Film Day Rate Calculator: Hourly, Overtime and Half Days

By the Production Ledger team · Updated October 2026

Overtime is the only math on set that everyone suddenly remembers how to do, usually at hour thirteen.

A day rate sounds simple until the day runs long or someone asks if you'd do a half day. This calculator turns a day rate into an hourly figure, shows what overtime would add under the terms you pick, and gives you a common range for a half day, so you can have the numbers ready before the conversation instead of after it. Nothing you type leaves your browser.

What the numbers mean

The hourly figure is simply your day rate divided by the hours the day buys. It isn't a number you quote. It's the number overtime is built from, which is why a rate with no stated day length answers only half the question. A $900 rate on a 10-hour day is $90 an hour, and the same $900 on a 12-hour day is $75, which is a real difference over a year of long days.

Overtime then pays on the hours past the day length, at whatever the agreement says. Time and a half is a common arrangement, not an automatic one, and if nobody discussed overtime before the shoot, the long day comes out of your pocket. That's why it belongs on your deal memo, and why it bills as its own line on the invoice rather than getting folded into the day rate where nobody can see it.

What about a half day?

A half day still blocks the whole day, since nobody books a second job around a four-hour call, so crew who offer half days price them well above half. Somewhere between 60 and 75 percent of the full rate is a common approach, and plenty of crew don't offer half days at all. The calculator shows that range as a reference point, never as a rule. If you'd like to see what the going rates are for your role to begin with, the day rates guide has every department.

When it's time to bill, Production Ledger's invoice builder puts labor in by the day with your rate and your days in their own columns, and overtime as its own line, so the invoice shows exactly the math you agreed to. The features page shows how it fits together.

Day rate questions, answered

How do I convert a day rate to an hourly rate?

Divide the day rate by the number of hours the day buys. A $900 rate on a 10-hour day works out to $90 an hour.

Is a 10-hour day rate the same as a 12-hour day rate?

No. The same number on a 10-hour day and on a 12-hour day are two different rates. Say which one yours is when you quote.

How is overtime calculated on a day rate?

It's commonly negotiated as time and a half after the agreed day length, but it isn't automatic. What it pays and when it starts is whatever your agreement says.

How much should I charge for a half day?

A half day still blocks the whole day, so many crew price it between 60 and 75 percent of the full rate, and plenty don't offer one at all.