alt.screenwriters - 10/96 additional

Not familiar with the WGA's Schedule of Minimums? The Writers' Guild -- as part of the Minimum Basic Agreement negotiated with television and feature producers (the document that the Guild will go on strike for if it can't reach an agreement with producers) -- establishes minimum payments for virtually all types of screenwriting tasks: outlines, treatments, "bibles" (that's the soap opera kind, not the spiritual kind), screenplays, etc.

The Schedule of Minimums establishes different sets of minimum payments depending on whether a feature film is high-budget or low-budget, or whether a television show is done for one of the broadcast networks, cable channels, or PBS. The formula for residuals (payments made to talent when a TV show is in reruns or syndication) is also spelled out.

Nearly all situations and screenwriting tasks are delineated in the Guild's Schedule of Minimums -- at least, in the "linear" world of TV episodes and specials, feature films, and documentaries.

--t.borst

Back to alt.screenwriters,11/96

Your "Quote"? Your quote is the fee you got on the last, similar project you worked on. For example, if you're hired to write a screenplay for a studio, your quote would be what you got on the last studio project you worked on. Ideally, your agent is going to get you a raise each time: how much will depend on your agent's negotiating skills and how badly the studio wants you.

Your quote on a studio project will not, of course, apply to an independent film you're writing -- or to an interactive project. --t.borst

So is there any kind of typical length? Not on your life...

The Wing Commander scripts I co-wrote ran around 500 pages (and we could have easily gone longer: production realities kicked in).

Another project (which will have to remain nameless) I worked on required just a treatment: 30 pages or so.

I've read that Psychic Detective ran 900 pages...

I know of another (still unproduced) project that ran several thousand pages... (Guess why it's unproduced?)

--t.borst

Is there any end to these acronyms? No, of course not. But I'm happy to define a few of these...

P&W: Pension & Welfare. Contributions to the health fund and the pension fund. Screenwriters need to make $16K a year to qualify for Guild health coverage. About $4K will make the year count towards pension plan vesting...
IPC: The Interactive Program Contract, which covers only the specific project and doesn't make the producer a signatory to the WGA for any other project. The IPC requires producer contributions to P&W... For more information (and even a copy) of the IPC, check out the Guild's Website.

--t.borst

Back to alt.screenwriters,11/96