Film crew hire/Manchester/Hair and make-up
Hire a hair and make-up artist in Manchester. Camera-ready, and kept that way until wrap.
Hair and make-up artists for film, TV, video and photo shoots across Greater Manchester: interviews, presenters, brand films and adverts. They work to the camera and the light, not the mirror, and stay on set to keep every look the same from the first take to the last. £398 a day, paid to the artist in full.
- 54 five-star Google reviews
- 48 hrs from enquiry to confirmed crew, on most Manchester bookings
- £10m employers’ liability on every crew member we book
- 2,800+ freelance crew on our books
Photos: Christian Agbede, Rhamely, Bright Eliya, hessam nabavi and Joel Filipe
The role
What a hair and make-up artist does on your shoot
A hair and make-up artist (HMUA, or just HMU on a call sheet) gets everyone in front of the camera looking like themselves on a good day, then keeps them that way: powder between takes, flyaways, collars, and the shine that creeps back under the lights.
On a brand film or an advert they build a look to a brief. On an interview day the work is meant to go unnoticed, which is the point. We crew hair and make-up for the camera: film, TV, video and stills. Not weddings.
- Made up for the camera. Products and techniques that read true on a 4K sensor, under LED and daylight. The test is the monitor, not the mirror.
- The same look all day. Continuity photos of every look, so the last take matches the first, and day two matches day one.
- Contributors at ease. Ten minutes in the chair is often where a nervous contributor settles before the interview.
- Every skin tone and hair type. Tell us who’s on camera and we’ll match the artist to the cast.
What’s included
What the day rate covers
In the day rate
- An 11-hour day, including an hour for lunch
- Their own professional kit: foundations, powders, brushes and hair tools
- Hair and make-up for your contributors or cast, to the brief
- Checks and touch-ups between every set-up
- Continuity photos of each look
- Brushes cleaned between people, and single-use applicators
On top, each on its own line
- A daily kit fee: £25 on our last booking
- Our 10% booking fee and 2% insurance, on the whole quote, kit included
- Wigs, prosthetics and special effects materials, priced to the brief
- Travel outside Greater Manchester, at cost
How our rates work, and the two ways to book: crew rates in Manchester.
Two ways to book
Crew hire or full production: who’s the producer of record?
One question sets the price: who’s the producer of record? Book an artist for your shoot, or have us take the whole production on, wardrobe and all.
Crew hire
You run the shoot.
10% + 2% booking fee and insurance, on everything we book for you: crew, kit and travel.
We do
- Find, book and brief the crew, and pay them
- Book kit, travel and hotels too, if you want them
- Send the full price before anything is booked
- One person to call all day
- Employers’ liability for the crew we book, and insurance on kit we hire in
You do
- Run the shoot, or your producer does
- The plan, the schedule and the call sheet
- The location, its permission and its public liability
- Responsibility for the production: you’re the producer of record
What the 2% insures: employers’ liability for every crew member we book, and the kit we hire in for you. Nothing else on the shoot. A large kit rental may need extra insurance, as its own line on the quote.
Full production
We’re the producer of record.
15% + 5% production fee, plus insurance and contingency, on the whole production budget. Quoted as a production.
We do
- Our producer plans it with you and runs the day
- Locations, permits, kit, studio, travel and hotels, booked and paid in our name
- Insurance for the whole shoot, public liability included, plus the risk assessment and the call sheet
- One contract and one invoice, so overseas teams need no UK company
You do
- The creative calls
- Signing off the plan and the budget
What the 5% pays for: our production insurance across the whole shoot, £10m public liability included, and the contingency.
Not sure which you need? If your own producer or director will run the day, it’s crew hire. If you want us to take the production on, it’s a full production quote.
On the day
A day with a hair and make-up artist, call to wrap
An interview day with four contributors. Times are an example; the call sheet sets the real ones.
- 07:45 Set up the station A table, a mirror, good light and a plug, close to the set but out of shot. The producer finds the room.
