Filming at Columbia: Production Fees

Fee Structure

  • Fees are charged from the arrival of the first production staff person to the departure of the last production staff.

  • All commercial films are billed hourly at a minimum of 4 hours.

  • Location fees are payable in advance. Some locations (i.e., classrooms, athletic facilities, student center) also require a facility rental fee.

  • Additional fees are subject to scope of production and are outlined below. Any additional charges will be billed and must be paid no later than 20 days from the date of the invoice.

Location Fees

The fees for use of Columbia University locations for commercial production are $1,800 per hour.

Additional Fees

Fees subject to change based on scope of production and University resources required.

  • Set-up/Break-down Days
    100% of the above listed costs for your type of production will be charged hourly.

  • Interior Filming
    All interior filming carries an additional facility fee that is set by the building manager.

  • Security Fees
    Public Safety presence is required onsite for all phases of commercial film productions, including set preparation, filming and set break down. Public Safety will determine the Department’s staffing requirements based on the scope and scale of the filming. Public Safety personnel are currently billed at the rate of $150 an hour for a minimum of four hours.

  • Technical Assistance
    A University electrician will be scheduled to assist production companies during their time on campus. A University custodian (for interior filming) and/or groundskeeper (for exterior filming) will also be assigned to the production company while filming on campus.

    • The production company will pay all incurred expenses such as those for:

      • electricians, plumbers and/or carpenters, billed at $150 per hour

      • custodians, billed at $150 per hour

      • elevator assistance and/or environmental control mechanics, billed at $155 per hour

      • fire watches at $100 per hour

      • and grounds/waste management work, billed at $150 per hour

    • The production company will also be responsible for the $150 per hour charged by Facilities for any in-house technical, operational or architectural assessments required to ensure safe and successful filming within the University environs.

 

  • Campus Filming Liaison
    If a University representative is requested to accompany the crew while they are filming on the Columbia University campus, the fee is $125 per hour.

  • Cancellation
    A fee equal to 50% of the License Agreement will be charged if the cancellation occurs after the contract has been signed or within 48 hours of the scheduled shoot. If a rental facility has been reserved, or security personnel booked, those fees will also be billed.

  • Rush Fee
    Columbia requires that a fully completed application be submitted no less than 14 working days prior to the first day or prep day of shooting. The University also requires that a final technical walk-through be done no less than 7 working days prior to the first day of set-up or shoot. Should either of these items occur later than these deadlines, a per item rush fee of 10% of the University License Agreement Fee will be charged.