Film crew hire/Manchester/Video playback
Hire a video playback operator in Manchester. Everyone sees the shot, nobody crowds the camera.
Video playback operators for adverts, brand films and drama across Greater Manchester and the North, booked from our office in Ancoats. They send the picture to every monitor that needs it, record and replay the takes on QTake, and let a client watch from the next room or the next country. From £334 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, Gordon Cowie, Christian Harb, Kyle Loftus and Tri Vo
The role
What a video playback operator does on your shoot
A video playback operator, or VTR, runs the pictures off the camera: wireless video to the director, the client, the agency and the focus puller, a recording of every take, and instant replay so anyone can see what was just shot. On bigger shoots they use QTake, which logs, replays and streams every take, with the look applied.
It keeps people away from the camera. The client watches in comfort at video village, the director can compare takes side by side, and the crew can get on with the next set-up.
- Instant replay. Any take back on the monitor in seconds, logged with scene and take.
- Everyone on the same picture. Director, client, agency and focus puller, each on their own monitor.
- Watch from anywhere. A secure stream for a client who can’t be on set, with only a few seconds’ delay.
- Comps and mix on set. Overlays, split-screens and green-screen checks before the crew move on.
What’s included
What the day rate covers
In the day rate
- An 11-hour day, including an hour for lunch
- Wireless video from every camera to every monitor that needs it
- Recording and logging every take
- Instant replay on request
- Setting up and running video village
- A remote stream, if the kit allows
On top, each on its own line
- Our 10% booking fee and 2% insurance, on the whole quote
- The playback kit: QTake system, monitors and transmitters, at a day rate
- A second operator or an assistant, on big multi-camera days
- 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 playback 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 playback operator, call to wrap
An advert with an agency and a client on set, and a brand team watching from Amsterdam. Times are an example; the call sheet sets the real ones.
- 07:00 Rig video village Monitors, chairs and a tent for the client, out of the way but close enough.
- 08:00 Cameras in Transmitters on both cameras, receivers paired, the look applied to the feed.
- 08:30 Stream check The remote viewers sent a link, picture and sound checked with them before the first take.
- 09:00 Rolling Every take recorded and logged by scene and take; the director’s choice marked.
- 11:00 Replay The client asks to see take 4 against take 7, side by side. Thirty seconds later, they can.
- 15:00 Green screen A rough key over the background plate, so everyone knows the shot works before moving on.
- 19:00 Wrap The playback log and selected takes handed to the producer and the editor.
Which kind
Which playback do you need?
From one monitor and a transmitter to a full QTake set-up.
Wireless monitoring A transmitter and a monitor or two Quoted on the brief
Wireless video from the camera to a director’s monitor, set up by the camera team.
Best for small crews where only the director needs to watch.
Video playback operator Monitors, recording and replay Card £334–518
A dedicated operator with monitors, recording and instant replay for everyone at video village.
Best for adverts and brand films with an agency or client on set.
QTake Logging, replay, comps and streaming Quoted with the kit
The industry’s playback software: every take logged and replayable, looks applied, rough comps, and a secure stream for remote viewers.
Best for commercials, drama and anything with VFX.
Remote viewing only Watch from somewhere else Quoted on the brief
A secure stream of the camera feed to people who can’t be on set, with a few seconds’ delay.
Best for international clients and brand teams.
What it’s for
What people book video playback for in Manchester
Adverts with an agency on set
Video village for the agency and the client, away from the camera.
Clients watching from abroad
A stream to London, Amsterdam or New York.
Green screen and VFX
A rough comp on set, at the studios at Space Studios or MediaCityUK.
Music videos
Takes compared side by side against the track.
Drama
Continuity checks against earlier takes and earlier days.
Recent work
Playback on our crews
How we crew it · Manchester
Video village for a client on set
When a client or agency comes to set, we give them their own monitors with a playback operator beside them, so they can see every take and ask for a replay without leaning over the camera.
How we crew it · Remote viewing
Watching from another country
For teams who can’t travel, a secure stream of the camera feed lets them watch, comment and approve takes from home. We test it with them before the first take.
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.
Kit and the stream
- The playback kit is on its own line: QTake, monitors and transmitters.
- For remote viewing, the location needs a solid internet connection: we check it at the recce.
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 £334 a day
APA/Bectu card: £334–518 a day, video operator to senior video operator.
| Day rate, 11 hours | £334 |
| Booking fee, 10% | £33.40 |
| Insurance, 2% | £6.68 |
| One day, before kit and travel | £374.08 + 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 video playback in Manchester.
Tell us how many cameras and monitors, who needs to watch, and from where. 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 £529–656
- Drone operator From £750
Data and playback 02
- DIT £527
- Video playback This page £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
Playback needs power, space for video village and a good connection. Each gets its own line on the quote, or use the guides.
Questions
Video playback in Manchester: questions
How much does a video playback operator cost in Manchester?
The APA/Bectu card puts a video operator at £334–518 for an 11-hour day, from video operator to senior video operator, and we pay that in full. On top go our 10% booking fee and 2% insurance, so a day starts at £374.08 + VAT. The playback kit is 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.
What is QTake?
Playback software used on most commercials and dramas. It records and logs every take, replays them instantly, applies the look, does rough comps and streams the picture to remote viewers.
Do I need a playback operator?
If only the director needs to watch, a transmitter and a monitor from the camera team is enough. If an agency or client is on set, or watching from elsewhere, book an operator.
Can our client watch the shoot remotely?
Yes, with a secure stream from the playback system. The location needs a reliable internet connection, which we check before the shoot.
How far ahead should I book playback in Manchester?
Most Manchester bookings are confirmed within 48 hours. For QTake and remote viewing, give it a week so the kit and the connection are tested.