Film crew hire/Oxford/Art director
Hire an art director in Oxford. An art director designs the set and runs the props, dressing and builds on your shoot.
People book an art director in Oxford for college halls, labs at the Science Park and Harwell, and shoots on the street. They design the look of the set, dress the location, and run the props, graphics and builds in the frame. Our art director day rate starts at £675, and the art director gets all of it.
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- 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, Kumpan Electric, Hal Gatewood, Paolo Chiabrando and Tim Wildsmith
The role
What an art director does on your shoot
An art director looks after everything in the frame apart from the people and the lights. That means the set, the dressing, the props and the graphics. They take the look agreed with the director and the DOP, design it and budget it. Then they run the props buyers, dressers and builders who make it.
On a brand film, that might be dressing an office so it looks like the company at its best. On an advert, it can be a set built from scratch.
We book an art director who lives in or near Oxford first. If nobody local is free, or the shoot needs more people, we bring crew from London. We add the travel to the quote before anything is booked. We can book one art director with a van of props or a full art department. On someone else’s property, we agree the dressing with the owner first, and we photograph their things before anything moves.
- The art director designs the look first. You agree the mood boards, references and drawings before anything is bought or built.
- The art director chooses every prop. Each one is hired, bought or made, and nothing goes in shot that you can’t clear.
- The art department dresses the location. They change a real place just enough to look right on camera, and put it back at wrap.
- The art director keeps to the budget. They track the spend, return the hires and make sure nothing is lost.
What’s included
What the day rate covers
In the day rate
- An 11-hour day, including an hour for lunch
- Designing the set and the dressing to the brief
- Running the props, dressing and build team
- Sourcing props, furniture and graphics
- Dressing on the day, and changes between set-ups
- The art budget, tracked and accounted for
On top, each on its own line
- Our 10% booking fee and 2% insurance, on the whole quote
- The art budget, for props, hires, materials and graphics, at cost
- Prep and wrap days, which most jobs need, quoted separately
- Props buyers, dressers and set builders, as the brief needs
- The props van, parking, and props brought in from outside the city, at cost
- Travel from London or outside Oxford, and mileage, parking and any Zero Emission Zone charge where the day needs them, at cost
Read how our rates work and the two ways to book in crew rates in Oxford.
Two ways to book
Crew hire or full production
The price depends on who is the producer of record. That’s the company responsible for the shoot. You can book an art director for your own shoot, or ask us to run the whole production.
Crew hire
You run the shoot.
10% + 2% booking fee and insurance on everything we book for you, including 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
- You’re the producer of record, so the production is your responsibility
The 2% covers employers’ liability for every crew member we book and the kit we hire in for you. It doesn’t cover anything else on the shoot. A large kit rental may need extra insurance, which goes on the quote as its own line.
Full production
We’re the producer of record.
15% + 5% production fee, plus insurance and contingency, on the whole production budget. We quote it 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
The 5% pays for our production insurance across the whole shoot, including £10m public liability, and the contingency.
If your own producer or director will run the day, book crew hire. If you want us to run the production, ask for a full production quote.
On the day
An example day with an art director
The art department dresses a flat in north Oxford as a family home for a brand film. The times are an example. The call sheet sets the real ones.
- Prep The week before You agree the references. The props buyer finds pieces locally and hires the bigger furniture from London. The graphics are printed, and the props van is booked.
- 06:30 Dress The team unload the props van at the door. The flat is outside the Zero Emission Zone, which covers the city centre, so the van pays no daily charge. They photograph the owner’s things and pack them away, then dress the flat to the design, room by room.
- 08:30 Camera check The DOP lines up the first shot. The art director moves a lamp, changes a picture and turns a brand on a cereal box round.
- 09:00 Standby A props person stays on set for continuity, and the team dress the next room ahead of the crew.
- 13:00 Lunch Lunch is an hour. The team replace the food on set and reset the kitchen for the afternoon.
- 15:00 Turnaround The living room becomes a bedroom. The team swap the furniture while the crew film the hall.
- 18:30 Strike The team take everything out and use the morning’s photos to put the owner’s things back exactly where they were. The hires are loaded for return.
We checked this in November 2026. Fees and rules change, and this page isn’t the official source. For the latest, check with Oxfordshire County Council.
Types
Types of art department we book
We book one person with a van of props, or a full art department.
Art director Designs and runs the look Card £675–878
The art director designs the set and the dressing, budgets it and runs the team.
Good for adverts, brand films, music videos and drama.
Props buyer Finds and buys everything on screen Card £493–585
A props buyer finds, buys and hires props and dressing from the art director’s list.
