Film crew hire/Oxford/Hair and make-up
Hire a hair and make-up artist in Oxford. A hair and make-up artist gets the people on camera ready and keeps them looking right all day.
People book a hair and make-up artist in Oxford for college halls, labs at the Science Park and Harwell, and shoots on the street. The artist does the hair and make-up for everyone on camera, then checks it and touches it up between takes. Our day rate for a hair and make-up artist is £398, and the artist 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: Christian Agbede, Rhamely, Bright Eliya, hessam nabavi and Jessica Share
The role
What a hair and make-up artist does on your shoot
A hair and make-up artist (HMUA, or HMU on a call sheet) makes everyone in front of the camera look like themselves on a good day. Then they keep them that way until wrap. They powder between takes, fix flyaways and collars, and take down the shine that comes back under the lights.
On a brand film or an advert, the artist creates a look to a brief. On an interview day, nobody watching should notice the make-up. We book hair and make-up for film, TV, video and stills shoots. We don’t book artists for weddings.
We book a hair and make-up artist 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 artist for a morning or a make-up team for a week. In an office or a college, the artist needs a table, a mirror and a plug near the set, and their name on the list at reception or the porters’ lodge.
- The artist works to the camera. They use products and techniques that look right on a 4K camera, and they check the look on the monitor.
- The look stays the same all day. The artist takes a continuity photo of every look, so day two matches day one.
- Contributors relax in the chair. Ten minutes of make-up is often what settles a nervous contributor before the interview.
- We match the artist to the people on camera. Tell us who’s on camera, and we book an artist who works with their skin tones and hair types.
What’s included
What the day rate covers
In the day rate
- An 11-hour day, including an hour for lunch
- Their own professional kit, including foundations, powders, brushes and hair tools
- Hair and make-up for your contributors or cast, to the brief
- Checks and touch-ups between every set-up
- Continuity photos of each look
- Brushes cleaned between people, and single-use applicators
On top, each on its own line
- A daily kit fee for the artist’s own kit: £25
- Our 10% booking fee and 2% insurance, on the whole quote, kit included
- Wigs, prosthetics and special effects materials, priced to the brief
- A second artist, for full looks, a presenter all day or a big cast
- 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 artist 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 a hair and make-up artist
An interview day with four contributors in an office at the Oxford Science Park. The times are an example. The call sheet sets the real ones.
- 07:15 Arrive The artist comes by train, or drives in with the kit. Oxford’s Zero Emission Zone only covers the city centre, so there’s no charge for driving to the Science Park. Parking goes on the quote at cost.
- 07:30 Sign in Reception checks the crew’s names and hands out passes. The artist takes the kit up in the lift with the camera team.
- 07:45 Set up the station The artist needs a table, a mirror, good light and a plug, out of shot. In an office, that’s usually the meeting room next door.
- 08:30 First contributor in the chair Natural grooming takes 15 to 20 minutes. The artist evens out the skin, takes down the shine and tidies hair and brows. A presenter or a full look takes longer.
- 09:15 Camera check The artist checks the look on the monitor with the DOP, under the real light.
- 09:30 Through the takes The artist watches from beside the monitor. Between set-ups they fix powder, flyaways and collars, and take a continuity photo of every look.
- 13:00 Lunch Lunch is an hour. The artist touches up lips and powder before the first set-up of the afternoon.
- 14:00 The afternoon contributors The afternoon runs the same way. A senior contributor between meetings may only have ten minutes, so the artist works to their diary.
- 18:30 Wrap The artist takes off make-up for anyone who wants it, packs the kit and leaves through the loading bay before the building locks up.
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.
As a rough guide, one artist can groom six to eight interview contributors in a day. For full looks, presenters or a big cast, book two.
Types
Types of hair and make-up we book
What it’s for decides who we book. Times in the chair are per person, as a rough guide.
Natural grooming Interviews, corporate and documentary 15–20 min
The artist evens out the skin, takes down the shine and tidies hair and brows. Nobody watching should be able to tell.
Good for interviews, testimonials, leadership films and speakers at college conference venues.
Presenter and broadcast Talking to camera, all day 30–45 min
The make-up is built to last under lights for hours, and the artist checks it between every take.
Good for presenters, podcast hosts, a host on stage at a conference, and anyone doing a piece to camera.
Beauty and commercial Adverts, brand films and product shots 45–90 min
The artist designs a look to a brief and a mood board, with close-ups that hold up at 4K.
Good for adverts, brand films, and beauty or fashion products, including fashion shoots on Oxford’s streets.
Styled hair When the hair is the point 45–90 min
The artist styles hair to a look with heated tools, extensions or wigs, often alongside a wardrobe stylist.
Good for fashion and campaign shoots. You can book the look with a costume designer or stylist in Oxford.
Period and character Drama, reconstructions and heritage films 1–2 hours
The artist researches period hair, wigs, facial hair and ageing to suit the era and the character.
Good for drama, reconstructions and heritage films. Period wigs come from London with the costume.
Special effects and prosthetics Wounds, ageing and casualty make-up From 1 hour
The artist makes and tests prosthetic pieces, blood, bruising and casualty make-up before the shoot.
