The Union
Stratum-verified indie film rate benchmarks, free contract templates, and collective resources for independent filmmakers, animators, and production crew. No studios. No agents. Just real numbers.
Rate Cards
Click any rate to copy it. Use these benchmarks to set fair budgets and negotiate fair pay.
Frame Union Stratum-verified rate benchmarks for camera department crew on indie film and animation productions.
Director of Photography
Entry (0–2 yrs)
$150–$250
$600–$900
Narrative shorts, student films, micro-budget
Director of Photography
Mid (3–6 yrs)
$300–$500
$1,100–$1,800
Indie features, branded content, music videos
Director of Photography
Senior (7+ yrs)
$600–$1,200
$2,200–$4,500
Festival films, commercial work, episodic
Camera Operator
Entry–Mid
$125–$300
$450–$1,100
A/B cam work
1st Assistant Camera (Focus Puller)
Any
$200–$450
$750–$1,600
Critical role — budget accordingly
2nd Assistant Camera
Entry–Mid
$125–$250
$450–$900
Slating, lens management
DIT (Digital Imaging Tech)
Any
$200–$500
$750–$1,800
Includes color management on set
These are benchmarks based on 2025–2026 indie market data. Rates vary by location, project complexity, and experience. Always negotiate based on your full project scope.
Entry DP Day Rate
$150–$250
Short films / micro-budget
Mid Animator (2D)
$50–$85/hr
Complex character work
Sound Designer
$280–$600/day
Indie feature post
Line Producer
$300–$700/day
Full production oversight
Contract Templates
Written for indie productions, not studios. All templates are plain-language and free for Frame Union members. Download, customize, and protect your work.
Short-form agreement for any below-the-line crew member. Covers rate, dates, work-for-hire, and IP.
Full contract for animators, composers, sound designers, and other creative freelancers. Includes kill fee, revision limits, and IP clauses.
Permission to film on private property. Covers dates, property description, compensation, and liability waiver.
Appearance and performance rights release for cast. Includes image, voice, and likeness rights for distribution.
Template for licensing pre-existing music for use in your production. Covers sync rights, master rights, territory, and term.
Comprehensive agreement ensuring all work created under contract is owned by the production company. For animation, software, and creative services.
When two production companies collaborate on a single project. Covers ownership splits, credit, distribution rights, and profit sharing.
License your completed short film to festivals, streaming platforms, or distributors. Covers exclusive/non-exclusive windows, fees, and reporting.
These are templates, not legal advice.
Frame Union provides these templates as starting points. We strongly recommend having any contract reviewed by an entertainment lawyer before signing, especially for larger productions or significant IP transfers. We maintain a directory of indie-friendly entertainment attorneys — ask in the community.
Legal & Advocacy
Who owns what, when. Copyright in film and animation is complicated — know before you sign anything.
Misclassifying crew as contractors can expose you to serious legal risk. Know the difference before you budget.
Sync rights, master rights, PROs, fair use — the music part of filmmaking is a legal minefield. We break it down.
Every production should have its own LLC. Protects you personally, simplifies taxes, looks professional to investors.
Your idea alone can't be copyrighted. But your script, footage, and designs can. Here's how to lock it down.
If a client doesn't pay or a partner steals credit, you're not alone. Frame Union maintains contacts with indie-friendly attorneys.
Ready to Build?
You have the rate benchmarks. You have the contracts. Now find your crew, post your project, and make the thing.
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