How to hire a film crew in Turkey

Start with what the film is for

Most problems with remote shoots start before anyone picks up a camera. “We need a video of the plant” can mean a two-minute recruitment film, a safety induction, a trade fair loop or a set of clips for LinkedIn. Each needs a different crew size, a different shooting plan and a different edit. Before you contact anyone, write down three things: who will watch it, where it will be shown and what you want them to do or understand afterwards. A crew that asks you these questions first is usually a crew worth talking to.

Production company, freelancer or agency?

In Turkey you will find all three. A freelance camera operator is cheap and flexible, but you become the producer: you plan the day, handle permits, check the footage and manage the edit. A production company brings a producer, crew and equipment, but may hand creative decisions back to you. An agency that films in house sits in between: it can write the script, shoot, edit and also deliver photos, social media cuts or a web page from the same day on site. If you have no one on your side who can direct remotely, the last two options save a lot of time.

What to put in the brief

• Locations and access. Addresses, who opens the gate, which areas can be filmed and which cannot.
• Shooting window. Shift times, production stops, days when the site is busy or quiet.
• People on camera. Who will speak, in which language, and whether they need a script.
• Brand rules. Logo use, colours, fonts, music restrictions and anything legal needs to see.
• Deliverables. Main film length, aspect ratios (16:9, 9:16, 1:1), subtitles, raw footage, photos.
• Approvals. Who signs off the script, the rough cut and the final cut, and how many rounds of changes are included.

Comparing quotes

Quotes from Turkish crews can look very different because they are built differently. One will quote a day rate, another a fixed price per film, a third a package that includes editing and graphics. Ask each one to split the quote into the same lines: pre-production, shooting days, crew, equipment, drone, travel, editing, graphics and voice-over, music licensing and rounds of changes. Only then can you compare like with like. Be careful with very low prices for “a full film”: the gap is often in the edit or in the number of changes.

Language and communication

Check who you will actually talk to during the job. A crew that speaks your language on the phone but works in Turkish on site is fine, as long as the person who briefs the crew understands your brief. For interviews in English or German, ask whether the crew can direct the speaker in that language and whether subtitles are included. If your headquarters is in Germany, working with a team that has a German-speaking contact makes approvals much smoother.

Permits and site rules

Filming inside your own premises is usually a matter of your site’s own rules: health and safety, protective equipment, restricted areas, confidentiality. Public locations, ports, airports and drone flights are different and may need permissions that take time to obtain. A good local crew will tell you early what is needed and handle the paperwork, rather than discovering it on the day. For aerial work, see our drone filming page.

Approving a shoot from abroad

You do not have to be on site. Agree a shot list before the day, ask for a short call or a few photos at the start of the shoot, and nominate one person on site who can make decisions. Afterwards, review a rough cut with time-coded comments instead of long emails. We describe this process in more detail in approving a shoot from abroad.

Questions to ask before you sign

• Can you show films you made in a similar setting, such as a factory, port, warehouse or office?
• Who exactly will be on site, and who edits the film?
• What happens if the weather or production schedule changes on the day?
• Who owns the footage, and can we use it in all our channels and countries?
• How many rounds of changes are included, and what does an extra round involve?

If those answers are clear and written into the quote, you have most of what you need for a good result.