Hire a US Camera Crew for Australian Productions
Assignment Desk supplies US camera crews to ABC News, Nine News, 7News, Network 10, SBS and independent Australian production companies. Staff ENG crews, sound recordists, gaffers and field producers in 50+ US cities. Day rates in USD — invoiced directly, no US entity required.
Book a US Crew NowStandard English booking form — no language switch needed. For urgent enquiries, call us directly: +1 (843) 884-6222.
How Booking Works
Submit your brief — shoot date, city, roles and format. Takes under 3 minutes.
We confirm availability within 2 hours on US weekdays (late afternoon / early evening AEST).
You receive a detailed deal memo with crew profiles, day rates in USD, and payment terms.
Crew arrives on shoot day fully equipped and ready. W-2 employees — no contractor surprises.
What Australian Producers Need to Know
Day Rates and Invoicing
All rates are quoted in USD. Current day rates: camera operators $650–$1,400, Directors of Photography $900–$2,400, sound recordists $600–$1,200. We invoice directly — SWIFT bank transfer and ACH both accepted. No US company registration required on your end.
IATSE Union Crew
Some Australian productions operating under international union agreements require IATSE-affiliated crew in the US. Assignment Desk can supply both union and non-union crew — specify your requirement at enquiry time and we will confirm accordingly. ABC and Nine productions occasionally carry this requirement for US shoots.
Lead Times
Standard bookings: 48–72 hours minimum. Rush and same-day bookings available in major markets (New York, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Atlanta, Miami) with a surcharge. Multi-city and extended assignments: 1–2 weeks preferred. For major sporting events (Masters, US Open, Super Bowl), book as early as possible — crew is allocated quickly.
Key Markets for AU Broadcasters
Washington D.C. (political correspondents), New York (UN, financial), Los Angeles (entertainment, Hollywood), Augusta, GA (Masters), Orlando and Pinehurst, NC (US Open), and Super Bowl host city (rotates). We have staff crew in all these markets and can confirm availability within hours of your enquiry.
AEST / AEDT → US Eastern Time
Our team operates on US Eastern Time (EST, UTC−5 / EDT UTC−4 in northern summer). Australian Eastern Time is 15 hours ahead of EST in winter and 16 hours in summer.
| Sydney / Melbourne (AEST) | New York / Washington D.C. (EST) |
|---|---|
| 7:00 am AEST | 4:00 pm EST (previous day) |
| 9:00 am AEST | 6:00 pm EST (previous day) |
| 12:00 pm AEST | 9:00 pm EST (previous day) |
| 6:00 pm AEST | 3:00 am EST (same day) |
AEST (UTC+10) applies Apr–Oct; AEDT (UTC+11) applies Oct–Apr. Add one extra hour during Australian DST for the AEDT conversion.
Prefer to Call Us?
We take bookings by phone. US office hours (Eastern Time): Monday–Friday, 09:00–18:00 EST — that is 00:00–09:00 AEST (01:00–10:00 AEDT in Australian summer). For urgent shoot requests, leave a voicemail and we will call back as soon as we open.
+1 (843) 884-6222