WGAW Launches Program to Curb Late Payments to Screenwriters

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  • WGAW Launches Program to Curb Late Payments to Screenwriters

    So great to hear about this. And glad it's happening before I sell my first spec

    http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/new...ampaign=buffer
    "I love being a writer. What I can't stand is the paperwork.-- Peter De Vries

  • #2
    Re: WGAW Launches Program to Curb Late Payments to Screenwriters

    Sounds great. It took them eight months to pay me for my first sale, and actually I'm still waiting to be paid to 'commence' the rewrite that I finished last October.
    Some studios are worse than others, obviously.
    @ZOlkewicz - Don't follow me on Twitter.

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    • #3
      Re: WGAW Launches Program to Curb Late Payments to Screenwriters

      Originally posted by 8bit Llama View Post
      Sounds great. It took them eight months to pay me for my first sale, and actually I'm still waiting to be paid to 'commence' the rewrite that I finished last October.
      Some studios are worse than others, obviously.
      That's crazy! Here's hoping you won't have to face that anymore...
      "I love being a writer. What I can't stand is the paperwork.-- Peter De Vries

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      • #4
        Re: WGAW Launches Program to Curb Late Payments to Screenwriters

        Originally posted by 8bit Llama View Post
        Sounds great. It took them eight months to pay me for my first sale, and actually I'm still waiting to be paid to 'commence' the rewrite that I finished last October.
        Some studios are worse than others, obviously.
        FWIW, your time of greatest leverage is before you hand them a rewrite. "I'm done with the draft, but my lawyer won't let me turn it in until I get my check" works wonders.

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        • #5
          Re: WGAW Launches Program to Curb Late Payments to Screenwriters

          Originally posted by JeffLowell View Post
          FWIW, your time of greatest leverage is before you hand them a rewrite. "I'm done with the draft, but my lawyer won't let me turn it in until I get my check" works wonders.
          I like that.
          "Arguing that you don't care about the right to privacy b/c you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don't care about free speech because you have nothing to say." -- Edward Snowden

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          • #6
            Re: WGAW Launches Program to Curb Late Payments to Screenwriters

            Originally posted by JeffLowell View Post
            FWIW, your time of greatest leverage is before you hand them a rewrite. "I'm done with the draft, but my lawyer won't let me turn it in until I get my check" works wonders.
            Yeah, we decided it wasn't worth it on that one for various reasons. I've done that on projects since though. It's amazing how fast the answer changes from 'it'll be a few weeks still' to 'we were able to hurry up and push it through'. It's still funny to me that they always phrase it like they're doing you a favor.
            @ZOlkewicz - Don't follow me on Twitter.

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            • #7
              Re: WGAW Launches Program to Curb Late Payments to Screenwriters

              Originally posted by JeffLowell View Post
              FWIW, your time of greatest leverage is before you hand them a rewrite. "I'm done with the draft, but my lawyer won't let me turn it in until I get my check" works wonders.
              Jeff, are you talking about not handing in the new draft before getting the check for the commencement of the draft or not handing it in until you get the check for the finishing of the draft?

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              • #8
                Re: WGAW Launches Program to Curb Late Payments to Screenwriters

                Jeff's advice is ALWAYS worth it, and what's more, it's timeless, and it works for everyone at every level.

                My writing partner and I used it to great advantage on our very first feature job.

                It's simple. You start writing. You're done with the script. Time to turn it in. Have your lawyer say "I'm not letting my client submit unless you cut a check for commencement AND delivery. Once it's cut, we'll send the script."

                Never ever ever ever ever officially deliver a script if they haven't even paid you for commencement. Never. Never never never.

                Never!

