Film crew hire/Edinburgh/Hair and make-up
Hire a hair and make-up artist in Edinburgh. Camera-ready, and kept that way until wrap.
Hair and make-up artists for Edinburgh shoots: boardroom interviews on St Andrew Square, speakers at the EICC, adverts on location in the Old Town’s closes and on the Shore at Leith. They work to the camera, not the mirror, and keep every look the same until wrap. £398 a day, paid to the artist 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: Christian Agbede, Rhamely, Bright Eliya, hessam nabavi and Lex Brogan
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.
A lot of Edinburgh’s interview work happens in someone else’s building: an office on St Andrew Square or in the Exchange district, a green room at the EICC, a festival venue in August. The artist needs a table, a mirror and a plug near the set, and their name on the security list. We’re a crew agency with 2,800+ freelance crew on our books across the UK, so we can scale from one artist for a morning to a make-up team for a week. Artists who live in or near Edinburgh come first; when the brief needs a specialist or the date needs someone else, they come from elsewhere in Scotland (Glasgow is about 45 minutes by train), the north of England or London, with the travel on the quote before anything is booked.
- Made up for the camera. Products and techniques that read true on a 4K sensor. The test is the monitor, not the mirror.
- The same look all day. Continuity photos of every look, so day two matches day one.
- Contributors at ease. Ten minutes in the chair is often where a nervous contributor settles.
- 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 for the artist’s own kit: £25
- Our 10% booking fee and 2% insurance, on the whole quote, kit included
- Wigs, prosthetics and special effects materials, priced to the brief
- A second artist, for full looks, a presenter all day or a big cast
- Travel from outside Edinburgh, and mileage and parking where the day needs them, 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 an artist for your own Edinburgh shoot, or have us take the whole production on, wardrobe and Film Edinburgh’s paperwork included.
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 in an office on St Andrew Square. Times are an example; the call sheet sets the real ones.
- 07:15 Arrive By tram to St Andrew Square or on foot from Waverley, or by car with the kit, checked first against the Low Emission Zone: a car that doesn’t meet it is sent a £60 penalty (checked October 2026).
- 07:30 Sign in Names checked at reception, passes issued, the kit up the goods lift with the camera team’s.
- 07:45 Set up the station A table, a mirror, good light and a plug, out of shot: in an office, usually the meeting room next door.
- 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.
- 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. A senior contributor between meetings may give you ten minutes, so the artist works to their diary.
- 18:30 Wrap Make-up off for anyone who wants it, the kit packed, and out through the loading bay before the building locks up.
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, podcast hosts, a host on stage at the EICC, 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 and campaign shoots. Book the look with a costume designer or stylist in Edinburgh.
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 and reconstructions in the Old Town’s closes or a kirkyard like Greyfriars. Period wigs come up from London with the costume.
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. Edinburgh’s filming code asks for Police Scotland’s guidance before a crime or an accident is staged, so it goes on the Film Edinburgh application.
What it’s for
What people book hair and make-up for in Edinburgh
Business district interviews
Leadership films in the offices around St Andrew Square and in the Exchange district, where everyone signs in and the work should go unnoticed.
Conferences at the EICC
Speakers groomed before they go on stage, then touched up for the interview room between sessions.
Universities and the festivals
Researchers on camera at the University of Edinburgh, and performers and guests interviewed through August, when the Fringe, the International Festival and the Tattoo fill the Old Town.
Brand films and adverts
A look that has to match across two or three days on location, from the Old Town’s closes to the Shore at Leith or the beach at Portobello, where the wind off the Firth of Forth means more checks, not fewer.
Visiting productions
A team from London comes up on the train, about four hours ten from King’s Cross, with its director and DOP, and books hair and make-up here.
Recent work
Hair and make-up on our jobs
Crew hire · Chelsea, London · Nov 2023
Hospital interviews for a US production
Swanson Studios, a US production company, filmed three days of talking heads in November 2023. The London day, 30 November, was in the main boardroom at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, with senior clinicians and managers in the chair. We crewed it, hair and make-up included. The call sheet’s note: parking a challenge, loading bay accessible.
Crew hire · Canary Wharf, London · Oct 2024
A podcast set on the 48th floor
A US media agency recorded two podcast-style panels on Level 48 of One Canada Square, day-hired through Canary Wharf Group, on three cameras: a host and one guest, then the host and two more. Call was 6am, filming 9 to 12. One hair and make-up artist for the host and three guests, and every crew name, the artist’s included, went to reception for a security badge.
