Film crew hire/Edinburgh/2nd AD
Hire a 2nd AD in Edinburgh. The cast on time, the call sheet right, the street still moving.
Second assistant directors for adverts, drama, music videos and brand films across Edinburgh and the Lothians. They write the call sheet, move the cast through make-up and costume, run the background, and keep an Old Town close or a New Town pavement workable around the unit. From £355 a day, paid to the 2nd AD 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: Here Now Films, Mike Bautista, Jakob Owens, Tri Vo and Madeleine Kohler
The role
What a 2nd AD does on your shoot
The 2nd AD (second assistant director) works to the 1st AD, who runs the set and the schedule. The 2nd looks after everything that feeds the set: the call sheet, the cast’s movements through hair, make-up and costume, the background artists and the paperwork. When the 1st calls for the next actor, the 2nd already has them ready.
On a small brand film there’s often no AD team at all: the producer runs the floor. Book one when there’s a cast, background artists, a tight schedule, or a street full of people who didn’t ask to be in an advert. We’re a crew agency with 2,800+ freelance crew on our books across the UK, so we build the AD team to the size of the day, with ADs and floor runners who live in or near Edinburgh first, and others from elsewhere in Scotland, the north of England or London when the brief or the date needs them, with the travel on the quote.
- The call sheet, right. Call times, locations, contacts, the nearest station and the nearest A&E, out the night before.
- Cast where they should be. Through make-up and costume and onto set, on time, in the right order.
- Background managed. Extras signed in, checked, briefed and placed.
- The street kept moving. Pavements clear, residents told in advance, passers-by asked politely to wait.
What’s included
What the day rate covers
In the day rate
- An 11-hour day, including an hour for lunch
- The call sheet and the next day’s schedule
- The cast’s day: pick-ups, make-up, costume, set
- Signing in and placing background artists
- Releases and the progress report
- Running the unit base on the radio
On top, each on its own line
- Our 10% booking fee and 2% insurance, on the whole quote
- Prep days for scheduling and call sheets
- A 3rd AD or floor runners, for a big cast or a busy street
- Travel from outside Edinburgh, 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 AD for your own production, 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 2nd AD, call to wrap
An advert on Victoria Street in the Old Town with six cast and 20 background artists, on a Notice of No Objection from Film Edinburgh. Times are an example; the call sheet sets the real ones.
- 05:30 Cast arrive Signed in and sent to hair, make-up and costume in the order of their first scenes.
- 07:00 Crew call Changes to the call sheet briefed; radios out; the unit base open. Every unit vehicle meets the Low Emission Zone, and the pay bays were suspended with three working days’ notice (checked October 2026).
- 07:45 Background Twenty background artists signed in, costume checked, briefed and held off the pavement, not on it.
- 08:30 First set-up Cast walked to set as the 1st AD calls them, the next actor already in the chair, the pavement kept open for people walking through.
- 12:30 Lunch Called on time, and cast and crew fed in turn so the afternoon starts on time.
- 14:00 The afternoon Progress tracked against the schedule and the permit’s hours; the 1st warned early if anything is running long.
- 19:00 Wrap Cast and background signed out, times logged, the street handed back, tomorrow’s call sheet out by nine.
The AD team
Which AD do you need?
The assistant directors work as a team. Here’s who does what, and when each is worth booking.
1st AD Runs the set and the schedule Quoted on the brief
Breaks down the script, builds the schedule and runs the floor on the day: when to turn over, when to move on.
Best on drama, adverts and anything with a cast and a tight day.
2nd AD The call sheet, the cast and the base Card £355–448
Feeds the set: call sheets, cast, background and paperwork, from the unit base.
Best alongside a 1st AD on any shoot with a cast.
3rd AD On the floor with the 1st Quoted on the brief
Places background, holds the public and relays the 1st AD’s calls on the floor.
Best on big units and busy Edinburgh locations: the Royal Mile, Victoria Street, the Grassmarket on a Saturday.
Floor runner An extra pair of hands for the ADs £245 a day
Runs messages, people and kit for the AD team. See runners in Edinburgh.
Best on any shoot with background artists.
A producer on the floor Small crews, no cast From £450 a day
On an interview or a corporate shoot, the producer runs the floor. See producers in Edinburgh.
Best when there’s no cast to move.
What it’s for
What people book a 2nd AD for in Edinburgh
Adverts with a cast
Actors through make-up and costume and on set when they’re called, on a stage at FirstStage Studios in Leith or a street in the New Town.
Drama and short films
A schedule, a cast and a call sheet for every day, as on the dramas FirstStage Studios in Leith has hosted: The Rig, Anansi Boys, Department Q.
Music videos
Background artists, playback and a long night in a club on the Cowgate.
Brand films on the street
The Royal Mile, Victoria Street or Calton Hill, where passers-by outnumber the unit.
Big units
Film Edinburgh prices its Notice of No Objection by the size of the crew: £331 plus VAT for 25 to 74, £551 for 75 or more (checked October 2026).
