Hire a DOP in Brighton. A DOP plans and runs the camera and lighting on your shoot.
People book a DOP in Brighton for offices at New England House, conferences at the Brighton Centre and shoots on the seafront. The DOP chooses the camera and lenses, lights each set-up and films it, or runs the camera team that does. Our DOP day rate starts at £850, and the DOP gets all of it.
- 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: Here Now Films, Sam McGhee and Ekkanat Sartsoongnern
The role
What a DOP does on your shoot
A DOP (director of photography, or DP) turns the brief into pictures. Before the shoot they agree the look with you or your director, choose the camera, lenses and lights, and check the location for light and power. On the day they light every set-up, frame the shots and run the camera, lighting and grip crew.
We book a DOP who lives in Brighton or Hove first. If nobody local is free, or the shoot needs more people, we bring crew down from London. We add the travel to the quote before anything is booked. Many DOPs bring their own camera. If the film needs more kit, we hire it from a London kit house.
- You agree the look with the DOP before the shoot. They send reference frames, a lens choice and a lighting plan for you to sign off.
- The DOP lights the room you have. They balance daylight from the windows with lamps and LED lights so faces look good.
- The DOP picks the camera for the brief. That’s often a Sony FX6 for an interview day. For an advert it might be an ARRI Alexa, a RED or 35mm film.
- The DOP briefs the crew early. The gaffer, focus puller and grip know the plan, so each new set-up takes minutes.
What’s included
What the day rate covers
In the day rate
- An 11-hour day, including an hour for lunch
- Lighting and framing every set-up
- The camera, lens and lighting plan, agreed with you before the day
- Running the camera, lighting and grip crew, if you book one
- A camera test and white balance at call
- A rushes check at wrap, before the cards leave set
On top, each on its own line
- Our 10% booking fee and 2% insurance, on the whole quote
- Camera, lens and lighting kit, whether it’s the DOP’s own or a kit house’s
- Recce and prep days, if the shoot needs them
- Travel from London or outside Brighton, and mileage, parking and a suspended bay where the day needs one, at cost
Read how our rates work and the two ways to book in crew rates in Brighton.
Two ways to book
Crew hire or full production
The price depends on who is the producer of record. That’s the company responsible for the shoot. You can book a DOP for your own shoot, or ask us to run the whole production.
Crew hire
You run the shoot.
10% + 2% booking fee and insurance on everything we book for you, including 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
- You’re the producer of record, so the production is your responsibility
The 2% covers employers’ liability for every crew member we book and the kit we hire in for you. It doesn’t cover anything else on the shoot. A large kit rental may need extra insurance, which goes on the quote as its own line.
Full production
We’re the producer of record.
15% + 5% production fee, plus insurance and contingency, on the whole production budget. We quote it 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
The 5% pays for our production insurance across the whole shoot, including £10m public liability, and the contingency.
If your own producer or director will run the day, book crew hire. If you want us to run the production, ask for a full production quote.
On the day
An example day with a DOP
A founder interview in an office at New England House, then B-roll on the seafront. The times are an example. The call sheet sets the real ones.
- 07:30 Parking The van parks in a suspended bay outside, booked with the council 7 working days ahead. Brighton has no emission charge for vans.
- 07:45 Security Crew names and the kit list went to the building in advance. The crew collect their passes and take the kit up in the lift.
- 08:15 Reading the light The DOP walks the room with the gaffer. They check where the sun falls, where the sockets are and which windows need covering.
- 09:00 First set-up lit The DOP lights the chair with a key light, a fill and a backlight, and lights the office behind so it shows.
- 09:45 Interviews Two cameras film a wide shot and a close shot. The DOP watches the exposure, the focus and the daylight as it moves.
- 13:00 Lunch Lunch is an hour. The gaffer resets the room for the afternoon.
- 14:00 B-roll The crew film people at work, then go down to the seafront with a small handheld kit. Filming on the seafront needs permission from the Sussex Film Office, which handles council land in Brighton and Hove.
- 18:30 Wrap The crew pack down, check and copy the cards, and load the van.
We checked this in November 2026. Fees and rules change, and this page isn’t the official source. For the latest, check with the Sussex Film Office and Brighton and Hove City Council.
Types
Types of DOP we book
Every DOP lights and films. What changes is the camera, the size of the crew and the kind of film.