- 08:30 First contributor in the chair 15 to 20 minutes for natural grooming: skin evened out, shine down, hair and brows tidy. Longer for a presenter or a full look.
- 09:15 Camera check The look checked on the monitor with the DOP, under the real light, and adjusted if the camera sees something the mirror didn’t.
- 09:30 Through the takes Beside the monitor, watching. Powder, flyaways and collars between set-ups, and a continuity photo of every look.
- 13:00 Lunch An hour. Lips and powder back on before the first set-up after.
- 14:00 The afternoon contributors The same again, plus a quick refresh for anyone filmed twice.
- 18:30 Wrap Make-up off for anyone who wants it, then the kit cleaned and packed.
As a rough guide, one artist can groom six to eight interview contributors in a day. For full looks, presenters or a big cast, book two.
Which kind
Which kind of hair and make-up do you need?
What it’s for decides who we book. Times in the chair are per person, as a rough guide.
Natural grooming Interviews, corporate and documentary 15–20 min
Even skin, no shine, tidy hair and brows. Nobody watching should be able to tell.
Best for interviews, testimonials, leadership films and conference speakers.
Presenter and broadcast Talking to camera, all day 30–45 min
Built to last under lights for hours, and checked between every take.
Best for presenters, hosts, and anyone carrying a piece to camera.
Beauty and commercial Adverts, brand films and product shots 45–90 min
A designed look to a brief and a mood board, with close-ups that hold up at 4K.
Best for adverts, brand films, and beauty or fashion products.
Styled hair When the hair is the point 45–90 min
Hair styled to a look with heated tools, extensions or wigs, often alongside a wardrobe stylist.
Best for fashion, editorial and campaign shoots. Stylists and costume are in our guide to props and wardrobe for Manchester shoots.
Period and character Drama, reconstructions and heritage films 1–2 hours
Period hair, wigs, facial hair and ageing, researched to the era and the character.
Best for drama, reconstructions in documentaries, and museum and heritage films.
Special effects and prosthetics Wounds, ageing and casualty make-up From 1 hour
Prosthetic pieces, blood, bruising and casualty simulation, made and tested before the shoot.
Best for drama, and safety and training films. Book it early: pieces are made to order.
What it’s for
What people book hair and make-up for in Manchester
Interview and testimonial days
Customer stories and leadership films, where the work should go unnoticed.
CEO and leadership films
Senior people with 20 minutes to spare, who need to look rested in the first take.
Conferences and award nights
Speakers and hosts, touched up between sessions under hot stage light.
Brand films and adverts
A cast, a mood board, and a look that has to match across two or three days.
Stills on the same day
Headshots or campaign photos alongside the film, with the look carried across both.
Recent work
Recent hair and make-up bookings
Crew hire · London · May 2026
An interview for a Paris agency
One artist for the day on a corporate interview, booked as part of the crew we supplied to an agency in Paris. The day rate and a small kit fee, each on its own line of the quote.
Bigger shoots · Manchester
A cast of ten, or no room to spare
For a big cast, book a second artist. For a location with nowhere to set up, a make-up trailer goes on the quote. Our props and wardrobe guide lists who supplies both in Manchester, including the hair and make-up supplier at MediaCityUK.
Before you book
Things to know
The day
- 11 hours, including an hour for lunch.
- Overtime at card rates, agreed with you before it happens.
- Earlier calls for a big cast are agreed on the quote.
Before the day
- Tell us about allergies and skin sensitivities when you book; we pass them on.
- Contributors arrive with clean, moisturised skin, and hair as they usually wear it.
- Clothes for the shoot on a hanger, not on their back.
Paying and cancelling
- Nothing to pay until you confirm the artist.
- 50% by card when you book, 50% on receipt of the final rushes.
- Every line on the quote: day rate, kit fee, booking fee, travel.
- Cancellation terms are on every quote.
What our insurance covers
- Employers’ liability for the artist we book: £10m.
