Film crew hire/Oxford/Props and wardrobe for Oxford shoots
Props and wardrobe for Oxford shoots
This guide is our summary for planning a shoot. It isn’t the official source. Always check fees, notice periods and rules with the people named on this page before you film. On an Oxford shoot, our stylists, costume designers and hair and make-up artists look after the people on camera, and a props buyer or art director looks after the set. Most contemporary wardrobe and many props are bought for the shoot. Rebellion Film Studios rents out costume from its studios at Didcot. Specialist props and bigger pieces come from prop houses in London. This guide covers who does what, where things come from and how hire is charged.
Costume designer · day rate
£519–694
Hair and make-up · day rate
£398
Costume hire near Oxford
Rebellion, Didcot
Stylist · day rate
£519–647
On this page
01 The people
Who runs props and wardrobe on a shoot
On a corporate interview in an office, often nobody looks after props and wardrobe. The contributor wears their own clothes, and the set is the meeting room. On a brand film or an advert, these are the people we book, at our day rates. We book them in and around Oxford first, and from London when the brief needs them, with the travel on the quote.
| Role | What they do | Day rate |
|---|---|---|
| Art director | Designs the look of the set and runs the art department | £675–878 |
| Props buyer | Finds, buys or hires everything on screen, and knows what to buy in Oxford and what comes from London | £493–585 |
| Set builders | Build, paint and strike the set | £341–512 |
| Stylist | Chooses and fits the wardrobe for talent and contributors | £519–647 |
| Costume | Designs, sources and fits costume for period or character work | £519–694 |
| Wardrobe assistant | Dresses the cast and keeps continuity on the day | £341–398 |
| Hair and make-up | Gets people camera-ready, and keeps them that way | £398, plus a £25 kit fee |
| Armourer | Supplies and looks after any weapon on set, real or replica | Quoted on the brief |
Full production · Oslo, Norway · 2026
A stylist with a returns day
For the Oslo chapter of AI for Empowerment, the stylist was booked for a prep day, the shoot day and half a day for returns. Most styling jobs need all three, so all three go on the quote.
Crew hire · Canary Wharf, London · October 2024
A podcast set, dressed the day before
Two podcast episodes on three cameras moved to Level 48 of One Canada Square when the client’s own office fell through. We booked an art director the day before, with the sign-off of Magnet Media, the New York agency running the shoot, to dress the backgrounds and cover the logos in shot. The four microphones on black arms were props, and the sound came from lavs and a boom.
How we crew it · Oxford
Bought for the shoot, with specialist pieces from London
Our stylist buys contemporary wardrobe for the shoot and keeps the receipts for returns. Furniture and set dressing are bought or hired for the day. Costume comes from Rebellion Film Studios at Didcot or from London houses, and specialist props from London. The costume designer or props buyer checks them before the day. Every purchase and hire is its own line on the quote.
02 Props
Prop hire and set dressing
For most Oxford shoots, the props buyer or art director buys what the set needs, in the city or in London. For period furniture, a big order or anything that has to be made, we hire from prop houses in London.
Oxford or London
Bought for the shoot
Small props and set dressing are often bought for the shoot, in Oxford or in London. The props buyer keeps the receipts and returns what doesn’t go on camera.
London
Prop houses in London
London’s prop houses hire period furniture, set dressing and specialist props for film and TV. We send the list, the houses quote, and the props buyer checks the pieces before they come to Oxford.
03 Wardrobe
Costume and wardrobe
Our stylist buys most contemporary wardrobe for the shoot, in Oxford or London, and keeps the receipts for returns. Anything period or in character is hired, and the costume designer fits it before the day. Book the fitting before you book the shoot.
London
Costume houses in London
Period, military and character costume is hired from London costume houses. The costume designer pulls the pieces, fits them and books the alterations before the shoot.
Didcot
Costume hire at Rebellion Film Studios
Rebellion Film Studios rents out costume from its studios at Didcot. The costume designer can check what it has before looking in London, and fits the pieces before the day.
04 In the city
What a stylist buys in Oxford
Contemporary wardrobe
A contemporary wardrobe can often be bought in Oxford in a morning. The stylist keeps the receipts and returns what doesn’t go on camera.
Vintage and second-hand
For a look that belongs to its decade, the stylist looks for vintage and second-hand pieces, in Oxford or in London.
