Film crew hire/Oxford/Production assistant
Hire a production assistant in Oxford. A production assistant takes the small jobs off your producer, so the day stays on time.
People book a production assistant in Oxford for college halls, labs at the Science Park and Harwell, and shoots on the street. A PA meets your contributors at reception, deals with security and the passes, gets the releases signed and minds the kit, working to your producer or director. Our production assistant day rate is £400, and the PA 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, Erwi, dix sept and Adrian Mag
The role
What a production assistant does on your shoot
A production assistant (PA) works to the producer or director and takes the small jobs off them, so they can concentrate on the shoot. A PA meets contributors at reception, gets release forms signed, runs to the shop, minds the kit, keeps the room tidy and keeps the call sheet up to date.
On a busy interview day, a good PA is the difference between a producer who watches the interviews and one who spends them in the corridor, or at the security desk explaining who the sound recordist is. We book a PA 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.
- The PA looks after your contributors. They meet them at reception, brief them, give them a drink and have them ready when the producer calls.
- Every release gets signed. The PA gets one from every person on camera before they leave the building.
- The PA minds the kit. Nothing is left in a corridor, a lift lobby or an open van at the kerb.
- The producer can get on with the shoot. The PA does the small jobs without being asked twice.
What’s included
What the day rate covers
In the day rate
- An 11-hour day, including an hour for lunch
- Contributors met, briefed and looked after
- Release forms signed and filed
- Runs to the shop, for lunch or for a forgotten cable
- Help loading in and out
- The call sheet and contact list kept current
On top, each on its own line
- Our 10% booking fee and 2% insurance, on the whole quote
- Mileage, if they drive their own car for the shoot
- Parking and any Zero Emission Zone charge, at cost
- Travel from London or outside Oxford, 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 a PA 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 production assistant
A conference in a college hall, with vox pops in the foyer between sessions, then four sit-down interviews with speakers. The times are an example. The call sheet sets the real ones.
- 07:45 Arrive The PA signs in with the event team, collects the passes and checks the van’s unloading slot.
- 08:00 Load in The kit comes in through the service entrance. The PA sets up the green room with water and a list of who’s coming.
- 09:30 Vox pops The PA brings delegates to the camera between sessions and tells them what it’s for. Each one signs a release before they say a word.
- 11:00 A run The PA walks up to Oxford station to meet the afternoon’s second camera operator off the London train, and is back before the next session ends.
- 13:00 Lunch The PA ordered lunch at eleven so it arrives on time, and clears it away after.
- 14:00 Interviews Four speakers come in, one late and one early. The PA keeps the order straight and walks each speaker over to the interview chair.
- 18:30 Wrap The PA checks the releases against the list, puts the room back and hands in the passes. The kit goes down to the van.
Types
PAs, runners and other production roles
The junior production jobs overlap. Each type below says what the job is and which briefs it suits.
Production assistant Contributors, releases and runs £400 a day
A production assistant works to the producer on people, paperwork and the jobs nobody else has time for.
Good for interview days, events and anything with contributors.
Runner Errands, kit and the unit base £245 a day
A runner does the entry-level job of fetching, carrying, making tea and minding the parking. See runners in Oxford.
Good as an extra pair of hands on a bigger crew.
Production coordinator The office and the bookings Quoted on the brief
A production coordinator works to the production manager on bookings, travel, passes and call sheets. See production managers in Oxford.
Good for long shoots and series, where the bookings never stop.
Driver People and kit, on time Quoted on the brief
A driver drives the crew van or the talent, with the right licence. See parking and logistics in Oxford.
Good when the crew and kit move between locations.
Producer Runs the day From £450 a day
If the day needs someone to make decisions, book a producer in Oxford.
Good when there’s a client or contributors to manage.
What it’s for
What people book a production assistant for in Oxford
Founder films for spin-outs and biotech
Spin-outs and biotech companies work at the Oxford Science Park, Begbroke and Harwell Campus. On their interview days, the PA meets each contributor, settles them and gets the release signed.
Conferences and events at college venues
Crews film the talks and record interviews between the sessions. Keble is one of the colleges that takes location filming. The PA brings delegates to the camera for vox pops, with a release for every face.
University and research films
Students and staff in the University’s labs, lecture theatres and libraries each sign a release before they’re filmed. The University’s filming coordinator or the college comes first.
Brand films and adverts on the street
Adverts and brand films use Broad Street, the High and the Covered Market, and the PA looks after the talent between takes. Oxfordshire County Council handles filming on streets and pavements.
Heritage locations out of town
Brand films go out to Blenheim Palace at Woodstock and the edge of the Cotswolds, with the owner’s permission.
