Film crew hire/Brighton/Production manager
Hire a production manager in Brighton. A production manager books and organises everything around the shoot, and keeps it to budget.
People book a production manager in Brighton for offices at New England House, conferences at the Brighton Centre and shoots on the seafront. They book the crew, kit, vans and hotels, chase the permits, parking suspensions and building passes, and keep the budget straight. Our production manager day rate starts at £504, and the production manager gets all of it.
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- £10m employers’ liability on every crew member we book
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Photos: Kelly Sikkema, Jakob Owens, Nathan Dumlao, Brands&People and Tim Broadbent
The role
What a production manager does on your shoot
A production manager (PM) runs the logistics of a production, working to the producer. They book crew and kit, sort travel, vans, hotels and catering, chase permits and insurance certificates, and track the spend against the budget. On the day, they’re the person who knows where everything is.
On a one-day shoot a producer usually does all of this. A PM earns their place on shoots that run for several days or move between locations. In Brighton that means a suspended bay for each van, booked with the council at least 7 working days ahead, and the Sussex Film Office’s permission for any filming on the street or the beach. We book a production manager 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.
- The PM books everything. Crew, kit, vans, hotels, catering and parking are all confirmed in writing.
- The PM keeps to the budget. They track the spend every day and raise any overspend before it happens.
- The PM keeps the paperwork in order. Risk assessments, insurance certificates, the Sussex Film Office’s permission and location agreements are all filed.
- The PM plans every move. Call times, routes, unit bases and suspended bays all go on the call sheet.
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.
What’s included
What the day rate covers
In the day rate
- An 11-hour day, including an hour for lunch
- Booking crew, kit, vans and hotels
- The movement order and travel plan
- Spend tracked against the budget
- Permits, bay suspensions, passes and certificates, chased
- The production file, handed over at wrap
On top, each on its own line
- Our 10% booking fee and 2% insurance, on the whole quote
- Prep days before the shoot, which most jobs need
- A wrap day for returns and paperwork
- Permit fees and parking suspensions, at cost
- Travel from London or outside Brighton, 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 PM 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 production manager
Day two of a three-day shoot, with an office at New England House in the morning and a hired studio in central Brighton after lunch. The times are an example. The call sheet sets the real ones.
- 06:30 Unit base The crew van is in the building’s loading bay. The PM opens the base and has breakfast in before anyone else arrives.
- 07:30 Crew call The PM hands out passes at security and gives out the radios. They brief the day’s changes with the producer.
- 09:00 Behind the scenes The PM confirms tomorrow’s kit collection and books a hotel near the station for a focus puller coming down from London. They send a missing certificate to the studio.
- 12:00 The move The vans move to the studio. The PM has told the studio when to expect the unit and where to unload.
- 13:00 Lunch Lunch is at the studio, on time. The PM briefs the drivers and runners for the afternoon.
- 15:00 The numbers The PM logs the day’s spend against the budget and agrees any overtime with the producer before it happens. Tomorrow’s suspended bay was booked with the council 7 working days ahead, and Brighton has no emission charge for vans.
- 19:00 Wrap The kit is secured or returned, the timesheets are signed and tomorrow’s call sheet goes out.
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 City Council.
Types
Types of production role we book
The production office has several jobs that overlap. Each type below says what the job is and which briefs it suits.
Production manager Logistics, bookings and the budget Card £504–627
A production manager books and runs everything around the shoot, and keeps the costs to the budget, working to the producer.
Good for shoots that run over several days, locations or countries.
Production coordinator The office, the calls and the paperwork Quoted on the brief
A production coordinator works to the PM on the call sheets, bookings, travel, passes, contact lists and the production file.
Good for long shoots and series, where the office never stops.
Line producer Budget and schedule, start to finish Quoted on the brief
A line producer owns the budget and the schedule for the whole production, including prep and delivery, and reports against both.
Good for documentaries, series and productions that run for weeks.
Location manager Finds and runs the locations Quoted on the brief
A location manager finds the locations, negotiates them, gets permission from the owner or the Sussex Film Office, and runs them on the day. See filming permits in Brighton.
Good when the shoot moves between several locations, or has one difficult one, such as the beach, the pier or a venue with its own rules.
Producer Runs the day and the client From £450 a day
If someone needs to make the decisions on the day, book a producer. See producers in Brighton.
Good for one- and two-day shoots, where you don’t need a separate PM.
What it’s for
What people book a production manager for in Brighton
Founder and customer films
Many of the city’s tech and games companies work at New England House and round the station. When their films run over several days, a PM keeps the crew, kit, vans and hotels on track.
Adverts and fashion on the seafront
Adverts and fashion shoots use the beach, Hove Lawns and the piers. The Sussex Film Office handles the beach, and the pier’s owner handles the pier, so the PM puts both on the plan.
University and research films
Films at the University of Sussex in Falmer and the University of Brighton can move between several buildings in a day, and the PM plans each move.
Conferences at the Brighton Centre
Crews film the keynotes and record interviews between the sessions. The PM agrees the venue’s own rules before the day.
