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ARTICLE C5 - TELEVISION DOCUMENTARY

ARTICLE C5 - TELEVISION DOCUMENTARY

 

Writers of Television Documentaries shall be paid at least the following minimum Script Fees (based on the broadcast length of Program):
C501
Documentary:

2003

2004

2005

15 minutes or less 2,683 2,736 2,791
30 minutes or less 5,366 5,473 5,583
60 minutes or less 10,731 10,946 11,165
90 minutes or less 16,097 16,419 16,748
120 minutes or less 21,464 21,893 22,331
Over 120 minutes calculated on the length of the program and based on the 30 minute rate

C502
Documentary Initial Proposal or Outline:

2003

2004

2005

15 minutes or less 805 821 837
30 minutes or less 1,610 1,642 1,675
60 minutes or less 3,220 3,284 3,350
90 minutes or less 4,830 4,927 5,025
120 minutes or less 6,440 6,569 6,700
Over 120 minutes calculated on the length of the Production and based on the 30 minute rate

C503
Documentary Script based on a Documentary Initial Proposal or Outline which is provided by the Producer to the Writer, from which the Writer proceeds directly to a Documentary Treatment or Shooting Script without preparing a Documentary Initial Proposal or Outline. (This Documentary Initial Proposal or Outline shall be appended to the contract if not contracted under this Agreement.):

2003

2004

2005

15 minutes or less 2,227 2,271 2,317
30 minutes or less 4,454 4,543 4,634
60 minutes or less 8,907 9,085 9,267
90 minutes or less 13,361 13,628 13,901
120 minutes or less 17,815 18,171 18,535
Over 120 minutes calculated on the length of the Production and based on the 30 minute rate

C504
Documentary Rewrite:

2003

2004

2005

15 minutes or less 778 794 809
30 minutes or less 1,556 1,587 1,619
60 minutes or less 3,112 3,174 3,238
90 minutes or less 4,668 4,761 4,857
120 minutes or less 6,225 6,350 6,476
Over 120 minutes calculated on the length of the program and based on the 30 minute rate

C505
Documentary Polish:

2003

2004

2005

15 minutes or less 389 397 405
30 minutes or less 778 794 809
60 minutes or less 1,556 1,587 1,619
90 minutes or less 2,334 2,381 2,428
120 minutes or less 3,112 3,174 3,238
Over 120 minutes calculated on the length of the program and based on the 30 minute rate

C506
Written Narration other than by the Writer of a Television Script or Story and Television Script:

2003

2004

2005

15 minutes or less 1,361 1,389 1,416
30 minutes or less 2,723 2,777 2,833
60 minutes or less 5,445 5,554 5,665
90 minutes or less 8,168 8,331 8,498
120 minutes or less 10,890 11,108 11,330
Over 120 minutes calculated on the length of the program and based on the 30 minute rate

C507
Continuity Writer
For up to five (5) minutes of continuity writing per half hour of broadcast:

Budget

2003

2004

2005

under $35,000 642 655 668
$35,000 to $50,000 730 745 760
$50,000 to $70,000 911 929 948
$70,000 to $100,000 952 971 991
over $100,000 1,043 1,064 1,085

C508
A Television Documentary Script may be contracted:

  1. as an existing Script;
  2. as a complete Script with or without right of termination;
  3. as a Script from Outline or Proposal;
  4. as the following single elements or components of a Script: Documentary Initial Proposal or Outline, Polish, Rewrite;
  5. as Narration without right of termination.

C509
When the Producer contracts for a Documentary Script that forms part of a Series, the Script Fee shall be paid as follows:

  1. on signing of the contract 20%
  2. on delivery of the Documentary Initial Proposal or Outline 20%
  3. on delivery of the Documentary Treatment or Shooting Script 30%
  4. on delivery of the Final Script 30%
    OR
  5. iv) on delivery of the Documentary Rough Cut Narration Script 15%
    AND on delivery of the Documentary Final Narration Script 15%

C510
When the Producer contracts for a Documentary Script based on a Documentary Initial Proposal or Outline contracted under this Agreement, whether or not it forms part of a Series, the Script Fee shall be paid as follows:

