at payment allows operators to maintain their standard rate if payment terms change or discounts are not honored.
- HD production with frequent rolling resets creates additional physical fatigue that may warrant higher compensation than standard definition work.
Depends on
- The discussion reflects 2009 market conditions and union scale rates from that era, which may not apply currently.
- Rates discussed appear specific to union productions in the United States, primarily Los Angeles market.
- Some suggestions about negotiating tactics (paying only 70 percent of requested shots) were presented humorously and may not represent practical approaches.
- No consensus was reached on what constitutes a definitive fair rate, only that operator scale was considered insufficient.