Film Crew in Thailand
Every crew role for a shoot in Bangkok or anywhere in Thailand, put together by one producer who knows the people.
Hire a Film Crew in Bangkok
One producer, one crew list, every role your shoot needs.
We have crewed commercials, music videos, films and corporate shoots in Thailand for years, mostly with the same heads of department. We put the crew together around the job: three people for a documentary, or a full commercial unit with an art department and a generator truck. Camera, lighting and grip crews come with the gear they run, so there is nothing to rent separately.
Producers and the Production Office
The producer is your main contact from the first budget to delivery. Behind them, the production office books the crew, the gear, the vehicles and the hotels, and handles the permits and the paperwork for any foreign crew. More about our producers.
Producer
- Your main contact: budget, schedule, crew and the client.
Line Producer
- Runs the budget and the day-to-day work for productions from abroad. See line production.
Production Manager
- Turns the schedule into bookings: crew, gear, vehicles, catering and hotels.
Production Coordinator
- Call sheets, crew lists, travel and the many small confirmations.
Production Accountant
- Petty cash, receipts and cost reports, so the budget is clear at wrap.
Runners
- Production assistants who fetch, carry, guide and lock off on set.
Interpreter
- Thai and English on set and on recces, for the director and the cast.
Fixer
- The local contact for a foreign crew: permits, locations and problems. See fixer in Thailand.
The Director’s Team
Bring your own director or work with one of ours. Either way, the assistant directors run the set: the schedule, the calls and the pace of the day.
Director
- Leads the creative work on set. Thai directors for local work, or yours flown in.
First AD
- Builds the shooting schedule and runs the floor, so the day ends on time.
Second AD
- Call sheets, cast and crew calls, and the next day’s prep.
Third AD
- Extras, background action and the set runners.
Script Supervisor
- Continuity and shot notes, so the edit cuts together.
Camera
From one operator with a Sony FX6 to a full ARRI or RED camera team. More on our camera crew page and the cameras we rent.
Director of Photography
- Designs the look with the director and leads camera, lighting and grip.
Camera Operator
- Frames and moves the camera on the DOP’s plan.
Focus Puller
- The first assistant camera. Keeps the focus, builds and looks after the camera.
Clapper Loader
- The second assistant: slate, camera reports, cards and batteries.
DIT
- Backs up and checks the footage on set, and handles looks and dailies.
Data Wrangler
- Copies and checks the cards on smaller shoots that don’t need a DIT.
Video Assist
- Monitors and playback for the director, the client and the agency.
Specialty Camera
Specialists for particular shots, each booked with their own equipment.
Steadicam Operator
- Smooth moving shots on a Steadicam, booked with their own rig.
Gimbal Technician
- Balances and runs Ronin and MōVI gimbals, often by remote.
Drone Pilot
- Licensed pilots, with a separate camera operator on the bigger drones. See drone videos.
FPV Pilot
- Fast, close drone shots through buildings, cars and crowds.
Underwater Camera Operator
- Pools, islands and the sea, with housed cameras.
Technocrane and Remote Head
- Telescopic cranes and remote heads for large camera moves.
Motion Control
- Repeatable high-speed moves with the Bolt camera robot, as on the Clones music video.
Camera Car and Russian Arm
- Driver, arm operator and technician for car commercials.
Lighting and Power
The gaffer plans the light with the DOP, and the lighting crew comes with the lights. Bigger shoots add a generator truck. See our lighting team and lighting equipment.
Gaffer
- Head of lighting. Plans the lights and the power with the DOP and leads the crew.
Best Boy
- The gaffer’s second: runs the crew, the truck and the paperwork.
Electricians
- The sparks who rig, set and adjust every light.
Lighting Desk Operator
- Programs and runs LED and DMX lights from a console.
Generator Truck
- For locations without enough power. Its driver also runs the generator.
Grip
Grips move and hold the camera, and shape the light with frames and flags.
Key Grip
- Head of grip. Plans dollies, cranes and rigging with the DOP.
Dolly Grip
- Pushes the dolly and hits the same marks take after take.
Crane Operator
- Builds and swings jibs and cranes.
Grips
- Track, flags, frames, sandbags and car rigs.
Rigging Crew
- Pre-rigs large sets and rooftops before the shoot day.
Sound
Sound crews come with their own recorders, microphones and wireless kits.
Sound Recordist
- Records the dialogue on set, with their own kit.
Boom Operator
- Holds the boom and places the microphones on the cast.
Sound Assistant
- Extra hands for multi-camera shoots, cables and wireless channels.
Playback Operator
- Plays the track on set for music videos and dance scenes.
Art Department
Sets, props and dressing, from one product table to a full studio build. Finding the right art team is its own subject, so it has its own page: art department in Thailand.
Production Designer
- Designs the look of every set and location with the director.
Art Director
- Runs the art team, the budget and the build.
Set Construction
- Carpenters, welders and painters who build in the studio or on location.
Set Decorator and Dressers
- Furniture, textures and the details that make a place believable.
Prop Master and Standby Props
- Hand props and hero products, and their continuity on set.
Prop Buyer
- Finds props in Bangkok’s markets, shops and prop houses.
Graphic Designer
- Signs, packaging and screens, in Thai or any other language.
Food Stylist
- Makes food look right on camera, take after take.