Good for any shoot with a dressed set. In Oxford, that means knowing what to buy locally and what’s worth bringing from London once the van and the returns are counted.
Standby props and dressers On set, every take Quoted on the brief
Standby props and dressers look after the props on set, reset them between takes and keep continuity.
Good for drama and any shoot where the cast use props.
Set builders Carpentry, paint and construction From £341 a day
Set builders build, paint and strike sets and pieces to the art director’s drawings. See set builders in Oxford.
Good when the location can’t give you the look on its own.
Armourer Replica and prop weapons Quoted on the brief
A film armourer looks after any firearm or weapon on set, including props and replicas.
Book one whenever firearms or offensive weapons are on set.
What it’s for
What people book an art director for in Oxford
Brand films and adverts on the street
The art department dresses a corner of Broad Street, the High or the Covered Market to look like the brand’s world. Oxfordshire County Council handles filming on streets and pavements, and a shop or a market needs its owner’s permission.
Founder films for spin-outs and biotech
Offices and labs at the Oxford Science Park, Begbroke and Harwell Campus, where spin-outs and biotech companies film their founders. A meeting room can become an interview set or a podcast studio for the day.
Conferences and events at college venues
Stages and halls at college venues are dressed for the camera as well as the room. Keble is one of the colleges that takes location filming.
University and research films
Labs, lecture theatres and college rooms are dressed so the research shows on camera. Start with the University’s filming coordinator or the college.
Heritage locations out of town
Brand films go to Blenheim Palace at Woodstock and the edge of the Cotswolds, with the owner’s permission. Outdoors, the set needs to be light and easy to carry in, and the art department weighs every piece down against the wind.
Recent work
Art departments on our jobs, and how we crew Oxford
Crew hire · Canary Wharf, London · Oct 2024
A podcast set on the 48th floor
When the planned office fell through, a US media agency moved its podcast panels to a day-hired floor of One Canada Square, eight days out. An art director, signed off the day before, dressed it for three cameras. They used four podcast mics on boom arms as dressing, covered the logos and tidied the room. The vans unloaded in the estate’s loading bay and moved on, as Canary Wharf’s procedure requires.
How we crew it · Oxford
An art director who lives locally, and a studio to build in
We start with art directors who live in or near Oxford. If the brief needs a bigger department, or nobody local is free that day, we book from London. For a build, Rebellion Film Studios at Didcot has a 22,000 sq ft main stage, and Shadowbox Studios Shinfield, south of Reading, has 18 stages. There’s more in film studios near Oxford. We add the studio and the travel to the quote before anything is booked. We checked this in November 2026. Fees and rules change, and this page isn’t the official source. For the latest, check with Rebellion Film Studios and Shadowbox Studios.
Before you book
Things to know
The day
- The day is 11 hours, including an hour for lunch.
- Overtime is paid at card rates, and we agree it with you before it happens.
- Prep, dressing and strike days are quoted separately.
The art budget
- Props, hires and materials go on the quote at cost, each on its own line.
- Ask each prop house whether it charges by the day or by the week.
- Props hired from outside the city come in by van or courier, at cost, and the trip is on the quote.
Oxford locations
- Filming on streets and pavements in Oxford goes through Oxfordshire County Council. Its daily fee depends on the crew size and the street, and the permit goes on the quote as its own line. Each college decides on filming in its own buildings.
- If firearms or weapons are on set, including props and replicas, book an armourer.
- If the props van is driven in Oxford’s Zero Emission Zone between 7am and 7pm, a Euro 6 diesel van pays £4 a day and an older diesel £10. A road closure needs a Special Event Order from the county council, with at least 12 weeks’ notice. We checked this in November 2026. Fees and rules change, and this page isn’t the official source. For the latest, check with Oxfordshire County Council.
Paying and changes
- You pay nothing until you confirm the art director.
- We take 50% by card when you book and 50% when you receive the final rushes.
- The quote shows every line, including the day rate, booking fee, kit and travel.
- Cancellation terms are on every quote.
What our insurance covers
- Our insurance covers employers’ liability for the art director we book, up to £10m.
- Kit we hire in for you is insured. A large kit rental may need extra insurance, as its own line on the quote.
- On a crew hire, it doesn’t cover anything else. Public liability, the location and your own kit stay with you, and your venue will want to see your certificate. When we’re the producer of record, our policy covers the shoot.
- Venues usually ask to see it. Oxfordshire County Council, for example, asks for at least £10m public liability for filming on streets and pavements. We checked this in November 2026. Fees and rules change, and this page isn’t the official source. For the latest, check with Oxfordshire County Council.
