Cinema grip rental in France follows fairly stable pricing ranges, though these are rarely published clearly. A professional-grade dolly rents for between €300 and €800 per day depending on the model and included accessories. A crane runs from €800 to €2,500. A complete kit for a 25-day shoot represents a grip spend of €15,000 to €40,000, excluding crew. Below is the detailed breakdown and the logic behind these figures.
Why grip equipment rates are so rarely published
The grip rental sector has traditionally been opaque about its pricing — more by habit than by strategy. Rates vary according to volume, client relationship, the shooting season, and logistical complexity. A quote is not a rate card multiplied by the number of days: it is a global estimate that incorporates factors which daily rates alone do not reflect.
Production managers need ballpark figures to build their preliminary budgets. This guide provides the real ranges of the French professional market — not consumer pricing or peer-to-peer rental platforms.
“A production manager who arrives at a pre-production meeting with no idea of grip costs is looking at a budget that will be reworked twice. Better to start from realistic figures from the outset.”
Cinema grip rate card — daily rental
Dolly: €300 to €800 per day
The dolly is the central piece of equipment in the grip department. The range is wide because the market is too.
A current professional-level dolly (Panther, Movietech, Egripment) rents at around €350 to €500 per day. High-end dollies (Chapman Hybrid, Hybrid Plus, Fisher 10 or 11) reach €600 to €800. These are built to a standard of smoothness and versatility that entry-level models cannot always achieve on technically demanding productions.
The daily rate typically includes the dolly, arm, and head. Rails, additional accessories (side arms, platforms), and transport are invoiced separately.
Rails: €150 to €400 per day
Rails are hired by length. A standard 1.2-metre section carries a different rate from a 20-metre set of straight track with curves.
For a medium travelling move (8 to 12 metres), budget €180 to €280 per day. For a long studio travelling (20 to 30 metres), the range rises to €300 to €400. Curved rail sections are invoiced per piece or as a daily supplement.
Worth noting: rails are heavy and take up considerable space. Transport is a meaningful line item as soon as the shoot leaves the Paris region.
Travelling crane: €800 to €2,500 per day
The crane is the most expensive piece of equipment in the grip department. The gap between the bottom and top of the range reflects real differences in capacity and build quality.
A lightweight crane of 3 to 4 metres (Piccolo, lightweight Jimmy Jib) rents at around €800 to €1,200 per day. A mid-size crane (6 to 9 metres, compact Technocrane type) reaches €1,200 to €1,800. Large cranes (12 metres and above, Technocrane 22 or equivalent) and telescopic-boom cranes rent for €1,800 to €2,500 per day.
These prices generally do not include the operator, nor the remote head when it is a separate unit from the crane.
Remote head (electronic head): €500 to €1,500 per day
The remote head allows the camera to be controlled from a distance — from the dolly or crane — with a precision and smoothness that a conventional camera operator cannot achieve on certain shots.
An entry-level professional remote head (OConnor 2575, Cartoni Lambda) rents at around €500 to €700 per day. High-performance heads (Libra, Scorpio, Ronin 2 in studio configuration) reach €900 to €1,500 depending on accessories and configuration.
The remote head is often paired with the crane — the two form a logical unit for elevated or long-distance shots.
Camera car: €3,000 to €8,000 per day
The camera car (or car mount with exterior camera fixings) sits in a category of its own. It includes the vehicle, the camera mounting hardware, a specialist driver, and often a dedicated technician.
A standard car mount configuration rents at around €3,000 to €4,500 per day. Complex configurations (camera on an articulated arm, simultaneous multi-angle, electric vehicle) rise to €6,000 to €8,000. These rates generally include the driver and technician — but not fuel or any road expenses.
What the daily rate includes — and what it does not
What is generally included
The standard daily rate includes use of the equipment during the shooting day, inspection and preparation before dispatch, and telephone support in the event of a technical problem.
At Mes 3 Filles Productions, equipment leaves maintained and verified. A dolly that costs €70,000 to purchase does not leave for a shoot without a thorough inspection. That maintenance standard is not universal in the sector.
