Enforcement

Fight Back Against Free Work

Every writer in the industry knows what it’s like to be asked to work for free. There are ways to push back.
Fight Back Against Free Work
Favorite

Members

What is “Free Work”?

“Free work” is anything that a producer or studio asks you to provide without being paid. Free work can include free rewrites or “producer passes,” “pre-work,” writing beyond what you were hired for, and writing services claimed to be non-writing work. Sometimes the MBA provides an enforcement option if you’re asked to do free work (treatment, outline, format, bible); sometimes the best way to push back is for you to say no. When writers collectively say NO, the culture around free work can shift. Whatever your situation, the Guild is here to support you.

Know Your Rights

  • No Writing Left Behind: when you are pitching, a producer or employer can’t ask for your written material without paying you, and they can’t record your pitch.  
    • It’s not “just a pitch”: While employers and producers may use the terms “pitch,” “pitch deck,” and “outline” to argue what you are providing is not writing work, if an employer asks you for a written pitch document, it could actually be a treatment (in screen) or a story or format (in TV) which the company would then owe MBA payment for.
    • Say no to AI transcription during a pitch meeting, including on Zoom, and tell your reps to do the same on your behalf in advance of the meeting—it’s just like leaving free written material behind.
  • Don’t start writing until you are commenced: your commencement payment is due within 7 days of commencement and if your payment is late, you are owed interest.
  • Get your second step: If your deal for a first draft screenplay pays 200% or less of the applicable minimum (225% for deals under the 2026 MBA) you must be hired for a second step. See if your deal qualifies using this guide.
  • You determine delivery: you alone have the right to say when your draft is finished and ready for delivery—not a producer, director, or studio executive. 
  • Producers can’t take delivery or request rewrites: only the person named in your contract is supposed to accept delivery of your draft, and if other parties like producers, actors, or directors have notes, ask them to pool their notes to be addressed collectively as part of your next paid step.
  • Steps must be paid:  if your employer asks you for a rewrite or polish, they must pay you for the step.
  • Late pay means interest: Under the MBA, payment is due within 7 days after commencement and delivery. On the 8th day, interest starts to accrue at 1.5% per month, or 18% per year on the compensation that’s late. You can report late pay to the Guild, which regularly submits batch demands for interest to the studio representing employer-wide late pay infractions.
  • No AI without consent: your employer may not force you to use AI; you can use AI if you want to and if the company also agrees. If your employer is giving you AI-generated material (including AI-generated notes) they have to tell you.
    • In most cases, non-signatory producers aren’t bound by the MBA, but employers generally want them to follow the same policies around AI that apply to writers and other employees. Producers should not use AI in connection with your work unless it conforms with your employer’s AI policy—and employers generally don’t want AI introduced into writing work without their knowledge.
Who can request rewrites

“Under the MBA, only the individual(s) named in a writer’s deal memorandum or personal service contract with the Company may request a rewrite of literary material or accept delivery of literary material.”

As of the 2026 MBA, companies must say this to any producer they engage on a covered theatrical project. If a producer says they’ll take delivery of your draft or asks you to rewrite it, point them to this language—or contact the Guild (contact info below) and we will.

On an if/come?

Beware the free work traps associated with these deals. A signatory company, or producers acting on the company’s behalf, may not request changes to written material for free, or for a flat development fee that’s less than MBA minimum, even if they tell you the notes are intended to improve a “pitch.” The Guild likely can seek compensation for writers in these situations—please contact the Guild (contact info below), and we can discuss next steps.

For deals after 1/1/2027, all if/comes are non-exclusive and no position until you get paid for the first step.

