Film crew hire/Edinburgh/Runner
Hire a runner in Edinburgh. First in, last out, and wherever they’re needed in between.
Runners for shoots across Edinburgh and the Lothians. They run the errands, carry the kit up the Old Town’s steps, hold the suspended bays and know which vans the Low Emission Zone will fine, so everyone else can do their job. £245 a day, the full APA/Bectu card rate, paid to the runner in full.
- 54 five-star Google reviews
- 2 hrs for our team to read your brief, in working hours
- £10m employers’ liability on every crew member we book
- 2,800+ freelance crew on our books, across the UK
Photos: Omotayo Kofoworola, patsanannnn, Jakob Owens, sippakorn yamkasikorn and Wyatt Simpson
The role
What a runner does on your shoot
A runner does whatever the shoot needs next: fetching, carrying, holding doors, minding the parking bays, making tea, collecting a forgotten cable from a kit house in Leith. It’s the first job on a crew, and a good runner makes the whole day calmer.
Production runners work to the producer or production manager; floor runners work to the ADs on set. On a small shoot one runner does both. We’re a crew agency with 2,800+ freelance crew on our books across the UK, and we book runners who live in or near Edinburgh first. When the brief or the date needs someone else, they come from elsewhere in Scotland, the north of England or London, with the travel on the quote.
- Errands done fast. The shop, the kit house, the courier, and back before anyone notices.
- Kit carried and minded. Up the front steps, down an Old Town close, and never left alone on the pavement.
- The base running. Tea, water, snacks and the bins, all day.
- Paid properly. The full APA/Bectu card rate for a runner, £245 a day, every time.
What’s included
What the day rate covers
In the day rate
- An 11-hour day, including an hour for lunch
- Runs to shops, kit houses and couriers
- Loading in and out
- The unit base: water, tea and snacks
- Holding the suspended bays and meeting the vans
- Keeping the pavement clear, with the AD or producer
On top, each on its own line
- Our 10% booking fee and 2% insurance, on the whole quote
- Mileage, if they use their own car
- Parking, bay suspensions and dispensations, at cost
- Travel from outside Edinburgh, at cost
How our rates work, and the two ways to book: crew rates in Edinburgh.
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 a runner for your own shoot, or have us take the production on.
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 runner, call to wrap
A brand film in a restaurant on the Shore at Leith, with pay bays suspended outside for the vans. Times are an example; the call sheet sets the real ones.
- 06:30 Before call The suspended bays checked and kept clear, the vans met and parked in them, the urn on, water and snacks out.
- 07:30 Load in Kit carried up the stairs, cases stacked where the crew want them, nothing left on the pavement.
- 09:00 On set Doors held, the neighbours kept in the loop, the public politely kept out of shot, the next set-up’s kit staged.
- 11:00 A run Gaffer tape and batteries from Leith Walk, on foot, so the van keeps its bay.
- 13:00 Lunch Collected, laid out and cleared.
- 15:00 The move Kit carried up to the top floor; the first room put back as it was found.
- 19:00 Wrap Last out: the base cleared, the rubbish gone, the bays handed back.
Which kind
Which runner do you need?
Runners do different jobs on different crews.
Production runner Errands and the unit base £245 a day
Works to the producer or PM: runs, deliveries, catering, the base and the bays.
Best on any shoot with a unit base or lots of kit.
Floor runner On set with the ADs £245 a day
Moves people and messages for the AD team. See 2nd ADs in Edinburgh.
Best on shoots with a cast or background artists.
Runner with a car Collections and deliveries £245 a day + mileage
Collects kit, props and people, with their own car and business insurance, in a car that meets the Low Emission Zone.
Best when the kit is out towards the airport and the location is in the Old Town.
Production assistant Contributors and releases £400 a day
More responsibility: contributors, releases and the call sheet. See production assistants in Edinburgh.
Best when the producer needs someone to share the load.
What it’s for
What people book a runner for in Edinburgh
Brand films and adverts
A unit base, lots of kit, suspended bays and a set that needs minding.
Busy public locations
The Royal Mile, Princes Street Gardens and Calton Hill, where someone has to manage passers-by.
Studio days
Deliveries, catering and runs between FirstStage Studios in Leith and the kit houses.
Shoots with a cast
Floor runners for the ADs.
Collections
A runner with a car for kit from Lights Camera Scotland, out towards the airport, or Wex Rental’s store on Haddington Place.
Recent work
Runners on our jobs, from the cliffs to the kerb
Full production · The Lizard, Cornwall · June 2026
Kit in on beach carts
On our 35mm shoot on the Lizard for Cohere’s AI for Empowerment, the runner and driver was part of a crew taking a film camera package along the cliff path on beach carts, because no vehicle could reach the set, from a 07:00 call to wrap fourteen hours later.
