Film crew hire/Manchester/Gimbal operator
Hire a gimbal operator in Manchester. Moving shots, quick to set up, smooth on the move.
Gimbal operators for walk-and-talks, events, sport and brand films across Greater Manchester and the North, booked from our office in Ancoats. They build the camera on a stabiliser, balance it and fly it, on foot, on a car or on a bike. From £529 a day, paid to the operator in full.
- 54 five-star Google reviews
- 48 hrs from enquiry to confirmed crew, on most Manchester bookings
- £10m employers’ liability on every crew member we book
- 2,800+ freelance crew on our books
Photos: Here Now Films, Emmanuel Ikwuegbu, Rafa Sanfilippo, Jakob Owens and Daniel Tafjord
The role
What a gimbal operator does on your shoot
A gimbal operator runs a camera on a motorised stabiliser, such as a DJI Ronin 2 or RS 4 Pro, that keeps the picture level and smooth while they move. It’s the quickest way to a moving shot: walking interviews, tracking people through a building, or following the action at an event.
Balance is most of the job. A camera that isn’t balanced fights the motors and drifts, so a good operator rebuilds and rebalances every time the lens or the rig changes.
- Moving shots, fast. Built, balanced and rolling in minutes, not the half-hour a dolly needs.
- Walk-and-talks that hold. Walking backwards ahead of two people, framing them steady all the way.
- Into tight spaces. Through doors, up stairs, into cars and round kitchens.
- Ready for remote focus. Wireless focus and video, so a focus puller or director can watch.
What’s included
What the day rate covers
In the day rate
- An 11-hour day, including an hour for lunch
- Building and balancing the camera on the gimbal
- Operating every moving shot
- Rebalancing for lens and set-up changes
- Rehearsing moves with the director
- Working with a focus puller or remote head if booked
On top, each on its own line
- Our 10% booking fee and 2% insurance, on the whole quote
- The gimbal kit: theirs or hired in, at a day rate
- The camera, if it isn’t yours or the DOP’s
- Travel outside Greater Manchester, at cost
How our rates work, and the two ways to book: crew rates in Manchester.
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 a gimbal operator for your own shoot, 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 gimbal operator, call to wrap
A sport shoot: a walking interview, then the action. Times are an example; the call sheet sets the real ones.
- 08:00 Build and balance Camera on the gimbal, lens chosen, balanced on all three axes, motors tuned.
- 09:00 Rehearse the walk The route walked with the producer: where the talent starts, where the conversation turns.
- 09:30 Walking interview Backwards ahead of the talent and the presenter, a grip or runner spotting the ground behind.
- 11:00 Action Tracking the play at pace, low and close, while the static cameras hold the wide.
- 13:00 Lunch Batteries changed, rebalanced for the afternoon’s lens.
- 14:00 Details and B-roll Slow push-ins and reveals of the place and the kit.
- 17:30 Wrap Cards to the DIT or producer, kit down.
Which rig
Which gimbal set-up do you need?
Size matters: the camera decides the gimbal, and the gimbal decides the shot.
Handheld gimbal DJI RS 4 Pro or similar From £529 a day + kit
Carries a Sony FX3, FX6 or a mirrorless camera. One person, fast, light.
Best for walk-and-talks, events, social content and B-roll.
Large gimbal DJI Ronin 2 or Movi Pro From £529 a day + kit
Carries a cinema camera with cine lenses. Often on an Easyrig or a support vest for long days, with wireless focus.
Best for brand films and adverts with heavier cameras.
Vehicle and car mounts On a car, a quad or a bike Quoted on the brief
The gimbal on a car mount or a tracking vehicle, operated by remote. Built with a grip.
Best for driving shots and fast action.
Ronin 4D Camera and stabiliser in one Quoted on the brief
A full-frame camera with built-in stabilisation and autofocus. One operator, documentary speed.
Best for run-and-gun days that still need to glide.
Steadicam Heavier cameras, longer takes From £950 a day
For a full-size cinema camera and long, complex moves. See Steadicam operators in Manchester.
Best for adverts, drama and one-shot sequences.
What it’s for
What people book a gimbal operator for in Manchester
Walk-and-talks
Leaders and presenters walking through an office, a factory or a stadium.
Events and conferences
Moving through the crowd, the stage and the backstage at Manchester Central or a hotel.
Sport
Close to the action at training grounds and clubs across the North West.
Brand film B-roll
Reveals, push-ins and tracking shots of people and places.
Social content
Quick, moving shots for vertical edits.
Recent work
Gimbals on our jobs, in and around Manchester
Truth or Padel · The Athletic · 2025–26
Stabilised B-roll for The Athletic
On The Athletic’s Truth or Padel, the cameras come off the sticks after the match, onto a stabilised rig for the B-roll: grips, feet, the ball across the net, and any rally worth playing again.
Crew hire · Manchester · 2024
Gimbal B-roll for Davies Group
Moving B-roll around central Manchester on a gimbal, the day before a leadership conference we covered on three cameras for the company’s internal series.
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.
- Half days on request.
Kit
- Their own gimbal, or one hired in, at a day rate on its own line.
- Tell us the camera and lenses when you book, so the gimbal can carry them.
Paying and changes
- Nothing to pay until you confirm the operator.
- 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 operator 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.
From £529 a day
No card rate of its own: the APA/Bectu camera operator card is £529–656.
| Day rate, 11 hours | £529 |
| Booking fee, 10% | £52.90 |
| Insurance, 2% | £10.58 |
| One day, before kit and travel | £592.48 + VAT |
The 2% is employers’ liability for the operator we book, and cover on kit we hire in. What it covers
You won’t pay anything until you confirm the operator.
- Most Manchester bookings confirmed within 48 hours
- 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 gimbal operator in Manchester.
Tell us the date, the camera, and the moves you need. Our team reads every brief within 2 working hours. Or call us on 07412 543822.
Check availability
The whole crew
Every role in Manchester, booked the same way
One brief, one quote, every role on its own line. Our day rates in Manchester, paid to the crew member in full:
Production 05
- 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 This page £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 Manchester. Or start from a set-up: interview crews and units in Manchester.
Production support
Everything around the crew
Gimbal work often needs a car, a location or a grip. Each gets its own line on the quote, or use the guides to sort them yourself.
Questions
Hiring a gimbal operator in Manchester: questions
How much does a gimbal operator cost in Manchester?
Our gimbal operators are £529–656 for an 11-hour day, paid to the operator in full: the APA/Bectu camera operator range, as there’s no separate card rate. On top go our 10% booking fee and 2% insurance, so a day starts at £592.48 + VAT. The gimbal kit goes on its own line.
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.
Gimbal or Steadicam?
A gimbal is quicker, lighter and cheaper, and right for most corporate, event and social work. Steadicam carries a heavier cinema camera and holds long, complex takes better.
Can a gimbal operator use our camera?
Yes, if the gimbal can carry it. Tell us the camera body, lens and any accessories when you book, and we’ll match the rig to the weight.
Can a gimbal shot be filmed from a car?
Yes, with a car mount or a tracking vehicle and a remote operator. We crew it with a grip and plan it round the road and the permit.
How far ahead should I book a gimbal operator in Manchester?
Most Manchester bookings are confirmed within 48 hours, and we often crew next-day jobs.