Know Your Resources

  • Download a tool kit with all of this page’s information and common free work scenarios here.
  • Download the Project Page to collect all key information about a feature or television project you are considering in one document (how many other writers are competing for the job, whether IP rights have been secured, what other talent is attached).
  • Read the Producers' Guide to Working With Writers and use it to talk with the producers on your project and to enlist your reps as needed.
  • Screenwriters, read the Screenwriter Handbook for tips on negotiating, getting the most out of general meetings, and more.
  • Not sure if you are entitled to the Guaranteed Second Step? Use this Guide.
  • Starting a new feature project? Use the Start Button to let the Guild know when you begin working on a step so we can help follow up when payment should be due.
  • Asked to start work before receiving your commencement check? Use the Invoice Tool to send an invoice either yourself or have the Guild send it.
  • Commenced on your screenplay more than 9 weeks ago and haven’t delivered? If you are owed 200% of the minimum for the step or less, you can invoice for the next 25% of your fee using the Invoice Tool.

Reporting Resources

  • Did you turn in a rewrite or treatment beyond what you were contracted and paid for? Did a producer on your project say they’d take delivery of your draft or ask you for a free rewrite? Did an employer ask you to leave behind a written pitch document? Use our Free Work Reporting Form to assist the Guild in identifying the sources of free work requests and violations.
  • Reach out to our enforcement specialists in screen (Cathy Genovese) and TV (Chris Milliken) to get advice about enforcement, pushing back on a free work request, or having the Guild intervene directly. 
  • Need help gaming out how to say no to a free work request? Use our Free Work Reporting Form or come to an upcoming Free Work clinic.
  • Paid late? Contact the Guild’s Late Pay Desk or contact the Legal Department at (323) 782-4521.

What the Guild is Doing

The Guild has taken a number of steps to address the free work problem. In the 2023 and 2026 MBAs, the Guild won key provisions to combat free work abuse in screen including guaranteed second steps and notification requirements for producers. The Guild has implemented a program of individual outreach to screen and TV development writers around free work issues. We will also be meeting with producers and reps to share information about our Free Work Campaign and Producer Best Practices. We have successfully obtained compensation owed to writers for writing steps, along with interest for late payment.

Upcoming Clinics

The Guild will be holding Free Work Clinics for both screen and television writers in 2026. Please register for one of our upcoming clinics:
Event
TV Writer Free Work Clinic

August 22, 2026
10 a.m.-12 p.m.
WGAW 2nd Floor, Multi-purpose Room

RSVP
Event
Screenwriter Free Work Clinic

August 26, 2026
7:30-9:30 p.m.
WGAW 2nd Floor, Multi-purpose Room

RSVP
Event
TV Writer Free Work Clinic

October 17, 2026
10 a.m.-12 p.m.
WGAW 2nd Floor, WGAW Multi-purpose Room

RSVP
Event
TV Writer Free Work Clinic

October 22, 2026
7:30-9:30 p.m.
WGAW 2nd Floor, WGAW Multi-purpose Room

RSVP

Wins

"After a signatory company paid me for the first draft of a feature script, it insisted it owed me nothing for the multiple rounds of revisions I’d done. It was only when I turned to the WGA that we made progress—and then some. Everyone I worked with at WGA was attentive, insightful, and experienced, and the outcome was excellent. Of course, nothing can guarantee a win in this world, but how you play can improve the odds, and I was knocked out by how skillfully the WGA team presented my case and got the other side to belatedly see reason...Divide and rule is the nature of capital but organized labor can even the odds, and the way the WGA had my back in this dispute is a perfect example. If a signatory company ever treats you with some version of 'Yeah? You and what army?' you can do what I did—point to the WGA and say, 'This one right here.'"
Barry Eisler, Writer
"When a signatory company hadn't paid me everything I was owed for a written pitch (aka a format) and multiple rewrites following producer notes on the pitch, the WGA team stepped in and fought for me, resolving the matter quickly, efficiently, and in my favor. I walked away whole and truly at peace with how it was handled. My experience proves that no writer should hesitate to use the resources the Guild provides. They had my back, and they will have yours."
Tash Gray, TV Writer
“We are constantly being approached for free development because the studios don’t want to pay for the work unless the movie gets made. And, unfortunately, our job is the first job that goes into making a movie, and it should be respected as paid work on every single occasion.”
David Hayter, Screenwriter