Practical Effects
- Rain, smoke, wind and breakaways, done on set.
Hair, Make-up and Wardrobe
Make-up artists and stylists for the shoot days, usually with a fitting a few days before.
Make-up Artist
- Beauty, natural and character make-up.
Hair Stylist
- Styling, and keeping it the same between takes.
SFX Make-up
- Wounds, ageing, prosthetics and body paint.
Costume Designer
- Designs and sources costumes for drama and period work.
Wardrobe Stylist
- Sources and fits the clothes for commercials and fashion shoots.
Wardrobe Supervisor and Dressers
- Keep the costumes ready, clean and in continuity on set.
Tailor
- Alterations and made-to-measure pieces at short notice.
Cast
Thai, Asian and foreign actors, models and extras, cast from photos and video castings. Actors can join our database through the actor sign-up.
Casting Director
- Finds and shortlists the actors and runs the castings.
Extras Casting
- From five people in the background to a few hundred.
Talent Coordinator
- Gets the cast to fittings, make-up and set on time.
Child Chaperone
- Looks after child actors on set and keeps to their working hours.
Choreographer
- Dance and movement for music videos and commercials.
Stunt Coordinator
- Plans and runs stunts and fights safely.
Animal Trainer
- Trained animals and their handlers.
Locations, Safety and the Unit Base
Everything around the set that keeps a shoot day running. See also location scouting in Thailand.
Location Manager
- Finds, books and runs the locations, and deals with owners and neighbours.
Location Scout
- Photographs the options for the director before the recce.
Unit Manager and Unit Crew
- Set up the base: tents, tables, toilets, power and parking.
Medic
- On set for stunts, water work, heat and long days.
Safety Officer
- Checks rigs, stunts, heights and water work before they happen.
Security
- Guards for the base, the equipment and closed-off streets.
Catering
- Meals and drinks for the whole crew, on time.
Transport
Every vehicle comes with a driver.
Transport Captain
- Plans the vehicles, routes and pick-ups.
Drivers
- Drivers who know Bangkok traffic and the way to every location.
Vans and Crew Cars
- For the cast, the crew and the client.
Camera, Lighting and Grip Trucks
- The gear travels with its crew.
Behind the Scenes
Stills and behind-the-scenes video for social media and press.
Stills Photographer
- Production stills and key visuals during the shoot.
BTS Videographer
- Behind-the-scenes video for social media and press kits.
Teleprompter Operator
- For presenters, interviews and corporate videos.
How a Crew Day Works in Thailand
Crews in Thailand work to much the same rules. Good to know before you plan the schedule:
- A shoot day is a 12-hour shift, meals included. Overtime starts after 12 hours.
- Sundays and public holidays cost more than weekdays.
- Travel days, pre-light and pre-rig days are paid as half days.
- Outside Bangkok, the day starts when the crew leaves the hotel and ends when they’re back. Production pays per diems.
- Crew get 12 hours between wrap and the next call. A shorter turnaround is paid extra.
- A cancellation in the last days before the shoot is paid: in full for the last two days, in part up to a week before.
- Meals at least every six hours, and breakfast when the call is early.
Shooting in Thailand from Abroad?
Crew is one part of it. As your fixer in Thailand we also handle the paperwork and the places.
Fixer in Thailand
One local partner for the whole shoot, from the first recce to the wrap.
Film Permits
The Thailand Film Office permit, with the script and storyboard approved.
Film Visa and Work Permit
Visas and work permits for everyone flying in to shoot.
Location Scouting
Locations anywhere in Thailand, cleared with owners, districts and police.
Questions About Hiring a Crew
Do the crews speak English?
Heads of department and most key crew do, and they work with foreign directors all the time. For anyone who doesn’t, our producers and interpreters are on set.
Can we bring our own crew?
Yes. Many productions bring the director, the DOP and a few heads of department, and hire everyone else here. Foreign crew need a work permit and the right visa for the shoot, which we arrange. See film visa and work permit.
How big is a commercial crew in Bangkok?
It depends on the job. A corporate interview can be done with three people. A commercial with a studio set, a lighting crew and extras often has 40 or more people on set, partly because the gear comes with its crew.
Can you crew a shoot outside Bangkok?
Yes, anywhere in Thailand: Phuket, Krabi, Koh Samui, Chiang Mai and smaller towns. Most crew travel from Bangkok, which adds travel days and per diems to the budget.
How far ahead should we book?
Two to three weeks is comfortable for a commercial. The best heads of department book up early in the busy season, from November to April.
Do you supply the equipment too?
Yes. Cameras, lights, grip, drones and sound come with the crew who run them. See our video equipment.
What does a crew cost?
Day rates depend on the role and the person’s experience. Send us the crew list, the location and the dates, and we’ll send a quote.
Need a crew in Thailand? Send the dates, the location and the roles you need.
Send your crew listOne Call for the Whole Crew
Send us a crew list, or just the script and the dates. We put the crew together, with the gear, transport and permits that go with it.
Contact Us
Contact us anytime through the channels below.
- 723 Charoen Nakhon Rd, Khlong Ton Sai, Khlong San, Bangkok 10600 (3rd Fl, Unit 3A.09)
- Monday to Friday, 10am to 7pm
- hello@bangkokproductions.com
- +66 086-655-5936 (English)
+66 089-9876-444 (Thai)