Looking for a video crew for hire in Washington, DC? You have the client and the concept. You need a local crew that knows the venues, the permits and the buildings. Send us the scope and our DC team will staff it.
Agencies and production companies based somewhere else who have landed a shoot in Washington. Brands sending a national campaign through DC. Corporate video teams who need a second unit, an extra camera, or a full crew for a day.
Flying a crew in costs you travel, lodging, per diem and a team that has never set foot in the building. Hiring local means the money goes into production value instead of plane tickets. Every crew day rate is published, see our crew day rates in DC.
Director of photography, camera operator, second and third camera, audio engineer, gaffer, grip, teleprompter operator, drone operator, digital imaging technician, production assistant, and stills photographer.
Camera, lens, lighting, audio and grip packages come with the crew, or we work off your package if you are shipping gear in. Tell us the deliverable and we will tell you the smallest crew that can actually pull it off.
These are all-in day rates per person with kit fees already included, based on a standard 10 hour day. Overtime past hour 10 is billed separately. A camera operator day rate in DC runs $400 to $950 depending on the setup and the gear the shoot calls for. A director of photography runs $800 to $3,200. Rates reflect the 2026 DC market for non-union crew.
| Role | Day rate |
|---|---|
| Director of Photography | $800 to $3,200 |
| Camera Operator | $400 to $950 |
| 1st AC | $500 to $1,000 |
| 2nd AC | $400 to $750 |
| DIT (Digital Imaging Technician) | $700 to $1,650 |
| BTS Shooter | $400 to $900 |
| Role | Day rate |
|---|---|
| Gaffer | $575 to $1,400 |
| Best Boy Electric | $500 to $1,000 |
| Key Grip | $575 to $1,350 |
| Grip | $400 to $900 |
| Role | Day rate |
|---|---|
| Sound Mixer | $825 to $1,850 |
| Boom Operator | $400 to $850 |
| Role | Day rate |
|---|---|
| Director | $800 to $2,000 |
| Producer | $800 to $2,000 |
| 1st AD | $625 to $1,350 |
| Script Supervisor | $460 to $875 |
| Production Coordinator | $350 to $650 |
| Production Assistant | $175 to $425 |
| Location Scout | $350 to $750 |
| Role | Day rate |
|---|---|
| Teleprompter Operator | $500 to $800 |
| Live Stream Engineer | $700 to $1,500 |
| Drone Operator | $600 to $1,200 |
| Photographer | $800 to $2,000 |
| Hair and Makeup Artist | $425 to $1,050 |
| HMU Department Head | $600 to $1,300 |
| Wardrobe Stylist | $400 to $800 |
Need a full package price rather than individual day rates? Build a crew estimate in about a minute with our video production pricing calculator, or tell us the dates and we will come back with a fixed quote.
Washington is not a city you can just show up and shoot in. Federal property, the National Mall, Capitol Hill, embassies, museums and most association headquarters each carry their own access rules, credentialing timelines and security screening. Downtown venues have loading dock windows and union considerations. Half of what looks like a permit problem is really a scheduling problem.
Filming on District streets and public space runs through the DC Office of Cable Television, Film, Music and Entertainment, while anything on the Mall or other federal parkland falls under National Park Service permitting, and the lead times are not the same.
We shoot here every week. We know which venues need a certificate of insurance three weeks out, which ones will not let you bring a light stand through the front door, and how long you actually need on site to get everything on your shot list.
Booking a video crew for hire in Washington, DC starts with the basics. Send the dates, the location, the deliverable and any gear you are bringing. We will come back with availability, the crew we would put on it, and a rate. If the dates are tight, say so in the first message and we will tell you straight away whether we can cover it.
We work as a subcontracted crew under your production, with your call sheets, your client relationship and your name on the final piece. We are also happy to handle post if you would rather hand off the whole thing.
For recurring work we can hold dates on a retainer basis, which matters if you are producing a conference series or a quarterly content shoot and want the same operators each time.
Crew for hire is priced by role and day, so it depends on what positions you need, DP, audio, gaffer, and so on, and whether you want gear included. Send us the scope and dates and we will come back with availability and a rate. See our full pricing page for exact rates and add-ons.
Yes. We work as a subcontracted crew under your call sheets, your client relationship, and your name on the final piece. You stay in charge, we bring the local crew and the DC know-how.
Because flying a crew in means travel, lodging, per diem, and a team that has never set foot in the building. Hiring local puts that money into production value instead of plane tickets, and you get people who know the venues, permits, and access rules.
Often, yes, especially if you tell us the tight timeline in the first message. We will say straight away whether we can cover your dates instead of leaving you hanging.
Director of photography, camera operators, audio engineers, gaffers, grips, drone operators, and PAs, sized to your production. Tell us the deliverable and we will tell you the smallest crew that can actually pull it off.
Either. Camera, lens, lighting, audio, and grip packages can come with the crew, or we shoot off your package if you are shipping gear in. Your call.
Yes, that is half the value of hiring local. We know which venues need a certificate of insurance three weeks out, which federal and Hill locations need credentialing, and how the permitting actually works here.
Washington DC proper, plus Arlington, Alexandria, Tysons, Reston, Fairfax County, Bethesda, Silver Spring and the rest of the Maryland and Northern Virginia suburbs. We travel nationally for existing clients.
If you are looking for a full production rather than crew only, see corporate video production or event videography in Washington, DC.
More on our video production team in Washington, DC.
See past productions in our portfolio.