Blue Barn Creative

Crew for Hire

Skilled San Diego crew, when you're producing the project yourself.

You bring the creative. We bring professional camera, sound, and lighting on your set, run by people who've been doing this for fifteen years.

What is crew for hire?

Crew for hire is professional camera, sound, and lighting crew available to producers, agencies, and brands running their own production. Blue Barn provides San Diego–based skilled operators with Canon Cinema (C70/C80) and RED Cinema camera systems, Sennheiser audio, and Aputure/Westcott lighting — for projects where you have the creative direction and need experienced technical execution on set.

Blue Barn Creative camera operator on a San Diego commercial set

Crew You Can Count On

Show up prepared. Communicate clearly. Execute clean.

Who this is for

  • Out-of-market producers who need reliable local crew and no surprises
  • Agencies with in-house creative direction that need experienced operators
  • Production companies needing overflow capacity from people who know how to work

What's included (standard)

  • Experienced crew in the role(s) you need
  • Canon Cinema cameras (C70 or C80) with Canon zoom lenses
  • RED Cinema camera systems
  • Sennheiser shotgun mics and lavaliers
  • Aputure and Westcott lighting kits
  • Raw footage delivery (cloud link or hard drive)
  • Organized file structure

Optional add-ons

  • +Hard Drive Delivery + Premiere Project Setup
  • +DIT or dedicated sound mixer (four-or-more crew)
  • +Slating PA or on-set production coordinator (four-or-more crew)
Carlos Foster directing a commercial production with crew and camera in frame
Blue Barn stepped into a blind production environment, met with a variety of challenges in light and work space.. and killed it. Seasoned perspective, measured and professional temperament & artfully, skilled shooting chops that all contributed to a productive and creatively rewarding day. Wouldn't think twice about partnering with this organization on any future project. Great experience.

John Hilton

Head of Production · INSPO Network

Max, Blue Barn videographer, filming on set
Chris, Blue Barn videographer, lighting an empty wall on set
Alex, Blue Barn videographer, filming on the Goodfeet commercial set
Stephen Alberts, Blue Barn co-founder and DP, filming on set
Josh, Blue Barn videographer, filming on set
Model getting makeup on a Blue Barn commercial set

Crew for Hire

Skilled San Diego crew, when you're producing the project yourself.

Pick your crew size. Pick your day. Any configuration, one price.

Crew for Hire is for agencies, production companies, and brands who already know what they're making and need the right hands to make it. Every booking ships with professional gear: Canon Cinema cameras (C70 or C80) with Canon zoom lenses, RED Cinema camera systems, Sennheiser shotgun mics and lavaliers, and Aputure and Westcott lighting kits.

One operator
Shooter works solo
Half day
$1,500
up to 5 hrs
Full day
$3,000
up to 10 hrs
Most booked
Two person crew
Any two roles, one flat price
Half day
$2,500
up to 5 hrs
Full day
$4,500
up to 10 hrs
Three person crew
Add a third role from the roster
Half day
$3,000
up to 5 hrs
Full day
$5,200
up to 10 hrs
Four or More Crew Professionals
Full departments, specialty gear, multi camera
Quoted
Hours
All hours measured load-in to load-out.
Overtime
Past 10 hours, $250 per crew member per hour.
Included
Every booking includes a standard camera and audio package and all raw footage delivered.
Post
Editing is scoped separately.

Every crew we send is a custom crew. Pick any pairing for the two-person rate, any trio for the three-person rate, or scope up from there.

Camera & Direction
  • Videographers / DPs
  • Directors
  • On-site Producers
  • Video Editors
Production Support
  • Production Coordinators
  • Production Assistants
  • Hair, Makeup, Stylists
Crew & Technical
  • Grip / PA
  • Gaffer
  • Sound

Add-On — Hard Drive Delivery

Hard Drive Delivery + Premiere Project Setup

Available on any Crew for Hire booking. Upgrade from default cloud delivery to a hard drive delivery with a Premiere Pro project file, basic enhancement, and footage organization.

  • $750+ add-on, any tier

Crew for Hire FAQs

What's included in every Crew for Hire booking?

Every booking ships with professional gear: Canon Cinema cameras (C70 or C80) with Canon zoom lenses, RED Cinema camera systems, Sennheiser shotgun mics and lavaliers, and Aputure and Westcott lighting kits. You also get experienced crew in the role(s) you need, raw footage delivered (cloud or hard drive), and an organized file structure.

Can I customize the crew configuration?

Yes. The two-person rate is one flat price regardless of who the second person is: Shooter + PA, Two Shooters, Shooter + Director, Shooter + Sound Mixer, or Shooter + Field Producer. Same price on any pairing. For four or more crew, full audio and lighting departments, or dedicated DIT and on-set production coordinators, we quote based on scope.

Do you work with ad agencies and production companies?

Yes. We regularly work with agencies and production companies as a trusted crew resource in San Diego. We bring professional-grade equipment, reliable operators, and the experience to execute efficiently on someone else's creative. If you need a DP, camera operator, sound tech, or full crew package, reach out to discuss availability.

How fast can we get the footage?

Default cloud delivery typically lands within 48 hours. If you need footage same-day, we can copy to your drive on set, or you can rent one of ours for $750 with a Premiere project file included. Same-day turnaround requires the final invoice to be paid in full at delivery.

Do you carry insurance and provide a Certificate of Insurance?

Yes. Blue Barn carries production insurance and can provide a COI on request. Send us your insurance requirements during booking and we'll handle the paperwork before the shoot.

More questions? See our full FAQ →

Video Roadmap

Working on something bigger than just crew?

If a project ever needs more than camera operators — full creative direction, production strategy, finished films — the Roadmap is how we'd plan it together. Standard and Extended tiers available — see the Roadmap page for current pricing. Credits 100% toward production within 180 days.

Learn about the Roadmap →

Most agencies and producers come here for crew. That's exactly what we're built for.

Need a crew on your day?

Tell us the date, the role, and the scope. We'll tell you exactly how we can help.

Last updated: August 2026