Recent work
AD teams on our jobs, and how we size one for Edinburgh
Full production · The Lizard, Cornwall · June 2026
An AD team along a mile of cliff path
Our 35mm shoot on the Lizard for Cohere’s AI for Empowerment ran with a 1st AD: a unit strung out along a mile of cliff path with no phone signal, run on twelve walkie-talkies, from a 07:00 call in the fog to wrap fourteen hours later. There was no 2nd AD on that call sheet. Add a cast and a street of background artists, and that’s the job a 2nd AD takes off the 1st.
How we crew it · Edinburgh
An AD team sized to the cast, and the street
A cast of two needs a producer on the floor; a cast of six with background needs a 1st and a 2nd AD; a crowd needs a 3rd and floor runners. Edinburgh adds the street. Film Edinburgh prices its Notice of No Objection by the size of the crew, from £56 plus VAT under ten to £166 for 11 to 24 and £331 for 25 to 74, and closing a road for under five days takes two weeks’ notice and £675 (checked October 2026). In August the Old Town belongs to the festivals: when Baby Reindeer filmed mid-Fringe, Film Edinburgh pointed it to a reduced crew on the Royal Mile. Someone has to keep the pavement open and the public moving while the unit works. That’s the AD team’s job, which is why we size it to the call sheet and the street, not the other way round.
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.
- Prep days for scheduling are quoted separately.
Cast, background and the street
- Background artists come through an agency or your own casting; the 2nd AD runs them on the day.
- Releases for everyone on camera, signed before they leave.
- Children in the cast: the Protection of Children (Scotland) Act 2003 applies, and no one in a childcare role can be on the list of people disqualified from working with children (checked October 2026).
- Film Edinburgh asks for at least £10m public liability on every application, and a risk assessment where the shoot needs one.
Paying and changes
- Nothing to pay until you confirm the 2nd AD.
- 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 2nd AD 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.
£355 a day
APA/Bectu card: £355–448 a day for a 2nd AD.
| Day rate, 11 hours | £355 |
| Booking fee, 10% | £35.50 |
| Insurance, 2% | £7.10 |
| One day, before travel | £397.60 + VAT |
The 2% is employers’ liability for the 2nd AD we book, and cover on kit we hire in. What it covers
You won’t pay anything until you confirm the 2nd AD.
- 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 2nd AD in Edinburgh.
Tell us the date, the cast, any background artists and where you’re filming. 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 This page £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
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
An AD team in Edinburgh needs a unit base, suspended bays and a Notice of No Objection from Film Edinburgh, and each can go on its own line of 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 2nd AD in Edinburgh: questions
How much does a 2nd AD cost in Edinburgh?
The APA/Bectu card puts a 2nd AD at £355–448 for an 11-hour day, including an hour for lunch, and they’re paid that in full. On top go our 10% booking fee and 2% insurance, so a day starts at £397.60 + VAT, before any travel from outside Edinburgh.
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 1st AD and a 2nd AD?
The 1st AD runs the set and the schedule on the floor. The 2nd AD works behind them, at the unit base, making sure the next actor, the next background and tomorrow’s call sheet are ready.
Do I need an AD team for a corporate shoot?
Usually not. An interview or a corporate film with a few contributors runs fine with a producer on the floor. Book ADs when there’s a cast, background artists or a schedule with no slack.
Do we need a permit for a cast on an Edinburgh street?
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: £56 for under ten, £166 for 11 to 24, £331 for 25 to 74 and £551 for 75 or more, plus VAT. A road closure of under five days needs at least two weeks’ notice and £675 plus VAT, and one of five days or more at least ten weeks. Every application needs at least £10m public liability (checked October 2026). See filming permits in Edinburgh.
Can we film in a kirkyard, or at the Castle?
Yes, with permission. The council’s kirkyards go through Film Edinburgh. An interview or a small documentary shoot of under six people needs a £56 Notice of No Objection; a commercial or drama in a city-centre kirkyard, Greyfriars, the Calton burial grounds or St Cuthbert’s, is £357 an hour; both plus VAT (checked October 2026). Edinburgh Castle is cared for by Historic Environment Scotland, which wants written permission through its filming liaison before anyone films. Its fees start at £300 for up to two hours on site, and it wants to see the certificate for any replica gun first (checked October 2026).
Can you crew a whole AD team in Edinburgh?
Yes. We’re a crew agency with 2,800+ freelance crew on our books across the UK, so we can build an AD team from a single 2nd AD up to a 1st, 2nd, 3rd and floor runners. ADs and floor runners who live in or near Edinburgh come first. 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.
How far ahead should I book a 2nd AD in Edinburgh?
Our team reads every brief within 2 working hours. For a cast shoot, book the ADs early: they need prep days to schedule it, and the permission that sets the date may want two weeks for a road closure of under five days, or ten weeks for a longer one (checked October 2026). In August, allow more: the festivals fill the Old Town.