Day rate & overtime
From the hours on set to the session fee: half days, overtime, travel days and weekend or holiday surcharges, with your own terms.
The day
Defaults are example terms. Use the conditions in your booking confirmation.
What to invoice
| Hourly equivalent | €100.00 |
| Day rate | €800.00 |
| Overtime (2 h) | €300.00 |
| Session fee | €1,100.00 |
Usage comes on top: usage & buyout calculator. Public holidays by country: production calendar.
Agree the terms before the shoot
Overtime disputes start when the terms were never written down. The booking confirmation should state the day rate, how many hours a day includes, when overtime starts, the overtime rate, and whether travel days and weekend or holiday work are paid differently.
Session fee = day rate (or half day) + overtime hours × hourly equivalent × overtime factor + travel days + weekend or holiday surcharge.
Check the call sheet against the booking
If the call sheet shows a longer day than the booking, raise overtime with the producer before the shoot. A model kept on set past the booked hours without agreement is the most common source of unpaid invoices.
Session fee is not the whole price
The session fee pays for time. Use of the images is priced separately; see usage and buyout fees and the usage calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How is overtime calculated on a shoot?
Usually per hour beyond the booked day, at the hourly equivalent of the day rate multiplied by an overtime factor such as 1.5. The exact terms belong in the booking confirmation.
What counts as a half day?
A booking of up to a set number of hours, often four, paid as a percentage of the day rate. Agencies set their own threshold and percentage.
Are travel days paid?
Often yes, at a reduced percentage of the day rate, when a model or crew member travels to a shoot and cannot work that day. Agree it before the booking is confirmed.
Should weekends and public holidays cost more?
Many agencies add a surcharge for weekend or public holiday work. Check the production calendar for public holidays in the shoot country.
Is this the fee the client pays?
It is the session fee. Usage, the agency fee and tax come on top; use the usage and commission calculators for those parts.