Crew hire · London and the UK
Camera operator London: hire for your shoot
We Stream is a London video and photo production company (We Stream Ltd, founded in 2022 by Violetta Coretnic and Vitalii Vakulchuk). We supply camera operators for productions, events, interviews and branded content: £1,500 for a day of up to eight hours, £900 for a half day, or £250 an hour with a two-hour minimum.
The short version
Two kinds of people search for a camera operator. Productions hiring crew, and clients who think they don't need a full company.
Productions come to us for a reliable operator on a specific date: someone who arrives with working kit, takes direction from a DoP or director, and hands over footage organised the way the edit needs it.
Clients come to us because the job doesn't seem big enough for a production company, or the budget doesn't stretch to one. That is often right. Sometimes it isn't, and the difference shows in the footage: one angle where the moment needed two.
Both are valid starting points. Below: what an operator costs, what we've operated on, and how to tell whether one operator is enough for what you're making, or whether the shoot needs more people.
What it costs
Camera operator day rates
Filming only, our own Sony kit included. Travel outside London is calculated by us and included in the quote. VAT will be added where applicable.
Second camera and edit
Add what the shoot needs
- Second operator, event support£800
- Second operator, full camera with kit£1,000
- Highlight film, edited£500
- Edit pack: highlight, 6 clips, 6 verticals£1,400
Kit. We film on Sony FX3 and use the same Sony kit across the crew, so one failed card or flat battery doesn't stop the day. For RED, ARRI, Canon C-series or a broadcast delivery spec we hire from trusted rental houses, or operate your own system if we know it.
Insurance. We hold £5 million public liability insurance, held separately by each of our lead operators.
Terms. Raw footage is included on bookings made in 2026. A 50% deposit holds the date, and the balance is due on delivery, within 14 days. Edited video comes back in 7 working days.
Credits
What we've operated on
Interviews, fashion and beauty launches, sport, conferences and trade shows, on our own productions and on other people's.
Interviews
Paul Pogba for Brut, where the lighting the client planned to provide wasn't there when we arrived; we rebuilt the setup on set and still delivered strong visuals. Baroness Patricia Scotland KC and Sir Charles Bowman for Off the Agenda. On another London interview we matched the look of footage filmed by a separate crew abroad, from reference stills alone.
Fashion and beauty
Lancôme's film of HoYeon Jung getting ready for the 2023 BAFTAs, where an agency brought us in as the main camera operator, an assistant and a local producer. Tommy Hilfiger's London launch with Shawn Mendes and Pamela Anderson, with two of our camera operators and a producer running the room.
Sport and events
Behind the scenes on Parimatch's campaign with Chelsea FC and Leicester. Newsweek's leadership forum in London on three cameras. Events at Claridge's, the Tower of London and Rothschild & Co's London headquarters, and trade shows in London, Lisbon, Berlin, Malta and Rome.
For clients choosing an operator over a crew
When one operator is the right call
A well-prepared operator produces broadcast-quality footage in these situations, often better than a large crew would.
- Single-subject interviewsOne camera, one subject, an interview light and a clean audio feed: executive talking heads without the logistics of a full crew.
- Observational and documentary filmingPeople behave differently in front of a big crew. For a documentary about chef Olia Hercules we filmed at her home with minimal kit.
- Live performanceIn a small venue with mixed light, one operator and careful grading gives footage good enough for promo and social.
- Behind the scenesA small footprint keeps it natural. For Parimatch the BTS moved fast across studio sets and stadiums.
- Second camera on your productionA second unit that matches the primary look without close supervision, as on Newsweek's three-camera day.
- Social and vertical contentSpeed and mobility matter more than a big lighting rig, and over-produced content can underperform.
When one isn't enough
Where adding crew isn't an upsell
Here more people is the difference between footage that's usable and footage that isn't. If one operator is right, we'll say so and price it that way.
Several subjects in one day
Six interviews, a product walkthrough and B-roll in one day leave one operator short of time between setups. Cytec's seven executive interviews in a day took a producer, a DoP, a gaffer, a sound engineer and a make-up artist.
Moments that can't be missed
One camera is one angle. If the keynote line or the award lands while the operator is across the room, it's gone. Fast Growth Icons at Claridge's needed the stage, the audience and the networking at once.
