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RATES & JOB DESCRIPTIONS
The latest Rate Cards and job descriptions for Art Department roles.
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Rate Calculator 2024-25
Use our quick tool to look up BECTU rate card rates, or browse the full rate cards below
What are the minimum and 3+ year minimum rates?
Minimum - Refers to 1-2 years experience at that grade. No one should accept less when accepting the responsibility that comes with
that grade. These are the base rates. They are based on the minimum rates crew members have been paid in these roles over the last year,
adjusted for inflation.
Recommended Minimum - Refers to 3+ years experience at that grade.
These are guide rates for anyone who has at least 3 years of experience in that role. Crew members should negotiate upwards of these rates
according to their skill level and experience.
What are the working hours per day?
This depends which contract you are working under. For features over £30m, your contract will be based on the PACT-BECTU MMP agreement, in which
the contracted hours are 11+1 (11 hours work and 1 hour for lunch) for off set crew.
For TV Drama Productions following the PACT - BECTU TV Drama Agreement, hours are 10+1. However, you could also be scheduled on a Semi-continuous
working day (SCWD: 9.5 + 30) or a Continuous working day (CWD: 9) if agreed between your HoD and production.
Productions that do not follow either of these agreements are free to negotiate their own terms with crew members. Nevertheless, it is widely agreed that
the Art Department is a self scheduling department and traditionally works 9+1 for the rates on the rate card.
What do I charge for Box Rental?
The BECTU Art Department committee have provided a guide for minimum box rentals / allowances that crew should claim. This should be dependant on the value of your kit, and many
members do claim higher rates. Please note that ‘computer allowance’ is for a basic laptop / desktop. If you have computer equipment of high value, you
should claim ‘Specialist Kit Rental’ at a higher rate.
How have these rates been calculated?
Each year, the Bectu Art Department Branch holds a rates survey and collect results from approximately 1000 respondents.
The Bectu Art Department Committee then take the rates from the previous rate card and apply a percentage that is reflective of the increase adopted by
comparable departments and that also accounts for inflation in the last 12 months. For 2024-2025, we have increased the rates by 4.95%, in line with the
construction department agreed increase with PACT.
The new rates for each role are then carefully considered, across all bands, and also compared with the survey data.
Over the last few years, some grades have been given an additional increase / decrease in order to match their rates with job roles of similar
responsibilities in both the Art Department and other departments. Please see the parity chart on the rate card download available on the Bectu Art Department Website.
What about Prep and Wrap?
Art Department, Set Decoration and Graphics
do not do ‘Prep and Wrap’ (Unpaid hours at the
beginning and end of the day.) The Art
Department is not listed as a prep and wrap
department on the MMP Agreement or the TV Drama
Agreement.
What about Set Dec, Graphics and Low budget rates?
Set Dec rates can be found on the BECTU Rate Card download page or on the Filmbase Set Dec rates page.
Graphics rates are on the BECTU Rate Card download page, or are listed on the Graphics Union website.
The BECTU Art Department Committee also publish a low budget rates action plan here.
What are the bands?
The bands that you see on the rate card are dictated by the Bectu - PACT TV and Film agreements. The film agreement is called the Major Motion Picture
(MMP) Agreement and is for films with budgets over £30 million. There are currently no agreements for films under £30 million, however, the Bectu Art
Department committee have identified 3 other commonly used terms used to refer to films of particularly budgets. Rates have been grouped into these
bands: Motion Picture (5M- 30M), Feature Film (1M - 5M) and Low Budget (<1M).
The Bectu-PACT TV agreement specifies 4 budget bands and these have been used on the rate card to group rates.
Where can I download the full rate cards?
The rate cards are the work of the Bectu Art Department Branch Committee and are listed below. They can also be downloaded from the
Bectu Art Department Website
If you have any questions about these rates, you can contact the committee at info@bectuartdepartment.co.uk
What about Holiday Pay??
These rates are inclusive of holiday pay at 12.07%. PAYE and Self employed crew members will be paid holiday pay at the end of the contract.
Crew members who are LTD will not have holiday pay separated out.
The Bectu Art Department is currently questioning the legality of holiday pay being paid at the end of a contract.
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Bectu Art Department Rate Cards 2024-25 ▲
As issued by the BECTU Art Department Branch
Film Rate Card
TV Rate Card
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Box Rental Card
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Supervising Art Director
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Negot.
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10
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150
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negot.
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Senior Art Director
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Negot.
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10
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150
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negot.
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Art Director / VFX Art Dir.
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Negot.
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10
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150
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negot.
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Stand-by Art Director
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Negot.
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10
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150
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negot.
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Senior Assistant Art Director
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Negot.
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10
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150
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negot.
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Assistant Art Director
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Negot.
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10
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150
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negot.
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Senior Draughtsperson/ Senior Set Designer
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Negot.
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-
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-
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negot.
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Draughtsperson / Set Designer
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Negot.
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-
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-
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negot. |
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Junior Draughtsperson / Junior Set Designer
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Negot.