Good for drama, and safety and training films. Book early, because the pieces are made to order.
What it’s for
What people book hair and make-up for in Oxford
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. Everyone signs in, and the make-up should go unnoticed.
Conferences and events at college venues
The artist gets speakers ready before they go on stage, then touches them up for interviews between sessions. Keble is one of the colleges that takes location filming.
University and research films
Researchers and staff appear on camera in labs, lecture theatres and college rooms to talk about their work. Start with the University’s filming coordinator or the college.
Brand films and adverts on the street
Street shoots on Broad Street, the High and round the Covered Market need a look that matches across the day, so the artist works close to the set. Oxfordshire County Council handles filming on streets and pavements.
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 artist works from a portable kit and keeps the look the same through wind and rain.
Recent work
Hair and make-up on our jobs, and how we crew Oxford
Crew hire · Chelsea, London · Nov 2023
Hospital interviews for a US production
Swanson Studios, a US production company, filmed three days of talking heads in November 2023. The London day, 30 November, was in the main boardroom at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, with senior clinicians and managers in the chair. We crewed it, hair and make-up included. The call sheet noted that parking was a challenge and the loading bay was accessible.
How we crew it · Oxford
An artist who lives locally, or one from London
We start with hair and make-up artists who live in or near Oxford. For a specialist, such as prosthetics or period hair, or when nobody local is free that day, we book an artist from London. Tell us who’s on camera, and we match the artist to their skin tones and hair types. We add the travel to the quote before anything is booked.
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.
- In an office, a college or a conference venue, the artist’s name goes on the list with the crew’s.
Before the day
- Tell us about allergies and skin sensitivities when you book, and we’ll pass them on to the artist.
- Contributors arrive with clean, moisturised skin, hair as they usually wear it, and the clothes on a hanger.
Oxford locations
- On a street shoot, the artist counts as crew on the permit application. Filming on streets and pavements in Oxford goes through Oxfordshire County Council. On most streets, its daily fee is £150 plus VAT for 1 to 4 crew and £200 plus VAT for 5 to 10, so one more person can move the shoot into the next band. The permit goes on the quote as its own line.
- Oxford’s Zero Emission Zone covers the city centre from 7am to 7pm, every day. If the artist drives the kit in, a Euro 4 petrol or Euro 6 diesel car pays £4 a day, an older car £10 and an electric car nothing. 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 artist.
- 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 artist 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.
£398 a day
APA/Bectu card benchmark: £341–398 a day.
| Day rate, 11 hours | £398 |
| Kit fee | £25 |
| Booking fee, 10% | £42.30 |
| Insurance, 2% | £8.46 |
| One day, before travel | £473.76 + VAT |
The 2% covers employers’ liability for the artist we book. What it covers
You won’t pay anything until you confirm the artist.
- 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 a hair and make-up artist in Oxford.
Tell us how many people are on camera, the look, and where in Oxford or Oxfordshire you’re shooting. 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 This page £398
- Costume £519–694
Art department 02
- Art director £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
A hair and make-up artist often works alongside a costume designer or stylist. Wardrobe, a studio 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 a hair and make-up artist in Oxford
How much does a hair and make-up artist cost in Oxford?
Our hair and make-up artists are £398 for an 11-hour day, including an hour for lunch, and the artist gets all of it. The APA/Bectu card for commercials puts the role at £341–398. A daily kit fee of £25 goes on top. We add our 10% booking fee and 2% insurance to the whole quote, so one day comes to £473.76 + VAT. Any travel from London is extra, and it goes on the quote as its own line. 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.
Are your hair and make-up artists from Oxford?
We book artists who live in or near Oxford first. For a specialist, such as prosthetics or period hair, or on a date when the local artists are booked, we book an artist 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.
Do I need hair and make-up for a corporate interview?
Usually, even a light touch. Under lights, skin shines, and a 4K camera sees it. If the budget is tight, book one artist and schedule your contributors back to back. One artist can do six to eight contributors in a day.
Can you put hair and make-up on a conference at an Oxford college?
Yes. The artist sets up in a room near the hall or the stage. They get speakers ready before they go on, and touch them up for any interviews afterwards. The college or the event team sets the access, and the artist’s name goes on the list with the crew’s. If speakers are on in more than one room, book two artists.
Do I need a permit for hair and make-up on an Oxford street?
The permit is for the whole shoot, and the artist counts as crew. Oxfordshire County Council handles filming on streets and pavements in Oxford. A small crew needs at least 15 working days’ notice, or 30 on listed streets in the centre, and the daily fee goes up with the crew size. Colleges and University buildings need the owner’s permission. On a crew hire, the permission is yours. There’s more in filming permits in Oxford. Check with Oxfordshire County Council for the latest.
Can you do hair and make-up for a shoot in an Oxford college?
Yes. Each college decides on filming in its own buildings, and most colleges want at least two weeks’ notice. Ask the college for a room near the set, so the artist has a table, a mirror and a plug. Term time is the hardest time to get college rooms. Check with the college for the latest.