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Guides for film & TV crew

• Working hours & overtime basics (film & TV)

  MMPA (£30m+ films): 55-hour, 5-day week; standard day 11h + 1h lunch. Hourly rate = weekly/55 or daily/11. Camera overtime 2T, non-camera 1.5T; minimum camera O…

• Working in TV: scripted vs unscripted

  Scripted TV drama and comedy from independent producers is covered by the Pact/Bectu Scripted TV Agreement: four budget bands per broadcast hour, a 10-hour cont…

• Negotiating your rate

  Start from the published agreement rate card for the budget band, know your band (ask production), confirm hours, OT, kit hire and holiday pay in writing before…

• Contracts & deal memos

  Get a written deal memo covering rate, hours, OT, prep/wrap, kit, credit, cancellation, and employment status (PAYE vs Schedule D). Bectu members can get contra…

• Holiday pay

  Workers are entitled to 5.6 weeks' paid holiday per year (pro rata). Check whether holiday is rolled up into your rate and shown separately on payslips.…

• Getting started in the industry

  ScreenSkills offers training, trainee schemes and a careers map of job roles. Regional screen agencies (e.g. North East Screen, Screen Scotland, Film London) li…

• Virtual production & LED volumes (UK stages)

  LED volumes and in-camera VFX are now a normal UK option, not only for tentpoles. Facilities such as ARRI Stage London, Twickenham’s Samsung Micro LED stage (op…

• AI on set & in post — practical crew checklist

  AI is showing up in casting clips, pitch visualisation, archive search, subtitling, VFX assists and editorial tooling — not only as chatbots. ScreenSkills’ AI 1…

• Camera, codecs & ACES colour pipelines

  Large-format digital capture, ARRIRAW/ProRes Log C and ACES-based pipelines are common on UK drama and features. Near-set or lab systems often convert camera or…

• Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit (AVEC) — crew briefing

  From 1 April 2025 new UK film and TV productions claim Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit (AVEC) rather than the old film/HETV tax reliefs; remaining productions m…

• Green production & BAFTA albert on UK shoots

  Major UK commissioners expect measured carbon reduction, not just a logo. BAFTA albert certification is widely required; the BBC mandates albert for new TV comm…

• Wireless video & RF on UK sets

  Zero-delay wireless video (e.g. Teradek Bolt 6 with UK/EU 6 GHz channels, and newer Bolt 7 video-plus-data systems) is standard on many UK shoots, but RF conges…

• Sustainability roles & skills on set

  Sustainability is becoming a defined department, not a side job for the PM. In June 2025 the BFI, BAFTA albert and ScreenSkills published the UK’s first Nationa…