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WRITERS GUILD OF CANADA
ARTICLE C5  - TELEVISION

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 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
C503 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
C504 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  
C505 Documentary Script based on an initial proposal or Outline which is provided by the Producer to the Writer, from which the Writer proceeds directly to a Treatment or shooting script without preparing an initial proposal or Outline.  This proposal shall be appended to the contract if not contracted under this Agreement and shall be no less than 1250 words.:

  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
C506 Documentary Proposal:

  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
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 after termination;

  4. as the following single elements or components of a Script: Proposal, Narration, Polish, Rewrite.
C508 When the Producer contracts for a Documentary Script that forms part of a Series, the Script Fee shall be paid as follows:

i)   on signing of the contract20%
ii)  on delivery of the Proposal or Outline20%
iii) on delivery of the Treatment or Shooting Script40%
iv) on delivery of the final script or Narration Script20%
C509 When the Producer contracts for a Documentary Script based on an Outline that forms part of a Series, the Script Fee shall be paid as follows:

15%
i)   on signing of the contract
ii)  on delivery of the Treatment or Shooting Script55%
iii) on delivery of the final script or Narration Script30%
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:

i)  on signing of the contract15%
ii)  on delivery of the Proposal or Outline25%
iii) on delivery of the Treatment or Shooting Script35%
iv) on delivery of the final script or Narration Script25%
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:

i)   on signing of the contract                 25%
ii)  on delivery of the material                          75%
C512   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).

C513   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 five (5) year license 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 C505.
C514   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.
C515 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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