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-
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-
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negot.
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Modelmaker
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Negot.
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- |
-
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negot.
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Art Dept Coordinator
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25 - 30
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10
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-
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Art Dept Assistant
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25 - 30
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10
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150
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negot. |
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Art Dept Trainee
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25 - 30
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10
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150
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Concept Artist
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- / negot.
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10
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-
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negot.
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Storyboard Artist
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- / 30
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10
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-
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negot.
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Researcher
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25 - 30
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10
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-
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Scenic Artist
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- / negot.
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-
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-
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Art Department - Job Descriptions ▲
These job descriptions have been written by the Bectu Art Department Committee.
They are written with productions in Band 3 (£30M+) in mind. A separate document will follow for productions in the other budget bands.
Please note, some of these roles are fluid and may vary in their placement within the hierarchy presented.
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Duties to include:
- Head of Art Department
- During pre-production Supervising Art Directors work with the Construction Manager and Production Manager to estimate the costs of set construction and Art Department labour.
- Analyse the shooting schedule and plan set building and dismantling (or 'striking') of sets.
- They oversee the entire day to day running of the art department
- Throughout pre-production and shooting, ensure the production stays on schedule and on budget.
- Help select crew members for department
- Liaise with the ADs to ensure schedule is workable
- Liaise with Set Decoration, Props, Graphics and all other departments
- Ensure the vision of the designer is followed through
(This description is a work in progress as per the Bectu Art Dept Committee. 26.06.20)
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Duties to include:
- An experienced Art Director who will often handle several of the largest sets on the film.
- Facilitate the Production Designer's creative vision for these sets to give the film its unique visual identity.
- Overseeing production of and schedule of work through issue of drawings for a number of sets depending on scale of film and sets required.
- Project managing production of sets through construction.
- Art Directors are usually requested by the production designer or Supervising Art Director
- Analyse the script to identify all special set considerations that may require longer lead times or special effects and liaise across departments.
- Manage a team of draughtspeople to draw up numerous plans for sets and locations for use by Art Directors when working with the construction managers and their team
- Throughout construction Art Directors will answer questions and approve work in progress in the construction workshop floor.
- Working with the Production Designer to create colour and patina reference boards, art directors will work closely with the Head Painter to ensure that the Production Designer's vision is carried across on to the sets.
- Liaise closely with the location manager to survey locations and draw plans for all other departments to reference. Supervising construction when locations are being prepared and dressed.
- During filming, Art Directors continue to oversee the construction, dressing and striking (dismantling) of the remaining sets.
- After the film wraps (shooting is completed), Art Directors must ensure that all sets are struck and locations cleared.
(This description is a work in progress as per the Bectu Art Dept Committee. 26.06.20)
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Duties to include:
- Facilitate the Production Designer's creative vision for these sets to give the film its unique visual identity.
- Overseeing production of and schedule of work through issue of drawings for a number of sets depending on scale of film and sets required.
- Project managing production of sets through construction.
- Art Directors are usually requested by the Production designer or Supervising art director
- Analyse the script to identify all special set considerations that may require longer lead times or special effects and liaise across departments.
- Manage a team of draughtspeople to draw up numerous plans for sets and locations for use by Art Directors when working with the construction managers and their team
- Throughout construction Art Directors will answer questions and approve work in progress in the construction workshop floor.
- Working with the Production Designer to create colour and patina reference boards, Art Directors will work closely with each of the ‘Head of’ roles in Construction to ensure that the Production Designer’s vision is carried through into the sets.
- Liaise closely with the location manager to survey locations and draw plans for all other departments to reference. Supervising construction when locations are being prepared and dressed.
- During filming, Art Directors continue to oversee the construction, dressing and striking (dismantling) of the remaining sets.
- After the film wraps (shooting is completed), Art Directors must ensure that all sets are struck and locations cleared.
(This description is a work in progress as per the Bectu Art Dept Committee. 26.06.20)
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Duties to include:
- Stand-by Art Directors work alongside the shooting crew to manage art department concerns of each set while it is being filmed.
- Stand-by Art Directors are the only member of the art department that is with the shooting crew 24/7 and represents the Art Department and Set Decoration Department during the shoot. It is their responsibility to maintain the Designer and Set Decorator's vision while facilitating the needs of the Director, DOP and all other departments.
- Must have a wide understanding of all departments needs and be able to action all shooting requirements for all sets.
- Works in partnership with the Stand-by Prop Department to facilitate all shooting crew departments requirements.
- Has a complete understanding of the script to have a full overview of the whole story and every set.
- Must keep up to date with all script changes.
- Must be able to problem solve within a very tight time frame and have a full knowledge of how each set works and its abilities and limitations when coming up with solutions to problems.
- Works with a Stand-by Construction team including, but not limited to, Chippie, Painter, Rigger, Stagehand, Plasterer and Greens team so must have a working knowledge of these trades.