- Kit we hire in for you is insured. A large kit rental may need extra insurance, as its own line on the quote.
- Nothing else on a crew hire. Public liability, the location and your own kit stay with you, and your venue will want your certificate. When we’re the producer of record, our policy covers the shoot.
£398 a day
APA/Bectu card benchmark: £341–398 a day.
| Day rate, 11 hours | £398 |
| Kit fee | £25 |
| Booking fee, 10% | £42.30 |
| Insurance, 2% | £8.46 |
| One day, before travel | £473.76 + VAT |
The 2% is employers’ liability for the artist we book. What it covers
You won’t pay anything until you confirm the artist.
- Most Manchester bookings confirmed within 48 hours
- 50% by card at booking, 50% on the final rushes
- Our team reads every brief within 2 working hours
Or call us on 07412 543822.
Reviews
What clients say about our crews
Straight from our Google Business Profile.
Book hair and make-up in Manchester.
Tell us the date, the place, how many people are on camera and the look. Our team reads every brief within 2 working hours. Or call us on 07412 543822.
Check availability
The whole crew
Every role in Manchester, booked the same way
One brief, one quote, every role on its own line. Our day rates in Manchester, paid to the crew member in full:
Production 05
- Producer From £450
- Production manager £504–627
- 2nd AD £355–448
- Production assistant £400
- Runner £245
Camera 07
- DOP From £850
- Camera operator £529–656
- Focus puller £461–575
- Clapper loader £355–448
- Steadicam operator From £950
- Gimbal operator £529–656
- Drone operator From £750
Data and playback 02
- DIT £527
- Video playback £334–518
Sound 01
- Sound recordist £550
Hair, make-up and costume 02
- Hair and make-up This page £398
- Costume £519–694
Art department 02
- Art director £675–878
- Set builders £341–512
Post-production 01
- Editor From £350
How our rates work: crew rates in Manchester. Or start from a set-up: interview crews and units in Manchester.
Production support
Everything around the crew
Hair and make-up rarely comes alone. Wardrobe, a studio, a location with a room to spare: each gets its own line on the quote, or use the guides to sort them yourself.
Questions
Hair and make-up in Manchester: questions
How much does a hair and make-up artist cost in Manchester?
Our hair and make-up artists are £398 for an 11-hour day, including an hour for lunch, paid to the artist in full. The APA/Bectu card sets £341–398. A daily kit fee (£25 on our last booking) goes on top, then our 10% booking fee and 2% insurance on the lot: £473.76 + VAT for the day.
What does the insurance on a crew booking cover?
Two things. Employers’ liability for every crew member we book, up to £10m, and insurance on the kit we hire in for you. That’s what the 2% pays for. A large kit rental may need extra insurance, as its own line on the quote. The 2% doesn’t insure the rest of the shoot: public liability, the location, your own kit and anything you book yourself stay with you, because you’re the producer of record. If you’d rather we were, it’s quoted as a full production, and our insurance covers the whole shoot, public liability included.
Do you book hair and make-up for weddings?
No. We crew hair and make-up for film, TV, video and photo shoots: interviews, presenters, brand films and adverts.
How many people can one make-up artist do in a day?
As a rough guide, six to eight interview contributors with natural grooming, at 15 to 20 minutes each, with time to watch the takes. Presenters, full looks or a bigger cast need longer, or a second artist.
Do I need hair and make-up for a corporate interview?
Usually, even a light touch. Under lights skin shines, and a 4K camera sees it. A contributor who’s had ten minutes in the chair also tends to settle quicker. If the budget is tight, book one artist and schedule your contributors back to back.
Can your make-up artists do men’s grooming and beards?
Yes. Most corporate contributors are groomed rather than made up: shine down, skin evened out, beards and brows tidied. Tell us who’s on camera when you book.
What should contributors do before the shoot?
Arrive with clean, moisturised skin and their hair as they usually wear it, bring the clothes for the shoot on a hanger, and tell us about any allergies or skin sensitivities in advance so the artist can plan.