A grip equipment quote request without sufficient information produces an approximate estimate — and a shooting budget that unravels in the first week. To obtain a reliable figure, the production manager must supply precise details: the shooting schedule, location surveys, identified complex shots, and logistical constraints. This guide covers what a key grip supplier needs before producing a serious quote.
Why a poorly prepared grip quote request is expensive
A grip equipment quote is not a list of daily rates multiplied by the number of shooting days. It is a global estimate that factors in the complexity of the shots, setup times, transport constraints, necessary accessories, and crew composition.
When a production manager sends a request without a shooting schedule or survey photographs, the key grip has no choice but to work on assumptions. The resulting figure is often too low — real constraints were not anticipated — or too high, because it builds in margins to cover the unknowns.
“The ideal quote request is the one where the production manager sends me their annotated shooting schedule and survey photos. In two hours, I can produce an accurate estimate. Without those documents, I am working blind.”
What to prepare before sending a quote request
The annotated shooting script
The shooting script is the foundation of the key grip’s work. Ideally it is annotated to flag shots requiring specific equipment: a long travelling move, a crane shot in low angle, a complex sequence shot, movement across uneven terrain.
These annotations do not need to be technical. Flagging scenes with significant camera movement, wide shots on a crane, or particular constraints (tight set, low ceiling, night exterior) is sufficient. The key grip then translates those indications into concrete equipment requirements.
Survey photographs
Well-documented survey photographs replace a lengthy conversation. The photos show the nature of the floor (hardwood, tile, gravel, sloped ground), ceiling height, the space available to manoeuvre a dolly or lay rails, and access constraints for the trucks.
A properly documented survey means at minimum four photographs per shooting space: wide view, floor, ceiling height, access. With that level of documentation, estimate errors caused by misreading the location become rare.
The preliminary shooting schedule
Even a non-final schedule is useful. It allows you to identify the equipment-intensive days, sequences requiring a particular setup, and opportunities to share equipment across multiple shooting days.
A 25-day shoot does not use the same grip kit every day. Some days call for a crane, dolly, and full set of rails; others need only a simple dolly. A shooting schedule allows the rental to be optimised accordingly.
What information is essential in the request?
An effective grip quote request must include the following.
Exact dates and number of shooting days. Prep days, shoot days, and wrap days must be listed separately. Transport and setup are not shooting days — but they carry a cost.
Shooting locations with addresses. Transporting heavy equipment has a real mileage cost. A shoot entirely within Paris and a shoot with locations across multiple regions do not carry the same transport budget. Difficult access (upper floors without a lift, building sites, remote exteriors) must be flagged.
The nature of complex shots. Long travelling moves (specify approximate length in metres), elevated shots (crane or telescopic arm), remote heads, camera car, steadicam — every specific piece of equipment should be mentioned in the initial request.
Desired grip crew composition. A first production, or an experienced team bringing their own grips? The key grip supplier can provide the complete crew or equipment only. This distinction significantly affects the estimate.
Specific technical constraints. Shooting format (35mm, digital, IMAX), compatibility with the DP’s camera head, smoothness requirements specific to the director — this information sometimes determines the choice of equipment.
How to read a grip equipment quote
A well-structured grip quote is broken down into distinct line items. Knowing how to read that breakdown prevents unpleasant surprises during the shoot.
What the quote should detail
The equipment section generally distinguishes the dolly and accessories, rails (total length), the crane or telescopic arm, remote heads, and specific accessories (dolly arms, platforms, weights). Each line states the daily rate, the number of days billed, and the total.
The transport section shows the cost of moving the equipment — truck, fuel, driver if the key grip is not driving themselves. This line item is sometimes a flat fee on local shoots and variable on productions that travel.
The labour section, when included, details the daily rate for the key grip and each grip, along with any anticipated overtime.
The line items that are frequently forgotten
Prep and wrap days are rarely counted as shoot days, but they carry a cost. For a substantial equipment kit, loading, transport, unloading, and installation add up to one or two full days.
Consumables (floor protection tape, rail sleeves) and incidental accessories requested during the shoot are sometimes invoiced separately. A serious quote mentions them explicitly — whether included or excluded.
How to negotiate a grip quote intelligently
Negotiation on a grip quote does not primarily concern daily rates. It concerns volume optimisation.
A shoot that concentrates its rental days rather than spreading them generally achieves better terms. A client who works regularly with the same key grip supplier benefits from a relationship of trust that translates into flexibility on the unexpected — an unanticipated extra day, an accessory missing from the initial list.
Volume discounts exist, but they apply to real volumes. A 15-day shoot with a full kit is a serious basis for negotiation. A three-day shoot with limited equipment leaves little room.
What cannot be negotiated is equipment quality. A dolly that cost £60,000 new and is guaranteed to perform costs more per day than second-hand equipment of uncertain reliability. On a professional production, that rate difference is an investment, not an additional expense.
The advantage of working with a key grip who owns the equipment
The key-grip-as-supplier model — a single person who brings both the equipment and the expertise to operate it — simplifies production management.
When Fabrice Mignot produces a quote, he simultaneously reads the technical feasibility of the shots. If a shot is impossible with the planned equipment, he says so before the shoot — not at the moment of the clapper board. That anticipation prevents lost days, last-minute equipment additions, and on-set tensions.
This dual competency also avoids the interface problems that arise between a hire company that does not know the production and a key grip who has not seen the equipment beforehand. On HBO or Netflix productions, where every hour on set has a cost, this continuity between rental and operation is a requirement, not a luxury.
To request a quote or discuss your shooting project, contact Mes 3 Filles Productions via the contact page.
FAQ
How much lead time is needed to get a cinema grip quote?
With a complete dossier (shooting schedule, survey photographs, annotated script), a grip quote can be produced within 24 to 48 hours. Without those documents, the timeline extends because back-and-forth is needed to clarify requirements. For complex shoots involving a crane and remote heads, allow for a pre-production meeting before the quote.
Can a grip quote be requested without a final shooting schedule?
Yes, a quote can be produced on the basis of a provisional schedule, with ranges rather than fixed prices. This indicative quote allows the overall budget to be calibrated before the schedule is finalised. It is then adjusted once the shooting schedule is confirmed.
Does a grip quote include the grip crew?
That depends on the request. Mes 3 Filles Productions can supply equipment only (dry hire) or equipment with a complete crew including key grip and grips. Both options are available and must be specified from the initial quote request so that the estimate is coherent.
What factors significantly affect the price of a grip quote?
The main variables are: the presence of a crane or telescopic arm (heavy, high-value equipment), remote heads, rail length, number of shooting days, transport constraints (distance, difficult access), and crew composition. A dolly alone and a crane-dolly-rails-remote head combination are not in the same order of magnitude.
How does Fabrice Mignot read a script to produce a quote?
He first identifies sequences involving unusual camera movement: sequence shots, circular travelling, elevated views, rapid movement across uneven terrain. He then cross-references with the survey photographs to assess feasibility and setup time. It is that cross-reference between technical script reading and knowledge of the terrain that makes a precise quote possible.