Hire a Camera Crew in Honolulu
To hire a camera crew in Honolulu, compare the 17 Oahu production companies, camera operators, wedding crews and drone pilots below, then contact them through their ProductionHelp profiles. Every one is based in Honolulu. None lists a day rate, so ask for quotes, and sort out your permit early: the Honolulu Film Office permits the whole island of Oahu, while many beaches also sit partly on State land.
Post a Job, FreeBrowse Honolulu crews
- Vendors on this page: 17 (8 production companies and film crews, 5 wedding and event crews, 4 real estate and drone teams)
- Where they work: Honolulu and the rest of Oahu, with several listing neighbor island and mainland work
- What they list: commercials, hospitality and real estate shoots, documentaries, training videos, weddings and elopements, event AV, surf and construction aerials
- Published day rates: none, so request quotes
- Permits: Honolulu Film Office (City and County of Honolulu); State land needs a separate State permit
- Tax credit: 22% Hawaii production tax credit on Oahu, 27% on the neighbor islands
- Last updated: October 2026
Honolulu production companies, film crews, camera operators and videographers
Oahu companies for commercials, hospitality, corporate and documentary work. Each summary comes from the vendor’s own ProductionHelp listing.
Sight & Sound Productions
Filmmakers, storytellers and technicians who have been part of Hawaii’s film and TV industry for over 30 years, per its listing. The team handles permitting and coordination, flies cinematic aerials and is also listed for camera rentals.
FX Group Hawai’i
Photo and video production company serving Hawaii, the Pacific, California and the Western U.S. Its listing covers the whole job, from locations and scouting to budgets, estimating and casting.
Hawaii Video Pro
In business since 2005, offering shoot-only crews or fully filmed and edited videos, per its listing. It names promotional, corporate, real estate, training and drone work, plus restaurant, education and conference highlight videos.
Honolulu Creative Media
Video and photography studio in downtown Honolulu. Its listing names commercial video, corporate videos, real estate media, studio portraits and professional headshots.
Small Hour Films
Hawaii production company started in 2013 by film school graduates, working in both narrative and documentary filmmaking, according to its listing.
Aloha Films
Hawaii-based cinematic production team whose listing covers drone, real estate and commercial work and names Four Seasons, Halekulani and Coldwell Banker Global Luxury among the clients it works with.
Ryzone Media
Digital marketing and video production team based on O’ahu, per its listing, pairing shoots with social media management and content creation.
IMF Visions
Event technology and production company offering AV, stages, projection and architectural lighting. Its listing also describes wedding and corporate video and photo coverage.
Not sure who to call first?
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Honolulu wedding, elopement and event crews
Crews for weddings, elopements and family celebrations around the island.
HNL Studios
Wedding studio offering cinematic photo and video, DJ and photo booth services across Oahu, the rest of Hawaii and worldwide, per its listing.
UI Production & TreeHouse Production Hawaii
Wedding photo and film team whose listing says it shoots cinematic 4K to 6K footage on current equipment and finishes each film with a personalized edit.
My Moviie
Honolulu wedding film and photo company that covers both local and destination weddings, according to its listing.
Jenna Lee Pictures
Oahu wedding and elopement team whose listing names drone shots and shoots at Waikiki, Lanikai Beach, Ko Olina, Kailua, the North Shore and Halona Cove.
Visionary Views
Honolulu visual media company offering photography, video, FAA-licensed drone services, virtual staging and 3D tours. Its listing names weddings, real estate, funerals and photo booth packages.
Oahu real estate and drone crews
Property media and aerial teams, from surf footage to construction surveys.
HET Productions
Real estate video and photography company with media packages and brokerage plans for Hawaii agents, per its listing.
Oahu Drone Videographer (inflow808)
Oahu drone pilot whose listing names surf, real estate, construction and inspection, events and nature footage.
Thunderbird Drone Solutions
Locally owned drone team offering aerial photo and video for rental properties and home sales, according to its listing.
Hawaii Pacific Drone Solutions
Honolulu drone company focused on construction, with thermal imaging, 3D modeling, aerial surveys and inspections flown by an FAA-certified team, per its listing.
What a Honolulu cameraman or camera crew costs
No crew on this page publishes a price, so the only fixed numbers are on the government side. Budget for flights, freight and lodging if you bring anyone from the mainland, since every crew listed here is already on Oahu.
| Item | Oahu cost |
|---|---|
| Camera operator or crew for a day | Not published, request quotes |
| Wedding or elopement film | Not published, ask each studio for packages |
| General liability insurance for a City permit | At least $1,000,000, naming the City and County of Honolulu as additional insured |
| Hawaii production tax credit | 22% of qualified spend on Oahu, 27% on the neighbor islands |
Insurance and tax credit figures come from the Honolulu Film Office as of October 2026. For how crew quotes are usually built, read what a camera operator actually costs and day rate versus project rate.