Interview and corporate DOP Lit interviews on two cameras From £850 a day
Two-camera interviews, lit so the room looks its best, plus B-roll. The DOP often brings their own Sony FX6 or FX9 kit, which goes on the quote as its own line.
Good for customer stories, founder films and leadership films in offices round Brighton station and New England House.
Documentary DOP Observational, handheld, available light From £850 a day
A documentary DOP reads a room, finds the shot and keeps filming without stopping the action. They work with a shoulder rig, a zoom or a few fast lenses, and they’re used to long days.
Good for branded documentaries and micro-docs. Filming on Brighton’s streets and seafront needs permission from the Sussex Film Office. See filming permits in Brighton.
Commercial DOP Adverts and brand films Card £935–1,561
A commercial DOP designs the look and shoots on an ARRI Alexa 35, Alexa Mini LF or RED V-Raptor with cine lenses. They bring a lighting plan and a camera team of focus puller, loader and grip.
Good for adverts and brand campaigns. The APA/Bectu card applies to commercials.
Film DOP 16mm and 35mm Quoted on the brief
A film DOP shoots on a 35mm or Super 16 package, with a clapper loader. The stock, processing and scan go on the quote. This kind of kit usually comes down from London.
Good when you want the look of film, as on Cohere’s
Studio and product DOP Coves, tabletop and packshots Quoted on the brief
A studio DOP films products on a cove or a tabletop. They use macro lenses and careful lighting so every reflection is under control.
Good for product films and e-commerce, usually in a small studio hired by the day. See film studios in Brighton.
What it’s for
What people book a DOP for in Brighton
Founder and customer films
Offices at New England House and round the station, where many of the city’s tech and games companies work.
Conferences at the Brighton Centre
Crews film the keynotes and record interviews between the sessions.
Adverts and fashion on the seafront
The beach, Hove Lawns and the piers. The Sussex Film Office handles the beach, and the pier’s owner handles the pier.
The Downs and the coast
Devil’s Dyke, Ditchling Beacon and Seven Sisters. Drones need permission from Shoreham’s air traffic control, and from Seven Sisters Country Park over the park.
University and research films
The University of Sussex at Falmer and the University of Brighton.
Recent work
DOPs on our jobs, and how we crew Brighton
Our work · South West England
The Living Layer
A documentary for the South West Peatland Partnership, filmed over a year on the moors of the South West of England. Our own team made it.
How we crew it · Brighton
A DOP who lives locally, or one from London
We start with DOPs who live in Brighton or Hove. If the brief needs a particular look, or nobody local is free that day, we book a DOP from London. Many bring their own camera kit, which goes on the quote as its own line. We add the travel to the quote before anything is booked.
Before you book
Things to know
The day
- The day is 11 hours, including an hour for lunch.
- Overtime is paid at card rates, and we agree it with you before it happens.
- Recce and prep days are quoted separately.
Kit
- The crew bring their own kit, or we hire it from a kit house. Each piece goes on the quote as its own line.
- If the DOP’s own kit isn’t enough, we hire camera and lighting packages from London kit houses.
- Kit we hire in goes on the quote at the same 10% booking fee and 2% insurance as the crew.
Location and travel
- Travel for a DOP from London or outside Brighton, by train or by road, goes on the quote before anything is booked.
- Filming on council land in Brighton and Hove, including streets, the beach and parks, goes through the Sussex Film Office. A suspended parking bay needs 7 working days’ notice.
- Brighton’s low emission zone only covers buses, so there’s no charge for a crew van. We checked this in November 2026. Fees and rules change, and this page isn’t the official source. For the latest, check with the Sussex Film Office and Brighton and Hove City Council.
Paying and changes
- You pay nothing until you confirm the DOP.
- We take 50% by card when you book and 50% when you receive the final rushes.
- The quote shows every line, including the day rate, booking fee, kit and travel.
- Cancellation terms are on every quote.
What our insurance covers
- Our insurance covers employers’ liability for the DOP we book, up to £10m.
- Kit we hire in for you is insured. A large kit rental may need extra insurance, as its own line on the quote.
- On a crew hire, it doesn’t cover anything else. Public liability, the location and your own kit stay with you, and your venue will want to see your certificate. When we’re the producer of record, our policy covers the shoot.