Filming in the shops
Inside a shop, ask the shop. Filming on the street outside goes through Oxfordshire County Council. A small crew needs at least 15 working days’ notice, or 30 on listed streets in the centre such as Turl Street. There’s more in filming locations and permits in Oxford.
A fitting in London
When the costume is at a London house, the stylist can go to the fitting and be back the same day. The fastest trains take 52 minutes from Paddington, or about 1 hour 12 from Marylebone.
Sources
We checked this in November 2026. Fees and rules change, and this page isn’t the official source. For the latest, check with Oxfordshire County Council, GWR and Chiltern Railways.
05 Costs
How prop and costume hire is charged
Hire periods
Prop and costume houses often hire by the week or for a set number of days, sometimes with a minimum order. We ask for the hire period when we ask for the price.
On request
Many houses don’t publish prices, so we send them the list and ask for a quote.
Damage and returns
Ask each house what its hire covers and what your insurance has to cover, before anything leaves the building. Lost or broken pieces are often charged at cost, or at the cost of the repair.
The van
Oxford’s Zero Emission Zone covers the city centre from 7am to 7pm, every day. A Euro 6 diesel van pays £4 a day, an older diesel £10 and an electric van nothing. A van parked in the zone that doesn’t move isn’t charged. There’s more in shoot logistics in Oxford.
On our quote
Purchases and hires go on at cost, each on its own line, with the prep and returns days most jobs need. On a crew hire they carry our 10% booking fee and 2% insurance, like everything else we book. Returns are scheduled like a shoot day, so hire charges don’t run on.
Sources
We checked this in November 2026. Fees and rules change, and this page isn’t the official source. For the latest, check with Oxfordshire County Council.
Need props or wardrobe?
Tell us what’s in the frame. We’ll book the stylist, buyer or art director, buy it in Oxford or bring it from London, and put each item on the quote. Or call us on 07412 543822.
Quick contact form
06 Questions
Questions about props and wardrobe in Oxford
Where can I hire props in Oxford?
For most shoots, the props buyer or art director buys what the set needs, in Oxford or in London. For period furniture, a big order or anything specialist, we hire from prop houses in London. Each purchase or hire goes on the quote at cost, on its own line.
Where can I hire costumes for an Oxford shoot?
Rebellion Film Studios rents out costume from its studios at Didcot, and period and character costume also comes from costume houses in London. A costume designer pulls the pieces, fits them before the day and books any alterations. Contemporary wardrobe is usually bought for the shoot, and the stylist keeps the receipts for returns.
How much does prop and costume hire cost?
It depends on the house, the hire period and the list. Many houses don’t publish prices, so we send them the list and ask for a quote. Through us, each purchase and hire goes on the quote at cost, on its own line, with the prep and returns days most jobs need. On a crew hire they carry our 10% booking fee and 2% insurance.
Do you supply stylists and hair and make-up?
Yes, booked with the rest of the crew. A stylist is £519–647 a day, a costume designer £519–694 and hair and make-up £398, paid in full to the crew member, before our 10% booking fee and 2% insurance. Most styling jobs need a prep day and a returns day as well as the shoot, and both go on the quote.
Are your stylists and make-up artists from Oxford?
We book stylists, costume designers and hair and make-up artists who live in or near Oxford first. If nobody local is free, or the brief needs someone else, we book someone who lives in London and add the travel to the quote before anything is booked.
Can a stylist get to a London fitting and back in a day?
Yes. The fastest trains take 52 minutes from Paddington, or about 1 hour 12 from Marylebone. Check with GWR and Chiltern Railways for the latest.
Can we film in an Oxford shop?
Inside a shop, ask the shop. Filming on the street outside goes through Oxfordshire County Council. A small crew needs at least 15 working days’ notice, or 30 on listed streets in the centre such as Turl Street. Check with Oxfordshire County Council for the latest.
Does a props van pay Oxford’s Zero Emission Zone charge?
It depends on the van. The zone covers the city centre from 7am to 7pm, every day of the year. A Euro 6 diesel van pays £4 a day, an older diesel £10 and an electric van nothing. Check with Oxfordshire County Council for the latest.
Around the crew
More for Oxford shoots
01
Kit rental
Where to hire camera, lighting and sound kit for an Oxford shoot, and when the crew bring their own.
02
Locations and permits
The county council for streets, the colleges and the University, the Bodleian and the drone rules.
03
Studios and set builds
Studios at Didcot and south of Reading for set builds, and college rooms hired by the day for interviews.
