When Lapse Productions sends you a quote, the crew line is usually the largest number on it, and the titles on that line are not obvious if you do not work in production. This guide explains what each crew role actually does on a corporate shoot, how many people your project genuinely needs, and what we charge for each role.
The Short Answer
- Most corporate shoots run with two to four people, not the eight-person crews you see on film sets.
- Producer and director are frequently the same person on corporate work. So are gaffer and grip.
- The three roles that carry almost every corporate shoot: producer/director, cinematographer, audio operator.
- Our rates: videographer $750 half day and $1,500 full day, audio $650 and $900, makeup $650 flat, PA $225 flat.
- More crew is not better. More crew is faster, and faster matters when you are renting a location or paying executives to stand around.
Who Is on a Video Production Crew?
Eight roles cover nearly every corporate production. Not all of them appear on every shoot.
| Role | What they do | Our rate |
|---|---|---|
| Videographer (DP) | Camera, lenses, lighting design, shot composition | $150/hr (3 hr minimum), $750 half day, $1,500 full day |
| Producer | Runs budget, crew, schedule, locations, and permits | Matches the videographer’s shoot length |
| Director | Owns the creative vision, pacing, and performances | Covered by the producer line on our shoots |
| Audio operator | Records dialogue and room sound, monitors levels | $650 half day, $900 full day |
| Drone operator | Aerial coverage, exteriors, facility and site work | Billed at the videographer rate |
| Makeup artist | Prepares on-camera talent, maintains continuity | $650 flat, half or full day |
| Production assistant | Setup, breakdown, call sheets, on-set logistics | $225 flat, half or full day |
| Gaffer and grip | Lighting execution, shaping, rigging, camera support | Quoted with the package when the setup calls for it |
| Editor | Story assembly, pacing, graphics, revision rounds | Priced per finished video, not per day |
Producer
The producer is the project manager of the production. They build and hold the budget, hire the crew, lock the schedule, secure locations and permits, and coordinate post-production. When something changes on shoot day, and something always changes, the producer is the person deciding what gets cut and what gets protected.
Director
The director owns the creative. They translate the script into what you see and hear: the look, the pacing, the shot choices, and the performances. On corporate work, the director is also the person who makes a nervous executive sound human on camera, which is a larger part of the job than most people expect.
On our shoots, producer and director are usually one person. The roles split on larger productions where the logistics alone are a full-time job.
Cinematographer (Director of Photography)
The cinematographer is responsible for the image. They select cameras and lenses, design the lighting with the gaffer, compose the shots, and supervise the camera department. The DP is typically the highest-rated individual on a corporate crew because the role usually includes their own camera package.
Audio Operator
The audio operator records dialogue and ambient sound, sets up lavalier and boom microphones, and monitors levels throughout the day. This is the most commonly cut role and the most commonly regretted one. Viewers forgive imperfect images and abandon videos with bad audio.
Gaffer
The gaffer is the chief electrician on set, responsible for executing the lighting plan and managing power distribution safely. In an office or plant where you are working around existing circuits, this role stops a shoot from tripping a breaker on a live floor.
Grip
The grip shapes and supports everything the camera and lighting departments use: flags, nets, and silks to control light, plus tripods, dollies, and rigging for camera movement.
On our shoots, gaffer and grip are usually one person. They split when the lighting design is large enough that one person cannot safely handle both.
Makeup Artist
The makeup artist prepares on-camera talent and maintains continuity across a shoot day. For corporate video this is less about transformation and more about controlling shine under lights, which matters more than most clients expect when the footage lands on a large screen.
Production Assistant
The production assistant handles setup and breakdown, distributes call sheets, manages access and foot traffic, and keeps the day moving. On a multi-location or multi-department shoot, a PA is the cheapest hour you will buy.
How Many Crew Members Does a Corporate Video Need?
Fewer than most people assume. Film-set crew lists do not apply to a two-interview day in an office. Here is how crew size tends to scale on corporate work.
| Shoot type | Typical crew | Size |
|---|---|---|
| Single interview, one location | Producer/director, cinematographer | 2 people |
| Interviews plus b-roll | Producer/director, cinematographer, audio operator | 3 people |
| Multi-location or facility shoot | Add gaffer/grip and a production assistant | 4 to 5 people |
| Executive or brand film | Add a makeup artist and split producer from director | 5 to 7 people |
The right question is not how many people you can afford to remove, but what each person protects. Cutting the audio operator saves several hundred dollars and risks the entire shoot day. Cutting a PA on a simple two-interview day costs you nothing. For how crew fits into the wider workflow, see our guide to the corporate video production process.
What Does a Video Production Crew Cost?
The rates in the table are our own published rates, the same ones behind the estimate builder on our video production pricing page. A half day is five hours and a full day is ten hours. Hourly work carries a three hour minimum. A standard camera and lighting package is included with every shoot, so those figures are the crew, not a separate gear rental line.
Two things sit on top of the crew total on any project: project management at ten percent, which covers the coordination between the shoot and delivery, and HST. Editing is quoted per finished video rather than per day, because a thirty second social cut and a five minute brand film take very different amounts of time from the same editor. Prices in CAD.
For the wider market picture, our guide to videographer day rates in Toronto breaks the shooter side down by experience level, and our breakdown of what a video costs shows how crew fits into a complete project budget alongside gear, locations, and post-production.
Let Us Build the Crew for You
Lapse Productions assembles the right crew for the shoot rather than the largest one, and every role above arrives inside a single production quote. Explore our video services or tell us what you are making.
Get a Free QuoteFrequently Asked Questions
What crew members do you need for a corporate video?
Most corporate shoots run with two to four people: a producer who also directs, a cinematographer, and an audio operator. Add a gaffer for lighting-heavy setups, a makeup artist when executives are on camera, and a production assistant on busy multi-location days.
What is the difference between a producer and a director?
The producer runs the logistics: budget, crew, schedule, locations, and permits. The director runs the creative: the look, the pacing, and the performances. On corporate shoots one person often covers both, and the roles only split on larger productions.
What is the difference between a gaffer and a grip?
The gaffer is the chief electrician who designs and powers the lighting. The grip handles everything that shapes or supports it: flags, nets, silks, stands, and camera support like dollies and cranes. On smaller shoots one person often covers both.
How much does a video production crew cost per day in Toronto?
At Lapse Productions a videographer is $750 for a half day of five hours and $1,500 for a full day of ten hours, with hourly work at $150 per hour on a three hour minimum. Audio is $650 half day and $900 full day, a makeup artist is $650 flat, and a production assistant is $225 flat. A standard camera and lighting package is included with every shoot.
About the Author
Dario Nouri is a Producer and Co-Founder of Lapse Productions, a Toronto video production company creating corporate video, photography, and drone content since 2014. He also hosts Creatives Grab Coffee, a podcast on the business of video production.