Audio that has to be right
An operator recording their own sound is doing two jobs. For board-level interviews, testimonials or broadcast delivery, a dedicated sound engineer gives clearly better results.
Locations without usable light
An operator lighting their own set is again doing two jobs. A gaffer lights the space properly while the operator concentrates on framing and the person on camera.
High-profile talent, short windows
With an hour or less with a CEO or a public figure, someone has to run the room. At Tommy Hilfiger's launch with Shawn Mendes, a producer did that while two operators filmed.
Our honest answer
This isn't a pitch for a bigger commission. If a solo operator is right for your shoot, we'll tell you. If it isn't, we'd rather say so now than deliver footage that doesn't do the job.
How to book
Five things to send, a quote in 24 hours
We reply within 24 hours with availability and a quote. A 50% deposit holds the date.
- 01Date, location, hoursIncluding call time and when the day has to end.
- 02What it's forAn interview, an event, a campaign or a second camera on your shoot.
- 03Camera systemOur Sony kit or yours, and any delivery spec.
- 04Post-productionWhether you need editing, or just the footage.
- 05ReferencesA look to match, a shot list or a treatment.
See it in practice
Films we operated on
Interviews, sport and a full-day forum. Tap a film to play it.
Paul Pogba for Brut
Interview, lighting rebuilt on set
Parimatch with Chelsea FC and Leicester
Behind the scenes of an ad campaign
Newsweek forum
Full day on three cameras
Off the Agenda
Baroness Scotland and Sir Charles Bowman
Questions
Frequently asked
What's your day rate for a camera operator in London?
£1,500 for a day of up to 8 hours and £900 for a half day of up to 4 hours, filming only. Shorter jobs are £250 an hour with a two-hour minimum, and each hour beyond 8 is £150. A second operator is £800 a day for event support, or £1,000 as a full second camera with their own kit. VAT will be added where applicable.
What equipment do you bring?
We film on Sony FX3 cameras and use the same Sony kit across the crew, so a dead battery or a failed card doesn't stop the shoot. For productions that need a different system, such as RED, ARRI, Canon C-series or a specific broadcast spec, we hire from trusted rental houses and quote it with the brief.
Can you operate a camera system we provide?
Yes, if we're familiar with it. Tell us the system upfront. If it's something we haven't operated before, we'll tell you honestly rather than arrive on your shoot day and learn on your time.
Do you work under a director or DoP?
Yes. We take direction from a DoP, director or producer and work within their visual brief. If you have reference material or an existing look to match, send it before the shoot day. On one London interview we matched footage filmed by a separate crew in another country, working from reference stills.
Can you provide lighting and sound as well as camera?
Yes. For interviews and controlled spaces we bring an interview lighting kit and a teleprompter. For larger productions, or where sound is critical, we add a dedicated gaffer and sound engineer, quoted with the brief.
Is editing included?
No. Camera operator hire is filming only, and the footage is delivered organised and labelled to your spec. If you need post-production, editing is priced separately: a highlight film is £500, an interview or speaker clip £150, and an edit pack of one highlight, six clips and six vertical cutdowns £1,400. Edited video is delivered in 7 working days.
Are your camera operators insured?
Yes. We hold £5 million public liability insurance, held separately by each of our lead operators. Footage is backed up to drives immediately after the shoot, before anyone leaves.
Do you work outside London?
Yes. We work across the UK and abroad, including trade shows in Lisbon, Berlin, Malta and Rome. Travel outside London is calculated by us and included in your quote, so there is nothing to add later.
How do we book a camera operator?
Send us the shoot date, location, expected hours, what you're filming and your camera system preference. We confirm availability and send a quote within 24 hours. A 50% deposit holds the date, and the balance is due on delivery, within 14 days.
Which productions have you operated camera on?
Interviews with Paul Pogba for Brut and with Baroness Patricia Scotland KC and Sir Charles Bowman for Off the Agenda; Lancôme's BAFTAs film with HoYeon Jung and Tommy Hilfiger's London launch with Shawn Mendes; behind the scenes for Parimatch with Chelsea FC and Leicester; Newsweek's leadership forum on three cameras; and events at Claridge's, the Tower of London and Rothschild & Co.
A date in mind?
It is worth getting in touch early
We have a limited number of slots per month. iGaming expos, fashion weeks, and large-scale corporate events fill quickly.