Film crew hire/London/Spark
Hire a spark in London. Lamps rigged, cable run, power safe, next set-up ready.
Sparks (lighting technicians) for brand films, adverts, studio days and night shoots across London, booked from our City Road office, by Old Street. They rig and run the lights and the power to the gaffer’s plan, carry the kit up the goods lift, and have the next set-up ready before it’s called. £457 a day, the APA/Bectu card rate, paid to the spark 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
- 1,400+ of our freelance crew live in and around London
Photos: H&CO, Here Now Films, Marcos Paulo Prado, Tri Vo and Aditya Wardhana
The role
What a spark does on your shoot
A spark, or lighting technician, is part of the lighting crew. They work to the gaffer: unloading the lamps, rigging them on stands, booms and rigs, running the cable and the distribution, focusing and adjusting lights between takes, and striking it all at wrap.
On a two-person lighting team, the spark pre-rigs the next set-up while the gaffer and the DOP are still shooting the current one. That’s where the time is saved. In London it’s also what keeps a company move across town on schedule: one location struck and loaded while the next is still being lit.
- Rigged to the plan. Lamps, stands, flags and diffusion where the gaffer wants them.
- Cable run safely. Out of doorways and fire exits, taped down, on distribution that won’t trip.
- The next set-up ready. Pre-rigged while the current one shoots.
- Kit looked after. Every lamp and cable counted out and counted back.
What’s included
What the day rate covers
In the day rate
- An 11-hour day, including an hour for lunch
- Rigging and focusing lamps to the gaffer’s plan
- Running cable and power distribution
- Pre-rigging the next set-up
- Flags, diffusion and gels, set and adjusted
- Striking and loading out
On top, each on its own line
- Our 10% booking fee and 2% insurance, on the whole quote
- Lighting kit, from the gaffer’s van or a kit house
- A desk operator, for programmable lighting
- Parking and the Congestion Charge, if the spark drives in, at cost
- Travel outside Greater London, at cost
How our rates work, and the two ways to book: crew rates in London.
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 sparks for your own lighting crew in London, 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 spark, call to wrap
A studio day on a cove in Park Royal: product in the morning, two presenters in the afternoon. Times are an example; the call sheet sets the real ones.
- 07:00 Load in The gaffer’s van through the drive-in doors, the lighting kit off and sorted by set-up.
- 07:30 Power Distribution off the studio supply, cable run round the edge of the cove and off the white floor.
- 08:00 Rig A big soft source over the product table, flags to control the spill, the cove lit evenly.
- 10:30 Pre-rig While the product shoots, the presenter set-up rigged on the other side of the stage.
- 13:00 Lunch Lamps cooled, gels changed for the afternoon.
- 14:00 Presenters Small adjustments between takes: a flag in, a lamp down a stop.
- 18:30 Wrap Everything struck, counted and loaded; the cove floor clean for the next booking.
Which kind
Which lighting technician do you need?
The lighting crew from the top down.
Gaffer Runs the lighting department £550 a day
Plans the lighting with the DOP and runs the crew, usually with their own van. See gaffers in London.
Book one first: the gaffer decides how many sparks they need.
Best boy The gaffer’s second Quoted on the brief
Runs the sparks and the kit: what’s on the truck, what’s on set, what goes back to the kit house in Hayes or Wembley.
Best on big lighting crews and multi-day shoots.
Spark Rigs and runs the lights £457 a day
Rigs, cables, focuses and strikes, to the gaffer’s plan.
Best on any shoot with more than a few lamps, a fast schedule or a company move.
Desk operator Programmable lights and cues Quoted on the brief
Runs a lighting desk for colour-changing LEDs and effects.
Best for music videos, events and stage shoots.
Rigger Lights up high Quoted on the brief
Rigs lamps on trusses, ceilings and gantries, working at height to the rules. On the stages at Black Island in Acton, the gantry is 6.4–9.4m up.
Best for stage rigs and big location builds.
What it’s for
What people book a spark for in London
Studio days
Coves and stages in Park Royal and Acton, where the lights change between set-ups.
Brand films and adverts
A gaffer and a spark, so the next set-up is ready, even with a move across the river.
Overseas productions
A US or European team lands at Heathrow with the DP; we add the gaffer and the spark here.
