Journal
A compact one day shoot in the Netherlands starts at about EUR 10,000. That gets you a small, experienced crew of the key people and free public locations, the permits and the producer who keeps it all running. Plenty of shoots sit in between, at around EUR 50,000 to 70,000, depending on what the shoot needs. One day commercials start from around EUR 100,000 and bigger commercials of two days with a crew of 25 to 40 start at about EUR 150,000. Here is where the money goes.
A compact one day shoot
From EUR 10,000
A small crew of the key people, free public locations, the permits and a producer.
A bigger commercial
From EUR 150,000
Two days with a crew of 25 to 40.
Permits in a big city
At least 10 working days
Not a big cost, but plan for the time.
Crew is usually the biggest single cost. A compact shoot needs at least a producer, a director or DOP, a camera assistant, a gaffer, a sound recordist and someone for hair, make-up and styling. Every extra department adds people, and every extra day adds them again.
Bring your own director and DOP? Then we fill in the rest with Dutch crew, which saves travel and hotel costs.
Camera, lenses, lighting and grip. A compact package for a small crew is not expensive in the Netherlands, because the rental houses are close by in Amsterdam and Rotterdam. Specialist rigs such as cranes, car mounts or underwater housings cost more.
Some locations are almost free apart from the permit, such as a quiet street in a smaller town. Private houses, offices, shops and studios charge a fee, usually per day. Two locations next to each other cost less than two at opposite ends of the country, because you lose fewer hours moving.
For public space you need a film permit, plus parking permits for crew vehicles. These are not huge costs, but plan for the time: at least 10 working days in a big city.
Actors, models and extras each have a day fee, and a buyout for the media, countries and period in which the film will run. A buyout for one country online for a year costs a lot less than worldwide TV forever. Children need extra paperwork and a chaperone.
Everyone on set eats, travels and needs to be insured. Small items on their own, but together they add up.
Edit, colour grading and sound for one short film. More versions, cut downs for social and VFX add to the bill.
Choose locations close together, so you shoot more and travel less.
Shoot in a smaller city with the same look as Amsterdam.
Combine film and stills on the same day, as we did for Dior and PUMA.
Be flexible on dates outside the busy summer months.
Send us a complete brief. The clearer the brief, the less buffer we need to build in.
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