Mo' money

Can anyone tell me the stages at which a writer should get paid when developing a show with a prodco?

Say you take an idea to them which they like. They would develop it with you and give you the nod to write it (all 6 episodes?) before taking it to networks, who pick it up and it gets made, then aired (might as well dream big). I imagine there are several instances along the way where a writer should get paid... or where a producer might take advantage of a new writer and try to get something for free. Can anyone clarify where they are?

Sorry if this has been asked before.

I thought you got paid a script fee to write the first episode, to be honest, but I've never been in that position unfortunately.

Somebody else has probably got more authority on it than I have.

Dan

Quote: Chuck D @ March 16 2009, 11:25 AM GMT

Can anyone tell me the stages at which a writer should get paid when developing a show with a prodco?

Say you take an idea to them which they like. They would develop it with you and give you the nod to write it (all 6 episodes?) before taking it to networks, who pick it up and it gets made, then aired (might as well dream big). I imagine there are several instances along the way where a writer should get paid... or where a producer might take advantage of a new writer and try to get something for free. Can anyone clarify where they are?

Sorry if this has been asked before.

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It varies but a prodco certainly would never pay you to write all 6 episodes up front. They'd develop a pilot script with you for which you'd maybe get a small script fee, and maybe they'd film a ten minute taster reel. Occasionally they might film a full episode but that's becoming rarer now I think.

Sometimes they will just "option" the idea where they basically pay you a fee to retain the rights to the show should they want to develop it. That usually lasts 12 months I think. The fee can range from a couple of grand to a quid. Seriously, a mate of mine had a show optioned by a large indie for one English pound.

As for the getting something for free thing, yes, you do often have to do a lot of leg work for free. A prodco will often ask you to contribute to a new sketch show idea of theirs or whatever, which you do unpaid. It's always worth doing because if the show is then commissioned, you're in from the start and have a good chance of getting more stuff on.

Many times I've heard the line "Look, there's no money in this yet but we have this great idea...do you fancy a pop at it?" And of course you say yes.

Quote: Lee Henman @ March 16 2009, 12:52 PM GMT

A prodco will often ask you to contribute to a new sketch show idea of theirs or whatever, which you do unpaid.

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I've come across that one in the film world a few times. Trouble is, I find it hard not to tell them where to stick their great idea. Guess it depends how great the idea is.

Cheers for the response.

It can be an odd one, the money thing. I've had shows developed and then offered to channels before and yet not recieved a bean! I don't have an agent though, so I suppose if I did, maybe that would be the person trying to knock some cash out for me.

In my experience, I've had feature scripts optioned for £1, which, at the time, the Raindance independent film people were saying was pretty much par for the course for a new writer.

More recently, I had a sitcom optioned by a Prodco with no payment at all. He then took the script/idea to the BBC who took it into development. Once the Prodco had the development contract signed by the BBC, and presumably got their development money, the writers fee for a single pilot script became due.

I would suggest that you are only likely to get paid if the Prodco can get a broadcaster interested in funding the development, initially, and then, dream scenario, a pilot, and subsequent episodes for broadcast.

That is illuminating, cheers SBAON. I could really do with that £1 so I'll crack on.

From my experience a prod-co is very unlikely to pay you direct for your pilot until there is a network commissioner interested. The network then agree a script commission fee (for which you need your agent). Your script fee is a separate agreement than the legal "intellectual property" rights if a series ever is developed. That will be negotiated between your agent, the network and the prod-co.
If you get the script commission from the network then at some point you should see the money whatever happens with your pilot.
Don't give up the day job however...