please help me. i need to know whether if a screenwriter usually receives bonus for his/ her work. i know that a screenwriter could probably receive a "Participation Bonus" (a percentage of the film's net proceeds), but how about a "Production Bonus"?--> If the screenplay a writer writes is produced into a feature film, is the writer entitled to receive a percentage of the direct cost budget of the feature film? If the writer does customarily receive both forms of bonus, what is the normal range of the percentages? (i.e. 1% to 3% for Production Bonus? 2% to 5% for Participation Bonus??)
I'd greatly appreciate your help! Thank you.
I personally have never known a screenwriter to receive a "bonus" of any kind. Usually the compensation (as well as the pay schedule) for a screenwriter is spelled-out exactly in the contract.
Yes! you get money, provided you got it in writing. Custom is, you may get an advance prior to production with a kick if and when the filming starts. If you work on re-writes during production you should be paid then.
Keep in mind that this will vary drastically depending on the budget, studio or indie, and what you have, a great script is a great script.
dont worry about the $, write.
I know of a few cases when the writer was hired as an actor for a bit part. That way he could be around set in case of an emergency re-write or what have you. It's kind of fun to spot Buck Henry in The Graduate (the hotel desk clerk) or John Sayles in The Howling (the morgue guy).
"It is not important that a director knows how to write but it is important that he knows how to read."
-Billy Wilder
"It is not important that a director knows how to write but it is important that he knows how to read."
-Billy Wilder
I would also add that a lot of this advice relates to studio films. The situation for independent films is very different and is completely driven by the amount of budget available.
Also, your profile as a writer will have a lot of influence on how big your pay day is. If you are a new writer, you are unlikely to get profit participation in the film. You should check out the Writer's Guild of America for more info on "standard" rates of pay for screenwriters. www.wga.org
Ben C.
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filmmaking.net
(Incorporating the Internet Filmmaker's FAQ)
Please note the opinions expressed here are those of the author only and do not constitute legal advice. The author cannot accept and liability whatsoever for inaccurate or outdated information contained within.
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Benjamin Craig
Editor-in-Chief, filmmaking.net
