What a DP costs in Dallasday rates, half days, overtime, and the package
My director of photography rate is $2,500 for a 10-hour day, anywhere in Dallas-Fort Worth. Camera, lighting, and grip are priced separately on the Geared Like A Machine rentals site. These are my rates as of October 2026, published so you can budget before the first call.
The ratesdirector of photography, October 2026
What the day rate coversthe camera department, run by one person
The rate is for me as director of photography for a 10-hour day. On set I run the camera department: the lighting plan, the lenses, the frames, and how the schedule is built so the important shots land in the right light. DP and cinematographer are the same job, so the rate is the same whichever word your brief uses.
That is a different job from a videographer, who usually brings a camera, shoots, and often edits, all for one price. If you are not sure which one your project needs, DP vs videographer in Dallas walks through the difference.
Half days and overtimehow the clock works
Commercial work books in full days of 10 hours. A half day exists for one kind of job: a short call that genuinely fits in 4 hours on site, with setup and wrap inside those hours, not on top of them. A single interview in one room is the usual example. If the plan needs more than that, it is a full day, and it is better to know that before the shoot than at hour five.
A half day is $1,875, which is 75% of the full day rather than half of it. Booking a morning usually takes the whole day off the calendar, because a second job rarely fits in the afternoon. If a half day runs past 5 hours on site, it bills as a full day.
Days that run past 10 hours go into overtime: every extra hour bills at time and a half, which is $375 an hour on a $2,500 day. It is written into the estimate before the shoot, so nobody is negotiating it on set. The best way to avoid it is a schedule built around the light and the company moves, which is part of the job.
The camera packagepriced on the rentals site, always current
Camera, lighting, and grip rent through Geared Like A Machine, my production company. Every item has its current price on rentals.gearedlikeamachine.com, so you can build the package and see the number yourself. The common starting points are cinema camera packages, the 2-camera interview and b-roll kit, interview lighting kits, and the grip van package.
Renting the package from your DP means one vendor instead of two, and gear that arrives prepped by the person who shoots on it. If production already has a camera vendor, tell me on the first call and I will plan around it.
Travellocal across DFW, quoted beyond it
Dallas, Fort Worth, and the suburbs are local work, at the same rates. For jobs out of town, travel days, flights, and lodging are quoted with the job. The work has gone to Tennessee, Kansas, Georgia, California, and eleven cities for U.S. Polo Assn., so travel is routine.
The rest of the budgetwhat a full shoot adds up to
The DP is one line in a production budget. The others depend on the job: how many shoot days, the rest of the crew (a gaffer, a grip, a camera assistant, sound, a drone pilot), locations and permits, talent, and post. For permits and locations, the guide to filming in Dallas-Fort Worth covers who to call in each city.
When the job calls for it, I quote the whole production through Geared Like A Machine: crew, gear, and post in one estimate. On Tigé I produced both 2026 flagship films from the estimate to delivery, and directed, shot, and edited them.
Getting a quotewhat to send
Email joeyarcisz@me.com with the dates, the locations, what you are delivering and where it will run, the crew you already have, and whether you need the camera package. To see the work first, the Dallas cinematographer page has the reel and the credits.
FAQrates, the short version
How much does a DP cost in Dallas?
My director of photography rate is $2,500 for a 10-hour day in Dallas-Fort Worth, as of October 2026. Camera, lighting, and grip are priced separately on the Geared Like A Machine rentals site.
How much does a cinematographer cost in Dallas?
The same as a DP, because it is the same job. A director of photography and a cinematographer both run the camera department. My rate is $2,500 for a 10-hour day.
How long is a DP day?
10 hours. Every hour past 10 is overtime at time and a half, which is $375 an hour on a $2,500 day. The estimate spells it out before anyone is on set.
Do you do half days?
Rarely, and only for short calls. A half day is $1,875, 75% of the full day. It is planned as 4 hours on site with setup and wrap included, and past 5 hours it becomes a full day. It is not half the rate, because a booked morning usually takes the whole day off the calendar.
Does the DP rate include the camera?
No. The rate is for me as director of photography. The camera, lighting, and grip package rents through Geared Like A Machine, my production company, and the rentals site lists every item with its current price.
Why rent the package from the DP?
One vendor instead of two, and the package arrives prepped by the person who shoots on it. If production already has a camera vendor, tell me on the first call.
Do you charge for travel?
Not inside Dallas-Fort Worth. Jobs anywhere in the Metroplex are local, at the same rate. For out-of-town work, travel days, flights, and lodging are quoted with the job.
Is the rate the same in Fort Worth?
Yes. Dallas, Fort Worth, and the suburbs are one market for me, and the rates on this page apply across all of it.
Can I book a DP by the hour?
No. Shoot time books as a full day ($2,500, 10 hours) or, for a short call, a half day ($1,875, planned as 4 hours).
What does a full commercial shoot cost beyond the DP?
It depends on the crew, the number of days, the locations, and post. A gaffer, grip, camera assistant, sound, drone, permits, and editing all add to the budget. Send the brief and I will quote the whole job.
Do you also produce and direct?
Yes. Producing and directing are quoted per job. I produced, directed, shot, and edited Tigé’s 2026 flagship films, which took Telly Gold for Cinematography.