What is generally not included
Transport is almost always invoiced separately. A truck suited to moving heavy grip equipment involves real logistical costs — fuel, driver, loading and unloading time.
Prep and wrap days are distinct from shooting days. For a substantial kit (crane + dolly + 20 metres of rails + accessories), setup at the first location takes half a day to a full day.
Additional accessories requested during the shoot — an extra dolly arm, further rail sections discovered necessary after a late survey — form a separate line item.
Sample grip budget for a 25-day shoot
Below is a realistic estimate for a feature film or short series in the mid-range, shot primarily indoors with some exterior work.
Assumptions: high-end dolly, 15 metres of rails, lightweight crane (5 metres) present for 8 days out of 25, remote head for 10 days out of 25, no camera car.
| Item | Duration | Rate/day | Sub-total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dolly (Chapman Hybrid) | 25 days | €650 | €16,250 |
| Rails (15 metres) | 25 days | €220 | €5,500 |
| Lightweight crane | 8 days | €1,100 | €8,800 |
| Remote head | 10 days | €800 | €8,000 |
| Transport (return) | flat fee | — | €1,800 |
| Prep/wrap | 2 days | — | €1,200 |
| Total grip equipment | €41,550 |
This estimate excludes labour (key grip and grips), which is a separate budget line governed by French cinema collective agreements.
For a lighter shoot — a standard dolly, limited rails, no crane — the same number of days can come down to €15,000 to €20,000 in equipment rental alone.
How to optimise the grip budget without compromising quality
Concentrate the days of specific equipment
The crane and remote head are not needed every day. A shooting schedule that groups scenes requiring those items reduces the number of rental days. That requires close coordination between the production manager, the director, and the key grip — but the saving can represent 20 to 30 per cent of the grip budget.
Distinguish permanent equipment from short-term items
The dolly and basic rails can stay throughout the shoot. The crane, remote head, or camera car are fixed-duration items. Distinguishing long-term rental (potentially with a sliding rate) from short-term hire allows each line to be optimised.
Allow for contingencies
A grip budget with no contingency is a budget that will be exceeded. Extended shooting days, additional rail sections identified after a late survey, replacing a faulty component — these events happen. A 5 to 10 per cent contingency on the grip budget is reasonable.
To obtain an accurate estimate tailored to your shoot, contact Mes 3 Filles Productions via the contact page.
FAQ
What is the average price of a dolly for a feature film?
A good professional dolly rents for between €450 and €700 per day for a feature film. Over 25 shooting days, that represents €11,250 to €17,500 for the dolly alone, before rails and accessories. Productions on tighter budgets sometimes work with entry-level dollies at €300 to €350 per day, but the constraints in terms of adjustment and versatility are more pronounced.
Does the crane rental price include the operator?
Generally not. The crane and its operator are two separate line items. The crane operator is either a member of the grip crew or a specialist supplier — particularly for large telescopic cranes that require specific qualifications. This point should always be clarified when requesting a quote.
Can cinema grip equipment be rented by the week?
Some suppliers offer sliding weekly rates, generally from five consecutive days. The discount varies: 10 to 20 per cent off the weekly total is common for heavy equipment (crane, remote head). For the dolly and rails, the discount is often less pronounced because demand is constant.
Should a separate transport budget be planned for grip equipment?
Yes, always. Transporting heavy grip equipment requires a suitable truck and, depending on the distance, a dedicated driver. For a shoot entirely within Paris, a return transport flat fee may be €500 to €1,500. For a regional shoot with several distant locations, the transport line item can reach €3,000 to €5,000 over the course of the production.
What is the price difference between a professional supplier and a peer-to-peer rental?
The rate difference may appear significant, but it reflects a real difference in service and reliability. A professional supplier guarantees maintained equipment, available on time and fully operational. A dolly breakdown mid-shoot with 30 people on set costs considerably more than the saving on the rental. For a professional production, that calculation rarely favours low-cost options.