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.
- In an office on St Andrew Square or George Street, or at the EICC, the artist’s name goes on the security list with the crew’s.
Before the day
- Tell us about allergies and skin sensitivities when you book; we pass them on.
- Contributors arrive with clean, moisturised skin, hair as they usually wear it, and the clothes on a hanger.
Edinburgh locations
- On a street shoot the artist counts as crew: Film Edinburgh’s Notice of No Objection is £56 for a crew under ten and £166 for 11 to 24, plus VAT (checked October 2026).
- Driving kit into the city centre: the Low Emission Zone has no daily charge, but a car below Euro 4 petrol or Euro 6 diesel is sent a £60 penalty, so we check the artist’s car first (checked October 2026).
Paying and changes
- 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, booking fee, kit, 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.
- Film Edinburgh asks for at least £10m public liability on every application, with a risk assessment where the shoot needs one.
£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.
- 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 hair and make-up artist in Edinburgh.
Tell us how many people are on camera, the look, and where in Edinburgh you’re shooting, from a New Town office to a stage in Leith. 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 £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 Edinburgh. Or start from a set-up: interview crews and units in Edinburgh.
Production support
Everything around the crew
Hair and make-up rarely comes alone, so here’s how Film Edinburgh, the studios and the rest of an Edinburgh shoot fit around 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 hair and make-up artist in Edinburgh: questions
How much does a hair and make-up artist cost in Edinburgh?
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 of £25 goes on top, then our 10% booking fee and 2% insurance on the lot: £473.76 + VAT for the day, before any travel from outside Edinburgh. Our rates are national: an Edinburgh day costs the same as anywhere else we crew.
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.
Does the make-up artist count on a Film Edinburgh permit?
Yes. Filming on council land in Edinburgh goes through Film Edinburgh, the City of Edinburgh Council’s film office, which also covers East Lothian, Midlothian and the Scottish Borders. Its Notice of No Objection is priced by the size of the crew, artist included: £56 for under ten and £166 for 11 to 24, plus VAT (2026–27, checked October 2026). Every application needs £10m public liability, and a small crew filming on the street with nothing closed off still tells Film Edinburgh first, so it can let local officers and Police Scotland know. See filming permits in Edinburgh.
What if the artist drives into the Low Emission Zone?
Edinburgh’s Low Emission Zone covers the city centre, 24 hours a day, and there’s no charge to pay your way in. A petrol car or van has to meet Euro 4 and a diesel Euro 6; one that doesn’t is sent a £60 penalty, then £120, £240 and £480 for repeats within 90 days (checked October 2026). So we check the artist’s car before they’re booked. If it doesn’t meet the standard, the kit comes in by tram, by train or in a van that does, and any parking goes on the quote at cost. See parking and the Low Emission Zone.
Can you put hair and make-up on a conference at the EICC?
Yes. The artist sets up in a green room or breakout room near the stage, grooms speakers before they go on, and touches them up for any interviews after. At the EICC, in the Exchange district a short walk from Haymarket, the event team sets the access, and the artist’s name goes on the list with the crew’s. The Pentland Auditorium seats up to 1,200 and the Lennox Suite holds 2,000 (checked October 2026), so a conference day with speakers in more than one room is a job for two artists.
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. If the budget is tight, book one artist and schedule your contributors back to back: six to eight in a day.
Are your hair and make-up artists from Edinburgh?
We book artists who live in or near Edinburgh first. We’re a crew agency with 2,800+ freelance crew on our books across the UK, so for a specialist, such as prosthetics or period hair, or on a date when the local artists are booked, we bring one in from elsewhere in Scotland, the north of England or London, and the travel is on the quote before anything is booked. Glasgow Queen Street is about 45 minutes from Edinburgh on the fastest trains (checked October 2026). Our base is London, at 124 City Road, with bases in Manchester, Bristol and Cornwall.
Can children be made up for an Edinburgh shoot?
Yes, with the paperwork in place. Children performing on camera come under the Children (Performances and Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2014, and Film Edinburgh can put the production in touch with the council officer who deals with them. Its filming application asks the production to confirm it knows the Protection of Children (Scotland) Act 2003 and that no one in a childcare role is barred from working with children (checked October 2026), and crew working with children are checked as the brief requires. On Whistlefish’s first TV ad, in Cornwall, we booked a chaperone for the children alongside the key make-up artist.