The Downs and the coast
Brand films go out to 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.
Recent work
Production managers on our jobs, and how we crew Brighton
Crew hire and service production · City of London and Uxbridge · September 2025
Four days at two locations for a US production company
Four shoot days for a US production company filming a chip maker’s customer stories. Two were at a law firm on Cannon Street and two at offices in Uxbridge. The logistics were most of the job. The City location was reached through an underground car park off Dowgate Hill, with the kit unloaded straight into the lift. Uxbridge was recced at the end of August. Playback was booked late and ran all four days. When a Tube strike shut the Underground, the crew drove out to Uxbridge. A three-day kit deal and one van for the crew and the kit kept the job £498 under budget.
How we crew it · Brighton
Production managers who live locally, or come down from London
We start with production managers who live in Brighton or Hove. If nobody local is free, or the shoot needs a PM who has worked with your producer before, we book one from London, about an hour away by train. The PM then books the crew round the shoot, starting with people who live locally. 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.
- Prep and wrap days are quoted separately.
Parking and the charges
- A suspended parking bay needs 7 full working days’ notice, and 30 bays or more in one place need 10 weeks. The council charges a £38 admin fee for each application, or £19 for Brighton and Hove residents and businesses.
- The council’s daily rate for a 5.5-metre bay is £51 for the first 28 days, in its category for removals, building work and events. It lists no rate for filming, so we confirm the charge when we apply. Brighton’s low emission zone is a bus scheme, so there’s no charge for a crew van.
- Each charge goes on the quote at cost, as its own line. 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 City Council.
Paying and changes
- You pay nothing until you confirm the production manager.
- 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 production manager 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.
£504 a day
APA/Bectu card benchmark: £504–627 a day.
| Day rate, 11 hours | £504 |
| Booking fee, 10% | £50.40 |
| Insurance, 2% | £10.08 |
| One day, before travel | £564.48 + VAT |
The 2% covers employers’ liability for the production manager we book and the kit we hire in. What it covers
You won’t pay anything until you confirm the production manager.
- 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 production manager in Brighton.
Tell us the dates, the locations and what needs booking. 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 This page £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 £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 PM sorts everything around the crew, including the suspended bays, the permits and the studio. If you want us to book them, each goes on its own line of the quote.
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 production manager in Brighton
How much does a production manager cost in Brighton?
The APA/Bectu card puts a production manager at £504–627 for an 11-hour day, including an hour for lunch, and the PM gets all of it. We add our 10% booking fee and 2% insurance, so a day starts at £564.48 + VAT. Most shoots need prep days too, which are quoted separately. Permit fees and parking suspensions go on at cost.
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.
What does a production manager do?
A PM runs the logistics. They book the crew, kit, travel, hotels and catering, chase permits and certificates, plan the movement order and track the spend against the budget. They work to the producer, who makes the creative and client calls.
Do I need a production manager or a producer?
For a one- or two-day shoot, a producer can do both jobs. Book a PM as well when the shoot runs for several days, moves between locations, or has a building, the Sussex Film Office and a private owner all wanting paperwork.
Can a production manager sort permits and parking in Brighton?
Yes. The Sussex Film Office handles filming on council land in Brighton and Hove. It doesn’t publish its fees, so we ask it for a price and add the permit to the quote. A suspended parking bay needs 7 full working days’ notice, or 10 weeks for 30 bays or more, and an urgent one may be possible for £20 extra. The council charges a £38 admin fee for each application. Its daily rate for removals, building work and events is £51 a bay, and it lists no rate for filming, so we confirm the charge when we apply. See parking and logistics in Brighton. Check with Brighton and Hove City Council for the latest.
Is there a clean air charge in Brighton?
No. Brighton’s low emission zone is a bus scheme, agreed with the bus companies, and there’s no charge for cars or vans. A crew van can drive into the centre without paying. Check with Brighton and Hove City Council for the latest.
Can a production manager book a studio in Brighton?
Yes. Capture Factory Studios has four studios in central Brighton, five minutes’ walk from the station, with car parking on site. Studio 4 has a 13-metre infinity cove, and Studio 7b can be blacked out. For a big set build, we use studios near London. The PM books the studio, the deliveries and the power, each on its own line. See film studios in Brighton. Check with the studio for the latest.
Are your production managers from Brighton?
We book production managers who live in Brighton or Hove first. If the brief or the date needs someone else, they come down from London, and the fastest trains take about an hour. We add the travel to the quote before anything is booked. Our base is London, at 124 City Road, and we have bases in Manchester, Bristol and Cornwall.
How far ahead should I book a PM in Brighton?
Our team reads every brief within 2 working hours, and the earlier a PM starts, the more they save. The notice periods often set the date. A road closure can take up to 12 weeks, 30 suspended bays or more need 10 weeks, and filming in or near the sea needs at least 10 working days. The Brighton Marathon in April, the festivals in May and early June and Pride in early August make the city busy, so allow more time then. A week’s prep for a shoot over several days is normal. Check with Brighton and Hove City Council for the latest.