Getting the Best Deal: Weekly Versus Episodic Pay Dashboard Dashboard

This calculator tells you what you should be making on a weekly basis by dividing your episodic fee by 2.4 weeks. For deals where span applies, it will also tell you how many weeks of work are covered by your episodic fees. If you work more than that number of weeks under a deal protected by span, you are due additional pay.

If you know how many weeks you are expected to work, you can see what your weekly rate will be if you are covered by the MBA’s span provision—and if you aren’t. You can also see what your total compensation will be if you are protected by span—and if you aren’t.

Because the MBA’s span provision doesn’t guarantee overscale pay or cover all writers, here are some questions to consider as you negotiate your deal:

1. Are you making overscale on this deal?

By comparing your effective weekly rate under “Your Results” with the Guild’s Article 14 minimums, you can see how your weekly pay measures up against WGA scale. If your weekly rate from this calculator is less than Guild minimum, you will be paid Guild minimum. But that means you aren’t being paid any overscale, and your reps should be pushing for a higher episodic fee or negotiating a deal with a fixed weekly rate (for example, scale + 20%).

2. If you are not covered by the MBA’s span provision, how can you make sure you are paid a fair weekly rate?

For writer-producers on series with longer episode orders or who make more than $450,000 (or $375,000 on a basic cable or high budget AVOD series) the MBA’s span provision will not apply. In those instances, you and your reps can often negotiate for overscale span protections or a deal with a weekly rate to ensure that you are paid appropriately for your work. Your deals can include a fixed weekly rate that you will be paid, specify a limit on the number of weeks you will work, or clarify that each episodic payment covers only 2.4 weeks (or some other specified number of weeks) per episode. These terms ensure that you receive your actual overscale pay instead of being worked for so long that you only make Guild minimum.

3. Should you negotiate an overscale payment schedule?

For writer-producers on episodic deals, companies often pay Guild minimum before production. That’s because the negotiated episodic fees in many writer deals are payable when episodes are “produced”—not written. Without express contractual language stating the timing of payment of your overscale compensation, you could be working at Guild minimum for a long time. With more writing and producing services done prior to production, it is important to consider negotiating a contract with an overscale weekly rate or payment schedule that ensures overscale isn’t held until production and that your effective weekly rate isn’t amortized down to minimum.

4. What should you be paid during post-production?

Look out for below minimum terms in your pilot deal paying you $5,000 or $3,500 (or less) a week in post-production if the series gets made. Writers continue to work in post and must be paid MBA minimums and receive pension and health contributions through the duration of their work on a series—not a below-minimum weekly rate without pension and health contributions. The Guild is bringing enforcement actions where this is happening and has reached settlements with studios for MBA minimums, contributions, and interest.

Are you working in post, or have you worked in post, for less than MBA minimum or without P&H contributions? Contact Contracts & Information Analyst Missy Brown.