Interviews in towers
Several set-ups on one City floor, each pre-rigged in the next room.
Night shoots
Big lamps, long cable runs and a generator; in Westminster, night filming needs 30–40 working days’ notice.
Recent work
Sparks on our jobs, in London
Fireside chat · Battersea, SW8 · March 2026
A spark with the gaffer at Many Rooms
For AlTi Tiedemann Global’s fireside chat at Many Rooms in Battersea we booked a DOP, sound, a gaffer with their van, and a spark to rig to the gaffer’s plan. The crew signed AlTi’s NDA, and every line was itemised on the cost sheet, the spark’s included.
Crew hire · Woolwich, SE18 · January 2025
The gaffer asked for a spark
A sportswear brand’s day-in-the-life film, for a Los Angeles production company: an interview in a third-floor studio in Woolwich, then B-roll after a 15:30 company move along Woolwich Church Street. The client had first said no to an extra lighting tech. The gaffer made the case that the move needed a spark, and a spark worked the day.
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.
Safety
- Sparks work to the gaffer and the building’s rules on power and working at height. Some London buildings want PAT certificates before the kit comes in.
- Lights on a London pavement mean the borough film service: in the FilmFixer boroughs, allow three working days for a small crew and five for a medium one.
Paying and changes
- Nothing to pay until you confirm the spark.
- 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 spark 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.
- London asks for public liability before it says yes: £5m for the boroughs and the Royal Parks, £10m for TfL and Canary Wharf. On a crew hire that certificate is yours; on a full production, ours covers it.
£457 a day
APA/Bectu card: Up to £457 a day for a lighting technician. We pay the full rate.
| Day rate, 11 hours | £457 |
| Booking fee, 10% | £45.70 |
| Insurance, 2% | £9.14 |
| One day, before travel | £511.84 + VAT |
The 2% is employers’ liability for the spark we book, and cover on kit we hire in. What it covers
You won’t pay anything until you confirm the spark.
- 1,400+ crew living in and around London
- 50% by card at booking, 50% on the final rushes
- Our team reads every brief within 2 working hours
Or call us on 07412 543822.
Reviews
What clients say about our crews
Straight from our Google Business Profile.
Book a spark in London.
Tell us the date, the location and who’s gaffing. Our team reads every brief within 2 working hours. Or call us on 07412 543822.
Check availability
The whole crew
Every role in London, booked the same way
One brief, one quote, every role on its own line. Our day rates in London, 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 £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 London. Or start from a set-up: interview crews and units in London.
Production support
Everything around the crew
Sparks need power, kit and a way in for the van. Each gets its own line on the quote, or use the guides to sort them yourself.
02
Locations and permits
Borough film services, the Royal Parks, TfL, the private estates and the drone zones.
Questions
Hiring a spark in London: questions
How much does a spark cost in London?
We pay our sparks £457 for an 11-hour day, including an hour for lunch: the APA/Bectu card rate for a lighting technician. On top go our 10% booking fee and 2% insurance: £511.84 + VAT for the day.
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 gaffer and a spark?
The gaffer runs the lighting department and plans the lighting with the DOP. A spark rigs and runs the lights to the gaffer’s plan.
How many sparks do I need?
The gaffer decides, from the plan. An interview day often needs none; a brand film one; a night exterior or a stage day two or more. A company move between London locations is a good reason to add one.
Do sparks travel with the van, or on the tube?
With the van, usually. Stands, poles and cable don’t suit the Underground: TfL’s conditions of carriage rule out anything over 2m long, and you can only take what you can carry yourself, stairs and escalators included. When a tube strike shut the Underground on one of our four-day shoots, the crew drove out to Uxbridge.
Can we light a scene on a London street?
Yes, with the borough’s say-so. Lights, a tripod, parking or more than five people mean an application to the borough film service: in the FilmFixer boroughs, such as Camden, Southwark and Tower Hamlets, allow three working days for a small crew and five for a medium one. In the City, anything beyond a camera and tripod takes three weeks.
How far ahead should I book a spark in London?
Our team reads every brief within 2 working hours. We book sparks with the gaffer they usually work with where we can, so book the gaffer first and the spark comes with the plan. For lights on a street, the borough’s notice sets the date, not the crew.