£675 a day
APA/Bectu card: £675–878 a day for an art director.
| Day rate, 11 hours | £675 |
| Booking fee, 10% | £67.50 |
| Insurance, 2% | £13.50 |
| One day, before the art budget | £756 + VAT |
The 2% covers employers’ liability for the art director we book and the kit we hire in. What it covers
You won’t pay anything until you confirm the art director.
- 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
These reviews come from our Google Business Profile.
Book an art director in Oxford.
Tell us the location or set, the look, and what needs dressing, building or propping. Our team reads every brief within 2 working hours. Or call us on 07412 543822.
Check availability
The whole crew
Every crew role we book in Oxford
Send one brief and we send one quote, with every role on its own line. These are our day rates in Oxford, and each crew member gets their full rate:
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 This page £675–878
- Set builders £341–512
Post-production 01
- Editor From £350
See how our rates work in crew rates in Oxford, or start from one of our crew set-ups in Oxford.
Production support
Everything around the crew
An art director works with the studio, the prop houses and the van. A studio, props and the county council’s permission each go on the quote as their own line, or you can sort them yourself.
01
Kit rental
Where to hire camera, lighting and sound kit for an Oxford shoot, and when the crew bring their own.
02
Locations and permits
The county council for streets, the colleges and the University, the Bodleian and the drone rules.
03
Studios and set builds
Studios at Didcot and south of Reading for set builds, and college rooms hired by the day for interviews.
04
Props and wardrobe
Where props and costume come from, and the stylists and hair and make-up artists we book.
Questions
Questions about hiring an art director in Oxford
How much does an art director cost in Oxford?
The APA/Bectu card puts an art director at £675–878 for an 11-hour day, including an hour for lunch, and we pay that rate in full. We add our 10% booking fee and 2% insurance, so a day starts at £756 + VAT. The art budget, for props, hires and materials, is at cost. Our rates are the same in Oxford as anywhere else we book crew.
What does the insurance on a crew booking cover?
It covers two things. The first is employers’ liability for every crew member we book, up to £10m. The second is the kit we hire in for you. That’s what the 2% pays for. A large kit rental may need extra insurance, which goes on the quote as its own line. On a crew hire, you’re the producer of record, so public liability, the location, your own kit and anything you book yourself stay with you. If you want us to be the producer of record, we quote it as a full production, and our insurance covers the whole shoot.
Where do the props come from for an Oxford shoot?
Some are bought locally. Bigger furniture, themed ranges and anything specialist come from the London prop houses by van, at cost. The props buyer works out which is cheaper once the van and the returns are counted, and every hire is its own line on the quote.
Is there a studio near Oxford for a set build?
Yes. Rebellion Film Studios at Didcot has a 22,000 sq ft main stage and two location shooting areas of over 19,000 sq ft. Shadowbox Studios Shinfield, south of Reading, has 18 stages. If we book the studio, it goes on the quote as its own line. There’s more in film studios near Oxford. Check with the studio for the latest.
Can you dress someone’s home or office for a shoot?
Yes. We photograph everything first and pack it away. Then we dress for the camera, and at wrap we put it all back exactly as it was. In an office, the building’s rules come first. Crew names go in advance, the dressing goes up the goods lift or the stairs, and everything is out by the time the building wants the floor back. If the props van is driven in Oxford’s Zero Emission Zone between 7am and 7pm, a Euro 6 diesel van pays £4 a day. Check with Oxfordshire County Council for the latest.
Can you dress a room in an Oxford college?
Each college decides on filming in its own buildings and sets its own conditions. Most colleges want at least two weeks’ notice, and term time is the hardest time to get college rooms. Agree the dressing and the strike time with the college when you book. Check with the college for the latest.
Can you dress a set at the Bodleian Libraries?
The Bodleian handles commercial filming itself. Crews normally film before 8.30am and after closing, so the dressing and the strike fit round those hours. Filming collection items needs at least 28 days’ notice. Small crews of up to 10 start at £500 an hour plus VAT, and the fee varies with the crew, the kit and the times. Check with the Bodleian Libraries for the latest.
Art director or production designer?
On a big production, the production designer sets the look and the art director runs the department that makes it. On most adverts and brand films, one person does both.
Are your art directors from Oxford?
We book art directors who live in or near Oxford first. If the brief or the date needs someone else, we book an art director from London. The fastest trains from Paddington take 52 minutes. We add the travel to the quote before anything is booked. Our own base is London, at 124 City Road, and we have bases in Manchester, Bristol and Cornwall. Check with GWR for the latest train times.