Hire a Camera Crew in San Francisco
To hire a camera crew in San Francisco or anywhere in the Bay Area, compare the 31 crews, camera operators, studios and drone teams below and contact them through their ProductionHelp profiles. They are based in San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, Fremont, Hayward and Sunnyvale. Only one lists a price, so plan on requesting quotes, and know which city you are filming in, because San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose each issue their own permits.
Post a Job, FreeBrowse San Francisco crews
- Vendors on this page: 31 (10 San Francisco production companies, 11 South Bay and East Bay crews, 6 wedding and event crews, 4 studio, rental and drone teams)
- Cities covered: San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, Fremont, Hayward and Sunnyvale
- What they list: tech and B2B video, conference coverage, live streaming, commercials, weddings, camera rental and aerial video
- Published prices: one, a content retainer of $4K to $8K a month; the San Francisco film permit use fee is $300 a day for commercial or corporate shoots
- Permits: Film SF in San Francisco, the Oakland Film Office and the San Jose Office of Cultural Affairs
- Last updated: October 2026
San Francisco production companies, film crews, camera operators and videographers
Production companies based in the city. Each summary comes from the vendor’s own ProductionHelp listing.
Gorilla Creative
San Francisco company focused on corporate and commercial video. Its listing names brand films, recruiting videos, investor videos, software demos and product videos.
IQvideo
Bay Area production company and creative agency established in 2007 whose listing says most of its work is for tech, healthcare and hospitality brands.
Luma Creative
San Francisco team producing corporate videos, commercials and event coverage for brands, corporations and organizations, per its listing.
Level 2 Productions
Corporate video company that has worked with technology and enterprise brands for over 14 years, per its listing, covering AI conferences, tech events, B2B marketing video, social ads and podcasts.
OpenLight Films
San Francisco corporate and commercial production company handling ideation, filming and editing in-house. Its listing mentions a small insert stage and color suite for pickups and product shots.
Capitola Media
Film, video and event production company serving Bay Area technology and enterprise clients, with corporate video and live event media engineering on its listing.
Blare Media
San Francisco creative video company whose listing says it works with local film crews in cities around the world.
Bidar Video Production
Bay Area company specializing in event video, live streaming and corporate video, working with businesses, startups, TV channels and fixers on conferences and other events, per its listing.
Kasey Bruce Media
San Francisco content team whose listing says its monthly retainers typically run $4K to $8K depending on scope and deliverables.
Sister
San Francisco creative production company that develops brand media content, according to its listing.
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San Jose, Oakland and Silicon Valley camera crews
Crews and freelance operators around the South Bay and East Bay.
Sullivan Productions
Silicon Valley studio with 30 years of experience making video for brands, companies and institutions. Its listing offers either a crew for hire or a full-scale project.
StageOne Creative
San Jose team that can back up your own creative vision with a crew or develop branded content from the ground up. Its listing describes studio spaces for TV, commercials, corporate video and live-stream events.
Eyecon Video Productions
Full-service production company that guides projects from concept and scriptwriting through shooting, editing and distribution, and works to client budgets, per its listing.
Marco Bercasio
San Jose-raised freelancer who has been shooting 35mm film since age 8 and now freelances for studios, publications and brands, according to his listing.
Nick Mar
Bay Area native photographer and filmmaker based in San Jose, per his listing.
Alan Cash Video
Full-service independent production company in Oakland working with corporate and nonprofit clients across the Bay Area, Silicon Valley and Greater Sacramento, per its listing.
129 Films
Oakland production company founded by Nick Seuser in 2008, whose listing describes a roster of writing and directing talent on both coasts and in Europe.
iMAG Productions
Bay Area company providing multi-camera video production, live streaming and audiovisual services since 2009, per its listing.
iStudios Media
Hayward company covering commercials, corporate events and full-service video marketing from concept to promotion, per its listing.
Urban Samurai Creative
Sunnyvale video service company producing branded content and corporate communications, according to its listing.
Silicon Valley Video
Silicon Valley photo and video team whose listing covers interviews, headshots, corporate events, crowdfunding videos, music videos and weddings.
Bay Area wedding and event crews
Crews for weddings, cultural ceremonies and celebrations.
Hit Maker Films
Boutique wedding and event film studio started in 2006 by Kyle Henry, who has filmed more than 500 weddings, per its listing.
Kindlewood Films
San Francisco wedding film team that has shot professionally since 2012, according to its listing.
Two 4 Tea Wedding Films
San Jose company whose cinematographers have filmed hundreds of weddings over more than a decade, from Tahoe to San Diego and beyond, per its listing.
Wedding Documentary
Filmmaker raised in Los Gatos with a degree in film and digital media, whose listing focuses on cultural weddings and their traditions.
JB Wedding Movie
Fremont husband-and-wife wedding film team, per its listing.
DKG Production
Hayward photo and video company whose listing names South Asian weddings, birthdays, graduations and corporate events.
Bay Area camera rental, studio and drone crews
Gear, stage space and aerial teams.
Radium Pictures / Radium Camera
Fremont production company, studio rental space and camera rental house serving the South Bay, led by technical director Thomas Koch. Its listing names live event streaming, corporate video and RED camera rental.