- Private venues usually ask to see it. The Royal Pavilion, for example, asks for at least £10m public liability. We checked this in November 2026. Fees and rules change, and this page isn’t the official source. For the latest, check with Brighton and Hove Museums.
From £850 a day
APA/Bectu card benchmark: £935–1,561 a day.
| Day rate, 11 hours | £850 |
| Booking fee, 10% | £85 |
| Insurance, 2% | £17 |
| One day, before kit and travel | £952 + VAT |
The 2% covers employers’ liability for the DOP we book and the kit we hire in. What it covers
You won’t pay anything until you confirm the DOP.
- 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
These reviews come from our Google Business Profile.
Book a DOP in Brighton.
Tell us the date, the building or the street, the look you want and the camera you have in mind. Our team reads every brief within 2 working hours. Or call us on 07412 543822.
Check availability
The whole crew
Every crew role we book in Brighton
Send one brief and we send one quote, with every role on its own line. These are our day rates in Brighton, and each crew member gets their full rate:
Production 06
- Director From £500
- Producer From £450
- Production manager £504–627
- 2nd AD £355–448
- Production assistant £400
- Runner £245
Camera 07
- DOP This page 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
See how our rates work in crew rates in Brighton, or start from one of our crew set-ups in Brighton.
Production support
Everything around the crew
A DOP rarely works alone. Kit, a studio and the Sussex Film Office’s permission each go on the quote as their own line, or you can sort them yourself.
01
Kit rental
Where to hire camera, lighting and sound kit for a Brighton shoot, and when the crew bring their own.
02
Locations and permits
The Sussex Film Office, private places such as the pier, filming on the beach and the drone rules.
03
Studios and set builds
Studios in Brighton for interviews and product shots, and where to go for a bigger set build.
04
Props and wardrobe
Where props and costume come from, and the stylists and hair and make-up artists we book.
Questions
Questions about hiring a DOP in Brighton
How much does a DOP cost in Brighton?
Our DOPs start at £850 for an 11-hour day, including an hour for lunch, and the DOP gets all of it. The APA/Bectu card for commercials puts a DOP at £935–1,561. We add our 10% booking fee and 2% insurance, so one day comes to £952 + VAT. Kit and any travel from London are extra, and each goes on the quote as its own line.
What does the insurance on a crew booking cover?
It covers two things. The first is employers’ liability for every crew member we book, up to £10m. The second is the kit we hire in for you. That’s what the 2% pays for. A large kit rental may need extra insurance, which goes on the quote as its own line. On a crew hire, you’re the producer of record, so public liability, the location, your own kit and anything you book yourself stay with you. If you want us to be the producer of record, we quote it as a full production, and our insurance covers the whole shoot.
Are your DOPs from Brighton?
We book DOPs who live in Brighton or Hove first. If the brief or the date needs someone else, we book a DOP from London, about an hour away by train. We add the travel to the quote before anything is booked. Our own base is London, at 124 City Road, and we have bases in Manchester, Bristol and Cornwall.
Do your DOPs bring their own camera?
Many do, at a day rate on the quote. For an interview day that’s often a Sony FX6 or FX9 kit. If you need an ARRI Alexa, a RED or a film package, we hire it in with the same 10% + 2%. Bigger packages usually come down from London kit houses.
Can a DOP film on a Brighton street or the beach?
Yes, with permission. The Sussex Film Office handles filming on council land in Brighton and Hove, including streets, the beach, the seafront and parks. It prices each application. Private places, such as Brighton Palace Pier, the Royal Pavilion and Brighton Marina, need the owner’s permission. On a crew hire, the permission is yours. There’s more in filming permits in Brighton. Check with the Sussex Film Office for the latest.
Is there a studio in Brighton for a lit shoot?
Yes. Capture Factory Studios has four studios in central Brighton, five minutes’ walk from the station. Studio 4 has a 13-metre infinity cove, and Studio 7b can be blacked out. They suit lit interviews and product shots. For a big set build, we use studios near London. If we book the studio, it goes on the quote as its own line. Check with the studio for the latest.
How far ahead should I book a DOP in Brighton?
Our team reads every brief within 2 working hours and replies with a DOP and a price. The date usually depends on permission more than crew. A suspended parking bay needs 7 working days’ notice, and a road closure can take up to 12 weeks. Check with Brighton and Hove City Council for the latest.