How to hire a cameraman, camera crew or film crew in Honolulu
Decide how big the footprint is. A two-person crew with a tripod on a public beach fits the Open and Accessible permit. Reserved parking, sets, effects or 21 or more people need a Standard permit with a site map. Put the locations, dates, crew size and edit needs into a video production brief before you ask for quotes.
Match the crew to the job. For a commercial or hospitality shoot with scouting and casting, look at FX Group Hawai’i, Sight & Sound Productions or Aloha Films. For corporate, training or conference work, Hawaii Video Pro and Honolulu Creative Media. For documentaries, Small Hour Films. For a wedding or elopement, HNL Studios, TreeHouse Production Hawaii, My Moviie or Jenna Lee Pictures.
Line up insurance and the weather plan. The City asks for at least $1 million in general liability with specific additional insured wording, and parks staff can close beaches when surf is dangerous, so build a backup day or backup location into the quote. Our video production insurance guide covers the basics.
Choosing between a hired crew and a full production company? Read camera crew vs. full-service production company and how to hire a camera operator.
Filming permits on Oahu: City parks, State beaches and drones
- Who issues permits: the Honolulu Film Office handles film permits for the City and County of Honolulu, which covers the whole island of Oahu. Requests go by email to filmpermits@honolulu.gov, and the office can be reached at 808-768-6100.
- Open and Accessible permit: for crews of 20 or fewer with just a camera, tripod or reflector at public parks, beaches, sidewalks and scenic overlooks. It does not cover Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, Kailua Beach Park or Kalama Beach Park, and it allows no sets, generators, dolly track, reserved parking or drones.
- Standard permit: needed for 21 or more crew, special effects, set pieces, non-standard beach props, reserved parking or more gear than the Open and Accessible permit allows. Expect to send a site map and sometimes a traffic control plan or neighbor letter.
- State land: much of the sand between a park’s vegetation line and the water belongs to the State, so the Film Office recommends getting both a City and a State permit for beach shoots.
- Weddings and portraits: photographers and camera crews shooting a couple’s or family’s own wedding, elopement or portraits go through the Parks Permits Office (808-768-3440) instead of the Film Office.
- Drones: Honolulu sits near busy airport airspace, so pilots need FAA Part 107 certification and any required airspace authorization in addition to the right location permit.
More camera crew lists and hiring guides
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- Hire a camera crew in Orange County
- Hire a camera crew in Las Vegas
- Browse all camera operators
- Browse all drone and aerial DPs
- How to find a film crew near you
- What a video production crew costs
- Post a crew job
Continuing the shoot on the mainland? See San Francisco film crews or San Diego camera operators.
Honolulu camera crew and film crew FAQs
How much does it cost to hire a camera crew in Honolulu?
None of the Honolulu crews on this page publish a day rate, so send the same brief to two or three of them and compare quotes. On top of crew costs, a City film permit needs at least $1 million in general liability insurance, and qualifying productions can claim Hawaii’s 22% production tax credit on Oahu.
Do I need a permit to film in Honolulu?
Yes for City property. The Honolulu Film Office issues film permits for all of Oahu. Small crews of 20 or fewer with only a camera, tripod or reflector can use an Open and Accessible permit for public parks, beaches, sidewalks and overlooks, while bigger shoots need a Standard permit.
Can I film on Waikiki Beach or other Oahu beaches?
Often, but beaches can fall under both the City and the State. On the stretch of Waikiki from Kuhio Beach Park to the Waikiki Natatorium, City jurisdiction runs to the wet sand. Elsewhere the sand is often State land, so the Film Office advises getting a State permit too. Hanauma Bay, Kailua Beach Park and Kalama Beach Park are excluded from the Open and Accessible permit.
What insurance does a Honolulu film permit require?
General liability of at least $1,000,000 naming the City and County of Honolulu, and the State of Hawaii, as additional insured, with the Honolulu Film Office as certificate holder. Riskier work such as stunts or pyrotechnics can require more.
Can I fly a drone for a shoot on Oahu?
Not under the City’s Open and Accessible permit for parks and beaches, which bans drones. Drone work needs a pilot with FAA Part 107 certification, any required airspace authorization and the right location permission. Oahu Drone Videographer, Thunderbird Drone Solutions and Hawaii Pacific Drone Solutions are listed above.
Who films weddings and elopements in Honolulu?
HNL Studios, TreeHouse Production Hawaii, My Moviie, Jenna Lee Pictures and Visionary Views all list wedding work. For the couple’s own wedding, the Parks Permits Office, not the Film Office, handles park permissions.
How do I list my Hawaii crew on ProductionHelp?
Listing is free. Use the submit form, choose categories such as Camera Department or Drone / Aerial DP, and add your island, your reel and your contact details.
Oahu camera operator? Get listed free
Add your company or freelance profile so producers planning shoots from Waikiki to the North Shore can find you. Submit your company.
Last updated October 2026.