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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):

Script Fees and Production Fees for productions with Budgets of sixty thousand dollars ($60,000) or less are negotiable between the Writer and Producer.

C501 Documentary:

2010 2011
15 minutes or less $3,051 $3,112
30 minutes or less $6,103 $6,225
60 minutes or less $12,205 $12,449
90 minutes or less $18,308 $18,674
120 minutes or less $24,411 $24,899
Over 120 minutes calculated on the length of the program and based on the 30 minute rate
C502

Documentary Initial Proposal or Outline:

2010 2011
15 minutes or less $915 $933
30 minutes or less $1,831 $1,868
60 minutes or less $3,662 $3,735
90 minutes or less $5,493 $5,603
120 minutes or less $7,324 $7,471
Over 120 minutes calculated on the length of the program 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.):

2010 2011
15 minutes or less $2,533 $2,583
30 minutes or less $5,066 $5,167
60 minutes or less $10,130 $10,333
90 minutes or less $15,196 $15,500
120 minutes or less $20,262 $20,667
Over 120 minutes calculated on the length of the program and based on the 30 minute rate
C504 Documentary Rewrite:

2010 2011
15 minutes or less $884 $902
30 minutes or less $1,770 $1,805
60 minutes or less $3,540 $3,610
90 minutes or less $5,309 $5,416
120 minutes or less $7,079 $7,221
Over 120 minutes calculated on the length of the program and based on the 30 minute rate
C505 Documentary Polish:

2010 2011
15 minutes or less $443 $452
30 minutes or less $884 $902
60 minutes or less $1,770 $1,805
90 minutes or less $2,654 $2,707
120 minutes or less $3,540 $3,610
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:

2010 2011
15 minutes or less $1,548 $1,579
30 minutes or less $3,097 $3,159
60 minutes or less $6,071 $6,317
90 minutes or less $9,290 $9,475
120 minutes or less $12,385 $12,633
Over 120 minutes calculated on the length of the program and based on the 30 minute rate
C507

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. iv) as the following single elements or components of a Script: Documentary Initial Proposal or Outline, Polish, Rewrite; as Narration without right of termination.
C508

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/Shooting Script  30%
  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%
C509

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/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%
C510

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/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%
C511

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%
C512

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%
C513

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 C508. 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).

C514

Low-Budget Option for Half-Hour Television Documentary Series under $100,000

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 one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) 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 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.

C515

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 C504.

  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.
C516 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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