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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:

  

2006

2007

2008

15 minutes or less 2,819 2,875 2,904
30 minutes or less 5,639 5,752 5,809
60 minutes or less 11,277 11,502 11,617
90 minutes or less 16,915 17,254 17,426
120 minutes or less 22,554 23,005 23,235
Over 120 minutes calculated on the length of the program and based on the 30 minute rate
C502

Documentary Initial Proposal or Outline:

2006

2007

2008

15 minutes or less 845 862 871
30 minutes or less 1,692 1,726 1,743
60 minutes or less 3,384 3,451 3,486
90 minutes or less 5,075 5,177 5,229
120 minutes or less 6,767 6,902 6,971
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.):

 

2006

2007

2008

15 minutes or less 2,340 2,387 2,411
30 minutes or less 4,680 4,774 4,822
60 minutes or less 9,360 9,547 9,642
90 minutes or less 14,040 14,321 14,464
120 minutes or less 18,720 19,095 19,286
Over 120 minutes calculated on the length of the program and based on the 30 minute rate
C504

Documentary Rewrite:

 

2006

2007

2008

15 minutes or less 817 833 842
30 minutes or less 1,635 1,668 1,685
60 minutes or less 3,270 3,336 3,369
90 minutes or less 4,906 5,004 5,054
120 minutes or less 6,541 6,672 6,738
Over 120 minutes calculated on the length of the program and based on the 30 minute rate
C505

Documentary Polish:

 

2006

2007

2008

15 minutes or less 409 417 421
30 minutes or less 817 833 842
60 minutes or less 1,635 1,668 1,685
90 minutes or less 2,452 2,501 2,526
120 minutes or less 3,270 3,336 3,369
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:

 

2006

2007

2008

15 minutes or less 1,430 1,459 1,473
30 minutes or less 2,861 2,919 2,948
60 minutes or less 5,722 5,836 5,894
80 minutes or less 8,58 8,755 8,842
120 minutes or less 11,443 11,672 11,789
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. 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 or 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 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%
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 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%
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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