- Has a close dialogue with the Designer, Set Decorator and Art Director of each set to be able to understand and maintain their creative vision, while having a strong knowledge of the practicalities of a shooting crew being able to use the set.
- Must have an understanding of cameras, lenses and film lighting.
- Stand-by Art Directors maintain set continuity through watching every frame that is shot and making sure all dressing is correct as per the scene.
- Create script breakdowns that include, but are not limited to, story, dressing, greens, action vehicles, SFX requirements, cast, timelines, set requirements, VFX requirements (Art Department concerns only), graphics. These must be maintained in line with script revisions.
(This description is a work in progress as per the Bectu Art Dept Committee. 26.06.20)
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Duties to include:
- Assistant Art Directors' responsibilities vary depending on the size of the production.
- Help the Art Director with research, surveying locations, model making or producing sets.
- On large productions with multiple sets, an assistant art director will take responsibility for some of the smaller or medium sized sets
- Sketch ideas, refine them and work on 3D models.
- During shooting some Assistant Art Directors may work as Stand-By Art Directors, monitoring video playback to see what the camera is shooting and how this impacts on set requirements.
(This description is a work in progress as per the Bectu Art Dept Committee. 26.06.20)
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| Art Department Coordinator |
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Duties to include:
- Ensures the smooth running of the Art Department during pre-production, filming and wrap, by providing administrative support to the Head of Department.
- Will organise meetings, hiring of crew, department breakdowns, build schedules and labour flows under the direction of the HoD.
- Will also liaise with other departments and ensure communication between the Art Department and all other departments.
- May also create and help maintain filing systems for assets and clearance.
- On wrap, will archive all files and assets.
(This description is a work in progress as per the Bectu Art Dept Committee. 26.06.20)
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Duties to include:
- An experienced Draughtsperson is able to provide complicated technical drawings that serve as a template for the construction department.
- Drawings are either drawn by hand or CAD software like Sketch-Up, Cinema 4D and Vectorwork, among others.
- Supervised by the Art Director for the set they work on.
(This description is a work in progress as per the Bectu Art Dept Committee. 26.06.20)
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Duties to include:
- Draughtspersons provide technical drawings that serve as a template for the construction department.
- Drawings are either drawn by hand or CAD software like Sketch-Up, Cinema 4D and Vectorwork, among others.
- Supervised by the Art Director for the set they work on
(This description is a work in progress as per the Bectu Art Dept Committee. 26.06.20)
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Duties to include:
- Junior Draughtspersons are closely supervised by the Art Director or more senior team members and will draw specific construction details across a range of sets, such as window or door detailing, providing technical drawings that serve as a template for the construction department
- Drawings are either drawn by hand or CAD software like Sketch-Up, Cinema 4D and Vectorwork, among others.
- Often required to make accurate scale models of all sets enabling the production designer and director to visualise camera positions and movements.
- Supervised by Art Director for the set they work on.
(This description is a work in progress as per the Bectu Art Dept Committee. 26.06.20)
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This is a junior role within the Art Department that requires creativity but also strong organisational skills and an interest in design. The Art Department Assistant may be given tasks by and report to the Art Department Coordinator, Production Designer or Supervising Art Director. Responsibilities can vary greatly depending on the budget of the production. Key responsibilities include:
- Assisting with research, mood boards and concept presentation.
- Helping to source and purchase materials for the Art Department
- Construction of scale models for set / assisting the model maker.
- Liaising with other departments to ensure information is distributed to and from the Art Department.
- During filming, they might help the Stand-By Art Director and art department coordinator with any last-minute requests or changes to the sets.
- May be asked to draw by hand or use art software packages.
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Duties to include:
- Works closely with Production Designer to create the visual for the whole production
- Can be asked to create either quick or detailed drawings and paintings of environments, characters, buildings, vehicles and props (including creation of thumbnails and wireframes)
- Use traditional and technological approaches to create designs in 2D and 3D through drawing and painting
- Efficiently interpret briefs and work independently
- Clearly communicate ideas and respond positively to feedback
- Adapt and refine work following feedback
- Be confident using specialist creative programmes
- Research topics and information for points of reference and ideas to use in your designs
- Meet strict deadlines for creation of work.
(This description is a work in progress as per the Bectu Art Dept Committee. 26.06.20)
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Duties to include:
- Provides visual representation prior to the filming to map out an effective production blueprint for Director often taking reference from Production Designer to inform design in boards.
- Create a collection of visual scenes which will show the director how he/she may be able to shoot the project.
- The storyboard can represent angles for shooting, lighting themes, colour, clothing and motion/blocking set-ups.
- While the director will probably have their own ideas about how a production should look, a storyboard provides an easy-to-interpret breakdown of all included scenes, and may give the production staff further ideas on how to develop the production
- Produce hand-drawn or computer-generated storyboards quickly and must often be prepared to adapt them “on spec” with very short notice.
(This description is a work in progress as per the Bectu Art Dept Committee. 26.06.20)
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Additional roles to be added to future rate cards: Modelmaker
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