                (never)

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                • #9
                  Re: WGAW Launches Program to Curb Late Payments to Screenwriters

                  I'd be curious to know if this is industry wide when it comes to the big media corps. I was talking with my brother who co-owns a post production house in NYC. Mostly TV network clients. A few indy films. And he says these corps are going longer and longer to pay on work delivered months ago. And then they come in with more work although they're past due on previous work. And, like he says, if he tells them, no, settle up first, they'll just bring their business elsewhere. They also leverage their might to get him to constantly lower his rates. The same corps who own the studios own these networks.
                  Advice from writer, Kelly Sue DeConnick. "Try this: if you can replace your female character with a sexy lamp and the story still basically works, maybe you need another draft.-

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                  • #10
                    Re: WGAW Launches Program to Curb Late Payments to Screenwriters

                    Originally posted by 8bit Llama View Post
                    Yeah, we decided it wasn't worth it on that one for various reasons. I've done that on projects since though. It's amazing how fast the answer changes from 'it'll be a few weeks still' to 'we were able to hurry up and push it through'. It's still funny to me that they always phrase it like they're doing you a favor.
                    Originally posted by Craig Mazin View Post
                    Jeff's advice is ALWAYS worth it, and what's more, it's timeless, and it works for everyone at every level.

                    My writing partner and I used it to great advantage on our very first feature job.

                    It's simple. You start writing. You're done with the script. Time to turn it in. Have your lawyer say "I'm not letting my client submit unless you cut a check for commencement AND delivery. Once it's cut, we'll send the script."

                    Never ever ever ever ever officially deliver a script if they haven't even paid you for commencement. Never. Never never never.

                    Never!

                    (never)
                    If you've been paid commencement, can you wait until they pay the delivery step before you officially deliver?

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: WGAW Launches Program to Curb Late Payments to Screenwriters

                      Originally posted by Incognito View Post
                      If you've been paid commencement, can you wait until they pay the delivery step before you officially deliver?
                      No. Or, at least, not on any of my contracts.

                      But once you've delivered, you can go to the guild if they don't pay. With commencement checks that's harder to do, because there isn't that hard-and-fast "oh, we were supposed to pay you?" thing going on, and you want to be careful about poisoning the well with a company.

                      eg, some companies say "You're commenced when we pay you" in the contract. And then you'll get an email or a phone call which says, "Okay, we're a go," and you assume the payment process has started, and you get to work ... only the check doesn't show up. And doesn't show up. But if you went to the guild they'd just say, "You're not commenced yet because we haven't paid you."

                      With delivery, the problem is that there are a lot of pressures which make you not want to go to the guild. Especially as a young writer, execs will try to make you feel like pressuring them for payment is making you "hard to work with."

                      That's why this guild proposal is such a good idea. If we automatically notify the guild when we deliver, and they followup, then nobody can accuse an individual writer of being difficult for demanding payment.

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                      • #12
                        Re: WGAW Launches Program to Curb Late Payments to Screenwriters

                        Originally posted by Ronaldinho View Post
                        No. Or, at least, not on any of my contracts.

                        But once you've delivered, you can go to the guild if they don't pay. With commencement checks that's harder to do, because there isn't that hard-and-fast "oh, we were supposed to pay you?" thing going on, and you want to be careful about poisoning the well with a company.

                        eg, some companies say "You're commenced when we pay you" in the contract. And then you'll get an email or a phone call which says, "Okay, we're a go," and you assume the payment process has started, and you get to work ... only the check doesn't show up. And doesn't show up. But if you went to the guild they'd just say, "You're not commenced yet because we haven't paid you."

                        With delivery, the problem is that there are a lot of pressures which make you not want to go to the guild. Especially as a young writer, execs will try to make you feel like pressuring them for payment is making you "hard to work with."

                        That's why this guild proposal is such a good idea. If we automatically notify the guild when we deliver, and they followup, then nobody can accuse an individual writer of being difficult for demanding payment.
                        Fascinating. Indeed, glad there is now a system that will make companies accountable.
                        "I love being a writer. What I can't stand is the paperwork.-- Peter De Vries

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                        • #13
                          Re: WGAW Launches Program to Curb Late Payments to Screenwriters

                          It's a situation that's been pandemic in the advertising industry for more than a decade. And, alas, copywriters do not have a union.

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