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ARTICLE C4 - TELEVISION PRODUCTION (OTHER THAN TELEVISION MOVIES AND MINI-SERIES)

ARTICLE C4 - TELEVISION PRODUCTION (OTHER THAN TELEVISION MOVIES AND MINI-SERIES)

Writers of Television Productions (other than Television Movies and Mini-Series) shall be paid at least the following minimum Script Fees (based on the broadcast length of Program):

C401
Pilot Script
The rate for writing a Pilot Script for a Television Program of up to 60 minutes shall be at least one hundred and fifty percent (150%) of the applicable Script Fee.

C402
Television Scripts:

  1. not based on a Story or Screen Story contracted under this Agreement; or
  2. based on a Story or Screen Story contracted under this Agreement which is provided by the Producer to the Writer at the time of contracting and from which the Writer is required to provide an Outline:

2003

2004

2005

15 minutes or less 3,267 3,333 3,399
30 minutes or less 6,535 6,665 6,799
60 minutes or less 13,068 13,330 13,597
90 minutes or less 19,602 19,994 20,394

C403
Television Scripts:

  1. based on a Story or Screen Story contracted under this Agreement which is provided by the Producer to the Writer at the time of contracting and from which the Writer proceeds directly to a First Draft Script without preparing an Outline; or
  2. based on an Outline after termination pursuant to B107 (subject to B108 or B111):

2003

2004

2005

15 minutes or less 2,723 2,777 2,833
30 minutes or less 5,445 5,554 5,665
60 minutes or less 10,891 11,109 11,331
90 minutes or less 16,336 16,662 16,996

C404
Story or Screen Story

2003

2004

2005

15 minutes or less 544 555 566
30 minutes or less 1,089 1,111 1,133
60 minutes or less 2,179 2,222 2,267
90 minutes or less 3,266 3,332 3,398

N.B.: If the Writer of the Story is not contracted to write the Script, the Producer shall negotiate with the Story Writer in accordance with B108 before commissioning another Writer.

C405
Rewrite

2003

2004

2005

15 minutes or less 952 971 991
30 minutes or less 1,906 1,944 1,983
60 minutes or less 3,812 3,888 3,966
90 minutes or less 5,717 5,831 5,948

N.B.: No Rewrite may be contracted from another Writer until the original Writer has been paid one hundred percent (100%) of that part of the applicable Script Fee payable to the original Writer, or a grievance has resulted in the matter being referred to a Joint Standing Committee or to an Arbitration.

C406
Additional Polish:

2003

2004

2005

15 minutes or less 477 486 496
30 minutes or less 952 971 991
60 minutes or less 1,906 1,944 1,983
90 minutes or less 2,859 2,916 2,975

C407
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

C408
A Television 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 an existing Story, Screen Story or Outline with or without right of termination;
  4. as the following single elements or components of a Script: Narration, Polish, Rewrite, Story, Screen Story.

C409
When the Producer contracts for a complete Television Script with or without the right of termination:
  1. not based on a Story or Screen Story contracted under this Agreement; or
  2. based on a Story or Screen Story contracted under this Agreement which is provided by the Producer to the Writer at the time of contracting and from which the Writer is required to provide an Outline, the Script Fee shall be paid as follows:
    1. on signing of the contract 20%
    2. on delivery of the Outline 20%
    3. on delivery of the First Draft Script 40%
    4. on delivery of the Second Draft Script 20%

C410
When the Producer contracts for a Television Script with or without the right of termination:

  1. based on a Story or Screen Story contracted under this Agreement which is provided by the Producer to the Writer at the time of contracting and from which the Writer proceeds directly to a First Draft Script without preparing an Outline; or
  2. based on an Outline after termination the Script Fee shall be allocated and paid as follows:
    1. on signing of the contract 20%
    2. on delivery of the First Draft Script 60%
    3. on delivery of the Second Draft Script 20%

C411
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 material 75%

C412
Option for Drama under $50,000
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 Drama programs with Certified Budgets, as defined herein, under fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00), the following optional formula may be applied:

  1. Drama: The Writer(s) will be paid a Script Fee which is at least seven and a half percent (7 ½%) of Certified Budget.
In addition, the Writer(s) shall be compensated for all uses, including the initial use, by a Royalty payment of ten percent (10%) of the Distributors' Gross Revenues as calculated in Article C10, payable on each and every sale.

C413
Group Writers
A Producer may contract three or more Writers to work as a group (a "Group") to collaborate on a specific guaranteed number of Television Scripts for a Series (other than Variety, Documentary, Magazine or Panel/Game/Quiz Shows) and to be contracted under C409 or C410 over a specified term ("Term") upon the following terms and conditions:

  1. During the Term, the Producer shall pay each Writer in the Group weekly compensation as a non-refundable advance against each Writer's share of the Production Fees in respect of the guaranteed Television Scripts, the amount of such weekly compensation to be negotiated between the Producer and each Writer. The contract for such weekly compensation shall be filed with the Guild and shall be subject to standard Producer remittances and Writer deductions in accordance with Articles A12 and A13.
  2. The aggregate compensation paid to the Group during the Term shall be no less than the total minimum required Script Fees for the guaranteed Television Scripts.
  3. Prior to the commencement of the Term, the Group and Producer shall decide on how many episodes each Writer shall receive credit, which decision shall be confirmed in writing by each Writer. The allocation of credits shall be such that each Writer in the Group shall receive an equal share of the aggregate Production Fees paid for the total number of guaranteed episodes. Article A912 shall not apply to Television Scripts written by a Group.
  4. Notwithstanding Article A1109 (a), the Production Fee for each episode shall be divided equally among all credited writers of that episode.
  5. Notwithstanding C413 (iii), in the case of termination, the terminated Writer's weekly compensation and credit (and therefore that Writer's share of the aggregate Production Fees) shall be pro rated according to the number of weeks worked. The terminated Writer may be replaced by the Producer with another Writer.
  6. There will be no credit arbitration for Scripts written by Group Writers.

C414
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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