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Calcimator

Drone Cinematography Cost Calculator

Estimate total cost for aerial filming jobs including pilot, crew, equipment rental, batteries, permits, insurance, and post-production editing.

Inputs

Results

Grand total ($)

$2,300.00

≈ 18 pairs of sneakers

Crew costs ($)$1,100.00
Equipment costs ($)$250.00
Insurance & permits ($)$150.00
Post-production ($)$800.00
Cost per shoot hour ($)$575.00
Cost per flight minute ($)$23.96
Est. flight minutes96
Batteries needed8
How to Use This Calculator
  1. Enter total shoot days, hours per day, and pilot day rate ($).
  2. Set visual observer day rate, total crew size, and drone rental cost per day.
  3. Include insurance, location permits, and any post-production requirements.
  4. Review grand total, crew cost, equipment cost, overhead, and post-production cost breakdown.
  5. Compare total cost to client budget before committing — adjust crew size or shoot days to fit.

How the result changes with Shoot days

Shoot daysGrand total ($)
3.45$5,975.00
11$17,300.00
20$30,800.00
27$41,300.00

What each input means

Shoot days
Number of shooting days for the project.
Shoot hours per day
Active shooting hours per day (not all flight time).
Pilot day rate ($)
FAA Part 107 certified pilot daily rate.
Visual observer rate ($/day)
Rate for required visual observers (FAA BVLOS compliance).
Total crew size
Total crew including pilot. Additional crew paid at VO rate.
Drone rental ($/day)
Daily rental cost for cinema drone and gimbal. $0 if using own equipment.
Battery cost each ($)
Per-battery rental or wear cost. Set to $0 if included in rental.
Permits & airspace auth ($)
LAANC authorization, film permits, location fees.
Insurance ($/day)
Production liability insurance per day.
Editing rate ($/hr)
Post-production editing hourly rate.
Editing hours
Estimated hours for color grading, stabilization, and delivery.
Travel expenses ($)
Mileage, flights, hotels, per diem.

What each result means

Grand total ($)
Total project cost including all line items.
Crew costs ($)
Pilot and visual observer labor.
Equipment costs ($)
Drone rental and batteries.
Insurance & permits ($)
Liability insurance and airspace permits.
Post-production ($)
Editing and color grading costs.
Cost per shoot hour ($)
Blended rate per hour of on-site shooting.
Cost per flight minute ($)
Cost per minute of actual drone flight time.
Est. flight minutes
Estimated actual flight minutes (~40% of shoot time).
Batteries needed
Estimated battery count for the entire shoot.

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

  1. Identify Input Parameters
    4 parameters
    Shoot days = 1, Shoot hours per day = 4, Pilot day rate ($) = 800, Visual observer rate ($/day) = 300 = 12 input(s) provided
  2. Calculate Grand total
    Grand total = totalCrewCost + totalEquipmentCost + overheadCost + postProductionCost + trav...
    2300 = $2,300
  3. Calculate Crew costs
    Crew costs = pilotTotal + voTotal
    1100 = $1,100
  4. Calculate Equipment costs
    Equipment costs = droneRentalPerDay * shootDays + totalBatteryCost
    250 = $250

Engine last updated .

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