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The WGAw Signatory Confirmation Database helps you discover whether a particular production is a signatory to a collective bargaining agreement. It provides you with a screen where you can type in the title of a production, or words or phrases from that title, and then initiate a search in a database for what you typed in. If the search returns results, you can click on a result to find out more about it.
We'll take you step by step to help you understand this process. You can jump to any part of this document by clicking on the menu in the box.
How to find the search page
You can initiate this search by clicking on "Search" in the menu bar, on the magnifying glass icon on the home screen, or on the phrase "Search Database" next to the magnifying glass.
 Click on the magnifying glass icon or the word "Search" to begin. |
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How to search
Once you've reached the Search page, you can type in words in the Production Title field and then click on Start Search.
 This is what the search screen looks like.
Click inside the box labeled "Title". Then type in some key words or phrases from the production title you're interested in.
If you're using Netscape, you must then click on the button marked "Start Search." If you're using Internet Explorer, you can either click on that button or press the ENTER or RETURN key on your computer's keyboard.
The online database may take some time fulfilling your request. If you wait longer than one minute, click on the STOP button on your browser's tool bar and try again with a more accurate search. (See the next topic.)
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 For example, look at the screen below. In this case, the user felt he only had to type in one word from the title to get enough "hits" to search on. The title he's seeking is "Cigar".
When you group keywords in quotation marks, make sure the keywords appear exactly as they appear in the title. For example, if you type in "Romy Michele" with the quotation marks, you will not see "Romy and Michele's High School Reunion" in the search results. (See the next topic.)
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How to interpret the results
You can initiate this search by clicking on Start Search. (Internet Explorer users also have the option of using the ENTER or RETURN key on their computer keyboards, instead of clicking on Start Search.)
 In this example, the user typed in "cigar" on the Search screen, and then clicked on Start Search. (See the previous topic.) After about ten seconds, the browser displayed these results. The names of productions whose titles contain the search string ("cigar") appear in color and are underlined. This means you can click on a title to learn more. If you were interested in more details about "Cigarette Girl", click on that title and your browser will show you whether that production is OK for you to work. |
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How to interpret the results
The picture titles under Title contain your search string or keywords. If one of these seems to be the production that interests you, click on its name. If none of them seems to be the production in question, try your search again using more keywords from the title. If you still cannot find the production listed, contact WGAw by clicking on Contact in the menu.
When you click on a title, you'll see details about the production. Since the production exists in this database, it probably is signatory to a WGAw agreement. Contact WGAw by clicking on Contact in the menu.
How to interpret the details
When you click on a production title, your browser will show you details about the production you selected. The keys at the bottom of the page tell you more information about the production. Use this information to help you determine whether you have found the right production.
For example, you may be interested in the status of the television series, "La Femme Nikita". The information in the keys will help you to determine whether you are looking at information about the series or about the feature film.
 Clicking on "Cigarette Girl" brings your browser to this screen. Click on Contact in the menu to find out how to get in touch with the Writer's Guild of America to learn more. |
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What if things go wrong
If the database cannot find any productions containing the search string or keywords you typed in, it will tell you. Follow the directions. If you cannot create search criteria that show you the production in question, it may not be a covered production. Contact WGAw for help.
 If you type in a search string in quotation marks, or keywords without quotation marks, you'll usually find the production you're seeking. If you don't find any results at all, you'll see this screen. If you see this screen, you may want to add to your search more keywords from the title of the production in question. You may also want to remove quotation marks. |
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Where to go for help
Contact the Writer's Guild of America if this database system does not help you find the information you want about the production in question. Click on Contact in the menu to reach the right personnel at WGAw.
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