San Francisco Drone Service
Bay Area drone company with an FAA Part 107 certified pilot and insured flights, per its listing, offering aerial video and photography plus mapping and thermal imaging.
Voyager Visual
Bay Area and Central Valley media company shooting aerial video and photography, and ground-level video when a project needs both, per its listing.
Aerial Canvas
Agency serving the Bay Area, San Diego and Sacramento with photography, cinematic video and aerial work, according to its listing.
What a San Francisco cameraman or camera crew costs
Most Bay Area crews quote per job. The city fees below are published.
| Item | Bay Area cost |
|---|---|
| Camera operator or crew for a day | Not published, request quotes |
| Ongoing content retainer (Kasey Bruce Media) | $4K to $8K a month, per its listing |
| San Francisco film permit | Free to apply; $300 a day use fee for commercial or corporate shoots |
| Oakland film permit | $128 application fee, then $252 a day for industrial or web and $315 a day for commercials |
| San Jose film permit | $175, plus $88 for each additional day |
Permit fees come from Film SF, the Oakland Film Office and the City of San Jose 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 the Bay Area
Pin down the city first. A shoot at a Mission Bay office, an Oakland warehouse and a San Jose campus are three different permit offices with different lead times. Write the address, dates, crew size, cameras, audio and edit needs into a video production brief.
Match the crew to the job. Tech launches and conferences suit Level 2 Productions, Capitola Media, Bidar Video or iMAG Productions. For a crew to support your own director, StageOne Creative and Sullivan Productions both list crew hire. For gear, Radium Camera rents cameras, and for aerials, look at the drone teams.
Compare quotes and line up insurance. Send the same brief to two or three crews and compare hours, overtime, gear, edits and usage rights. Film SF requires $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate general liability with no waivers, so ask your crew about coverage early. Our video production insurance guide explains the basics.
Weighing a hired crew against a production company? Read camera crew vs. full-service production company and how to hire a camera operator.
Filming permits and locations in San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose
- San Francisco: apply to Film SF at least seven business days before the shoot. Shoots entirely on private property do not need a City film permit. Commercial and corporate shoots pay $300 a day, nonprofits and students are exempt, and a cancellation at least 24 hours ahead is refunded. Insurance certificates go to film@sfgov.org. Shooting on Muni vehicles or property involves a separate SFMTA fee.
- Oakland: file with the Oakland Film Office at least two business days ahead, or five business days if the shoot involves street closures, stunts or pyrotechnics. A 12.5% Rec and Tech fee is added to the permit fee, and fees are non-refundable.
- San Jose: the Office of Cultural Affairs permits filming on sidewalks, plazas, streets, City buildings and private commercial parking lots. Standard permits take five to seven business days and complex ones two to four weeks, with a certificate naming the City as additional insured, a scene summary, a site diagram and drone documentation if you fly.
- Drones: much of the Bay Area sits under busy airport airspace, so pilots need FAA Part 107 certification and airspace authorization on top of any city permit.
More camera crew lists and hiring guides
- Hire a camera crew in San Diego
- Hire a camera crew in Orange County
- Hire a camera crew in Las Vegas
- Hire a camera crew in Phoenix
- Hire a camera crew in New York City
- 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
Filming up and down the coast? Pair this list with Orange County film crews or San Diego camera operators.
San Francisco camera crew and film crew FAQs
How much does it cost to hire a camera crew in San Francisco?
Most Bay Area crews on this page quote per project. The one published price is Kasey Bruce Media’s content retainer of $4K to $8K a month. If you film on San Francisco public property, add the Film SF use fee of $300 a day for commercial or corporate work.
Do I need a permit to film in San Francisco?
You need a Film SF permit to film on City streets, sidewalks and other public property. A shoot entirely on private property does not need a City film permit. Applying is free, and the request should go in at least seven business days before the shoot.
How do film permits work in Oakland and San Jose?
Each city runs its own office. Oakland charges a $128 application fee and wants applications two business days ahead, or five for street closures and stunts. San Jose charges $175 plus $88 per extra day and takes five to seven business days for a standard permit.
What insurance does a San Francisco film permit require?
Film SF asks for general liability of $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate with no waivers, auto liability of $1 million (waivable if no vehicles are used) and workers’ compensation with $1 million employer liability.
Who can film a tech conference or live stream in the Bay Area?
Level 2 Productions lists AI conference and tech event coverage, Capitola Media lists live event media, Bidar Video lists event video and live streaming, and iMAG Productions in Fremont lists multi-camera live streaming and AV.
Where can I rent a camera or studio in the Bay Area?
Radium Pictures / Radium Camera in Fremont lists studio space and camera rental including RED cameras, StageOne Creative in San Jose lists studio spaces, and OpenLight Films lists a small insert stage.
How do I list my Bay Area crew on ProductionHelp?
Listing is free. Use the submit form, choose categories such as Camera Department or Drone / Aerial DP, and add your city, your reel and your contact details.
Bay Area camera operator? Get listed free
Add your company or freelance profile so producers booking shoots from San Francisco to San Jose can find you. Submit your company.
Last updated October 2026.