Recent work
PAs on our jobs, and how we crew an Oxford conference day
Production service company · Portsmouth, London and Oxford · November 2023
Three cities in three days for Swanson Studios
Swanson Studios flew in from Oregon. They photographed and interviewed surgeons and the people around them for a surgical robotics client, at a hospital in Portsmouth, a hospital in London and then the client’s office in Oxford, one city a day. They brought the cameras. We brought everything else, including a production assistant and driver, two vans, the hotels and the pick-ups from Heathrow. On days like those the PA’s job is the contributors. They were senior clinicians in slots of ten to twenty minutes, back to back, met at the front desk and walked to the room.
How we crew it · Oxford
Vox pops at a college conference, or on the street
On a conference day the PA brings people to the camera, explains what’s happening and gets the release signed. That way the operator can keep rolling, and nobody ends up in the film without saying yes. Indoors, at a college or a hotel, the PA works to the venue’s rules, agreed before the day. Out on the street, filming needs Oxfordshire County Council’s permission. We book PAs who live in or near Oxford first, and bring others from London when the day needs more people.
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.
Getting around Oxford
- Tell us if the PA needs to drive. Mileage and parking go on the quote.
- Oxford’s Zero Emission Zone covers the city centre from 7am to 7pm, every day. A Euro 6 diesel van pays £4 a day, an older diesel £10 and an electric van nothing.
- The fastest trains take 52 minutes from Paddington, or about 1 hour 12 from Marylebone. 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, GWR and Chiltern Railways.
Paying and changes
- You pay nothing until you confirm the PA.
- 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 PA 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.
£400 a day
APA/Bectu card: £350–441 a day for a production assistant.
| Day rate, 11 hours | £400 |
| Booking fee, 10% | £40 |
| Insurance, 2% | £8 |
| One day, before travel | £448 + VAT |
The 2% covers employers’ liability for the PA we book and the kit we hire in. What it covers
You won’t pay anything until you confirm the PA.
- 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 production assistant in Oxford.
Tell us the date, the place and what the PA should look after. 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 This page £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
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 PA helps with everything around the shoot, including the building passes and the parking. If you want us to book any of it, each item goes on the quote as its own line.
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 production assistant in Oxford
How much does a production assistant cost in Oxford?
Our production assistants are £400 for an 11-hour day, including an hour for lunch, and the PA gets all of it. The APA/Bectu card sets £350–441. We add our 10% booking fee and 2% insurance, so the day comes to £448 + VAT, before any travel from London.
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.
What’s the difference between a PA and a runner?
A runner fetches, carries and keeps the unit base going. A PA works more closely with the producer, on contributors, releases and the call sheet. On a small crew one person often does both.
Do I need a PA or a producer?
If someone has to make decisions on the day, book a producer. A PA helps the producer. Busy days with lots of contributors often have both.
Can a PA handle releases and vox pops in Oxford?
Yes. Send us your release, or use ours, and the PA gets one signed by everyone on camera before they leave. Vox pops on the street need Oxfordshire County Council’s permission. A small crew needs at least 15 working days’ notice, or 30 on listed streets in the centre such as Broad Street. In a college, the college’s own rules apply, so we ask before the day. Check with Oxfordshire County Council for the latest.
Can we film vox pops in Radcliffe Square?
Only with permission. Brasenose College handles the square, and Oxfordshire County Council handles the road. The Bodleian Libraries have no say over the square, but the Radcliffe Camera is part of the Bodleian, so filming inside it goes through them. We ask before the day, and any permission goes on the quote. Check with Oxford City Council for the latest.
Can a PA drive in Oxford?
Yes, if they have a car and business insurance. Tell us when you book. Mileage and parking go on the quote at cost. Oxford’s Zero Emission Zone covers the city centre from 7am to 7pm, every day. A Euro 6 diesel van pays £4 a day, an older diesel £10 and an electric van nothing. For a crew van, Redbridge Park and Ride has a high-sided area. Check with Oxfordshire County Council for the latest.
How far ahead should I book a PA in Oxford?
Our team reads every brief within 2 working hours. If the PA is sorting building passes, send us the contributor list early. Vox pops on the street need Oxfordshire County Council’s permission first, with at least 15 working days’ notice for a small crew. Most colleges want at least two weeks. Degree ceremonies at the Sheldonian run on dates through the year, and term time is the hardest time to get college rooms and quads, so allow more time then. Check with Oxfordshire County Council for the latest.
Are your production assistants from Oxford?
We book PAs who live in or near Oxford first. If the brief or the date needs someone else, they come from London, and the fastest trains from Paddington take 52 minutes. We add the travel to the quote before anything is booked. Our base is London, at 124 City Road, and we have bases in Manchester, Bristol and Cornwall. Check with GWR for the latest train times.