Freelance talent and jobs platform YunoJuno has published the latest average day rates across the Film & Motion discipline. The average day rate increased nearly 5% in 2020.
Check out rates for the following roles: 3D Designer, Motion Graphics, Videography, Animation and Video Editing. Plus read the latest on the gender pay gap inthis category.
With many clients claiming their costs are rising due to inflation, it is perhaps reassuring for freelancers in the film and motion segment that their average day rates have gone up over the past year. According to jobs platform YunoJuno, the average day rate for these much sought after freelancers is £365, up from £348 in 2019 and £336 in 2018. The increased popularity of explainer videos in the financial services and health sectors is helping boost the demand in this segment.
- The average day rate across the Film & Motion discipline in 2020 was £365, nearly a 5% increase on 2019
- Average project length decreaed by two days in 2020 compared to 2019
- Videographers are claiming the top average day rates among film and motion talent, yet their rate went down
Yuno Juno reported that overall in the Film & Motion discipline, data shows an average project length of 9 working days. This is slightly down on 2019, where the platform saw an average of 11 working days.
Although there is an increase on the overall discipline, the rates across the sub-disciplines haven’t changed significantly from 2019 to 2020.
Day rate for a 3D Designer
The average day rate for contracted 3D Designer in 2020 was £352, similar to that of the rates in 2019.
Day rate for an Animator
Contacted Animators had an ever so slight increase year on year, from an average of £348 in 2019, to £349 in 2020.
Day rate for a Motion Graphics Designer
Freelance Motion Graphics Designer had an average day rate of £346 in 2020, a slight decrease on 2019 rates.
Day rate for a Video Editor
Freelance Video Editors contracted average day rate in 2020 was £351, a 2.5% increase on 2019 rates.
Day rate for a Videographer
Freelance Videographers contracted average day rate in 2020 was £362, slightly down on 2019 rates.
Is there a pay gap in the Film & Motion freelancer market?
Film & Motion has done a good job of reducing the gender pay gap, in fact in 2020 women were actually paid 4% more, on average, than men, said YunoJuno’s blogger, Kat Shepherd.
“However, the worrying finding here is the very low proportion of contracts being awarded to women (this is broadly a function of the limited pool of female freelancers in the field),” wrote Shepherd.
The extent of the drop in bookings in 2020 may in part be a function of the COVID-19 pandemic, it may in part be a result of women having longer average booking lengths than men last year, however, it does not change the negative overall picture.
With only 17% of freelancers working in Film & Motion being female, YunoJuno asked freelancer Natalie Hobbons, Senior Motion Designer what she thought about more young female talent being encouraged to work in the film and motion sector.
I think role models are one part to play in it. Somewhere along the way, I went from being an illustration student amongst a sea of women, to being a motion designer sitting in a studio amongst all men.
For me, it was a gradual and natural transition from illustration and design into animation, and therefore into production.However, if I had stereotyped this video production work as ‘male’, I may indeed have been put off. In the early days of my career, it was just me and another female responsible for the video work… so I didn’t think anything of it for quite a while.
Natalie Hobbons, Freelance Senior Motion Designer
For more insights into the gender divide within the UK’s creative & tech freelance community – check out YunoJuno’s 2021 For Everyone Report.