  1. on signing of the contract 15%
  2. on delivery of the Documentary Treatment or Shooting Script 55%
  3. on delivery of the Final Script 30%
    OR
  4. on delivery of the Documentary Rough Cut Narration Script 15%
    AND on delivery of the Documentary Final Narration Script 15%

C511
When the Producer contracts for a Documentary Script that does not form part of a Series, the Script Fee shall be paid as follows:

  1. on signing of the contract 15%
  2. on delivery of the Documentary Initial Proposal or Outline 20%
  3. on delivery of the Documentary Treatment or Shooting Script 35%
  4. on delivery of the Final Script 30%
    OR
  5. on delivery of the Documentary Rough Cut Narration Script 15%
    AND on delivery of the Documentary Final Narration Script 15%

C512
When the Producer contracts for a single element or component of a Television Script, the Script Fee shall be allocated and paid as follows:

  1. on signing of the contract 25%
  2. on delivery of the stage 75%

C513
When the Producer contracts for Narration without right of termination, the Script Fee shall be allocated and paid as follows:

  1. on signing of the contract 25%
  2. on delivery of the Documentary Rough Cut Narration 50%
  3. on delivery of the Documentary Final Narration 25%

C514
Option for Television Documentary under $150,000
The Production Fee as set out in Article C10 and Distribution Royalty as set out in Article C11 do not apply to the following writing services, except to the extent specifically indicated herein:

For Television Documentary programs with Certified Budgets, as defined herein, under one hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($150,000.00), the following optional formula may be applied:

In lieu of the Script Fee, the Writer(s) will be paid a sum equal to the Production Fee calculated in accordance with Article C10, and payable in instalments as required under Article C509. No further payment shall be owing on the first day of principal photography. The Distribution Royalty shall be unchanged (i.e. as calculated in Article C11).

C515
Low-Budget Option for Half-Hour Television Documentary Series under $90,000
The Script Fees as set out in Article C5, Production Fee as set out in Article C10 and Distribution Royalty as set out in Article C11 do not apply to the following writing services, except to the extent specifically indicated herein:

For half-hour Television Documentary Series programs with Budgets under ninety thousand dollars ($90,000.00) per episode, the following optional terms may be applied:

  1. The Writer(s) of the Documentary Script shall receive a Script Fee which is seven percent (7%) of the Budget.
  2. The Writer(s) of Narration Scripts shall receive a Script Fee of three and a half percent (3.5%) of the Budget.
  3. Upon payment of the fees in i) or ii) above, the Producer shall acquire an exclusive license for five (5) years from the date of delivery of the broadcast-ready tape for unlimited world distribution (except theatrical distribution) of the program without obligation to report or pay a Distribution Royalty under Article C11.
  4. Optional Rights Renewal. The Producer may elect to pay to each credited Writer of the program:
    1. fifteen percent (15%) of the Writer's original contract fee, if paid on recording of Documentary Final Narration, or at the fine cut if no Narration recording
      OR
    2. twenty percent (20%) of the Writer's original contract fee, if paid at any time prior to the expiry of the distribution license under (iii) above,
    as a rights renewal payment. Upon payment of the rights renewal amount, the Producer shall acquire the exclusive license in perpetuity for unlimited world distribution, except theatrical distribution, of the program made from the Script. There shall be no obligation to report or pay a Distribution Royalty under Article C11.
The use of this Article may not be combined with use of Article C503.

C516
Narration Scripts for Documentaries
For Narration Scripts for Documentaries, i.e. Scripts written at rough cut stage or later, the following formula shall apply:

  1. The amount of the Production Fee, which shall be due at the time of recording of the Narration, shall be fifty percent (50%) of the Production Fee as calculated in accordance with the appropriate formula in C10.
  2. A Rewrite for a Narration Script shall be negotiated and such payment shall in no case be less than fifty percent (50%) of the fee provided in C506.
  3. The amount of the Distribution Royalty shall, in the case of Narration Scripts only, be fifty percent (50%) of the Distribution Royalty calculated according to the formula contained in C11.

C517
A Producer may engage a New Writer at fifty percent (50%) of the applicable Script Fee. Use of this provision is limited to one New Writer per cycle of a Series.

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