Picture Car Glossary
hold day for a picture car
What is a hold day for a picture car?
Updated June 2026 · Revolution Picture Cars
Also called hold, or standby day.
A hold day is a production day for which a picture car is reserved and paid for but does not appear on camera typically due to weather delays, schedule changes, or stand-by requirements.
Hold days are usually billed at the full daily rate or a negotiated hold rate. Productions must specify hold day policies in rental agreements to prevent disputes when the shooting schedule shifts, as car owners depend on this income to offset lost commercial opportunities during the hold period.
Example
A car scheduled for Thursday sits through a rained-out Wednesday. That Wednesday is a hold day: paid at the agreed rate, no camera time, and the owner cannot rent the car elsewhere.
Figures are illustrative, chosen to show the mechanics rather than to quote market rates.
Where you'll see it
Billed under the rental agreement, and one of the most commonly underbudgeted vehicle lines.
Common mistake
Leaving hold days out of the budget. On a weather-dependent schedule they can rival the shoot days, and they are payable whether or not the car turns a wheel.
Related questions
- What is a hold day?
- A day a picture car is reserved and paid for but not used on camera, typically because of weather, a schedule change, or a sequence running long.
- Are hold days paid at the full rate?
- Often at a reduced rate, but it is negotiated in the rental agreement rather than assumed, and it should be agreed before the car is booked.
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