How we crew it · Edinburgh
Bays, dispensations and the Low Emission Zone
On an Edinburgh street the vans need somewhere to stop. A parking dispensation lets a working van use a yellow line, £16 a vehicle with at least 24 hours’ notice; pay bays can be suspended with three working days’ notice, charged at the pay-and-display rate for every hour they’re out of use (checked October 2026). The runner is there before the vans to keep the bays clear, and meets each one in. Edinburgh’s Low Emission Zone covers the city centre around the clock and has no charge to pay: a car or van that doesn’t meet it is sent a £60 penalty (checked October 2026), so we only book vehicles that do, the runner’s own car included. All of it goes on the quote at cost, each on its own line.
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.
Cars, vans and the Low Emission Zone
- Tell us if the runner needs a car: mileage and parking go on the quote at cost, and we check the car against the Low Emission Zone first.
- Runners drive only on business insurance.
- Edinburgh’s Low Emission Zone covers the city centre around the clock. A petrol car or van below Euro 4, or a diesel below Euro 6, is sent a £60 penalty, then £120, £240 and £480 for repeats within 90 days (checked October 2026).
Paying and changes
- Nothing to pay until you confirm the runner.
- 50% by card when you book, 50% on receipt of the final rushes.
- Every line on the quote: day rate, booking fee, kit, travel.
- Cancellation terms are on every quote.
What our insurance covers
- Employers’ liability for the runner 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.
£245 a day
We pay the full APA/Bectu card rate for a runner: £245 a day.
| Day rate, 11 hours | £245 |
| Booking fee, 10% | £24.50 |
| Insurance, 2% | £4.90 |
| One day, before mileage | £274.40 + VAT |
The 2% is employers’ liability for the runner we book, and cover on kit we hire in. What it covers
You won’t pay anything until you confirm the runner.
- 50% by card at booking, 50% on the final rushes
- Our team reads every brief within 2 working hours
- Every line on the quote before anything is booked
Or call us on 07412 543822.
Reviews
What clients say about our crews
Straight from our Google Business Profile.
Book a runner in Edinburgh.
Tell us the date, the place, and whether the runner needs a car. Our team reads every brief within 2 working hours. Or call us on 07412 543822.
Check availability
The whole crew
Every role in Edinburgh, booked the same way
One brief, one quote, every role on its own line. Our day rates in Edinburgh, paid to the crew member in full:
Production 06
- Director From £500
- Producer From £450
- Production manager £504–627
- 2nd AD £355–448
- Production assistant £400
- Runner This page £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 £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 Edinburgh. Or start from a set-up: interview crews and units in Edinburgh.
Production support
Everything around the crew
Runners keep everything around the crew moving, from the bays to the kit runs out towards the airport, each item its own line on the quote if you want us to book it.
01
Kit rental
Kit houses in Leith and out towards the airport, the crew’s own kit, and what comes from Glasgow or London.
02
Locations and permits
Film Edinburgh, Historic Environment Scotland, Waverley, the kirkyards, the trams and the drone rules.
03
Studios and set builds
FirstStage in Leith, smaller studios for interviews and product, and set builds.
Questions
Hiring a runner in Edinburgh: questions
How much does a runner cost in Edinburgh?
Our runners are £245 for an 11-hour day, including an hour for lunch: the full APA/Bectu card rate, paid to the runner. On top go our 10% booking fee and 2% insurance: £274.40 + VAT for the day, plus mileage and parking if they drive.
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.
What’s the difference between a runner and a PA?
A runner fetches, carries and keeps the base going. A production assistant works closer to the producer, on contributors and paperwork.
Can your runners drive in central Edinburgh?
Some can, with their own car and business insurance; tell us when you book. Mileage and parking go on the quote at cost. Central Edinburgh is inside the Low Emission Zone around the clock, and there’s no charge to pay your way in: a petrol car below Euro 4 or a diesel below Euro 6 is sent a £60 penalty (checked October 2026), so we only book runners whose cars meet it.
Where do runners collect kit from in Edinburgh?
Edinburgh’s kit houses include Lights Camera Scotland, between the city centre and the airport, with 24-hour collection and drop-off; Live Systems on North Leith Sands, for sound, lighting and camera; and Wex Rental’s store on Haddington Place, which hands over kit booked ahead and wants up to three working days to get it to the store (checked October 2026). Bigger camera and lighting packages come from Glasgow or London. The runner goes by tram, which runs from the airport through Haymarket and Princes Street to Leith, or drives, with the mileage on the quote. See film equipment hire in Edinburgh.
Why pay a runner the full card rate?
Because it’s the rate. Runners work the same 11-hour day as everyone else, and the people who start as runners are the crew of the next ten years.
How far ahead should I book a runner in Edinburgh?
Our team reads every brief within 2 working hours. If the runner is holding bays, it’s the bays that need the notice: a parking dispensation wants at least 24 hours, through the council’s parking contractor, NSL, and a suspended pay bay three working days (checked October 2026).
Are your runners from Edinburgh?
We book runners who live in or near Edinburgh first. We’re a crew agency with 2,800+ freelance crew on our books across the UK, so we can scale a crew from one person for a morning to a full unit for a week, and when the brief or the date needs someone else, they come from elsewhere in Scotland (Glasgow is about 45 minutes away by train), the north of England or London, with the travel on the quote before anything is booked. Our base is London, at 124 City Road, with bases in Manchester, Bristol and Cornwall.