Screenwriters win Miniseries deal

This week the Australian Writers’ Guild finalised its first Mini-Series and Telemovies Agreement with the Screen Producers Association of Australia.

Encore reports the new deal sees a writer’s fees for mini-series and telemovies based on a percentage of the production budget. It complements the Series and Serial Agreement, which used to be the only agreement covering writing for TV.

In the new deal the producer will pay the writer a minimum of $30,942 per commercial hour or 3 percent of the production budget, whichever is higher, for telemovies and mini-series. Until 31st December mini-series of 7-13 episodes with a production budget of less that $900,000 per hour, the terms of the Series and Serials Agreement between the parties shall apply.

From 2011 for all mini-series that received funding as mini-series, the fee will be the greater of $30,942 per commercial hour or 3 percent of the production budget.

The writer’s fee covers payment for a treatment, three drafts and one polish.

Source: Encore