Animation Contract Guidelines Introduction Now that the 2006-2008 ...

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2IPA in 2006. This is considered a fee for all use, unless you negotiate differently inyour own contract.ScriptLength30 minutes 15 minutes 10 minutes Special (45to 60 mins)Feature (75mins +)median $7,500 $3,750 $3,000 $25,000 $55,230high $56,000 $8,500 $3,750 $31,000 $70,000b) BiblesBible (30 min)median $5,000high $6,500In negotiating your bible contract (or script contract, though this is less common),don’t forget to think about these other items, even if the bible contract doesn’t fallunder the IPA:i) guaranteed engagement as showrunner or in the story department, and aguaranteed number of episodes to writeii) if you are creating the characters rather than developing a show from an existingbook, toy, or other property, a consideration for the merchandising based on thosecharacters.iii) a merchandising royalty if you’re contributing original elements to a show basedon an existing property (i.e. storybooks based on your scripts)iv) a series or character royalty payable to you for every produced episode of theseries based on your bible or characters (this is often a flat amount, rather than apercentage of revenues). Even a royalty of $1,000 an episode can really add up overthe life of a series.v) A format royalty if the format of your show is used to create another show specificto another country, but in the model of your show.vi) your entitlement to a “Created by” or “Developed for television by” credit on everyepisode2. Writing CreditsAll of the credit terms and forms of credit used in the live-action IPA (i.e. Written by orStory by combined with Teleplay by, etc.) now also apply in the Animation Section.Advise the WGC promptly if you encounter any variation from these regulated credits.A Member of the International Affiliation of Writers Guilds366 Adelaide Street WestSuite 401Toronto, Ontario M5V 1R9Tel 416 979-79071-800-567-9974Fax 416 979-9273info@wgc.cawww.wgc.ca
33. Animation CopyrightOne of the major gains in the 2003-2005 CFTPA and APFTQ IPAs was the retentionof copyright in the Animation Script. Previously, in the 2000-2002 IPA (the first tocover animation) the Animation writer gave up copyright in their script material to theProducer, but that is no longer the case.The producer does not need copyright in the script to make and market theproduction. It’s important for you to keep copyright because many secondary usemonies require the writer keeping copyright in their script in order to get thesemonies. The parties at the bargaining table agreed to the writer’s retention ofcopyright in the Animation Section in Article 801. Article 801 in the IPA reads:801 “The Producer acknowledges that the Animation Writer is the owner of copyrightin the Script Material.”That is a minimum term of the agreement, and like any minimum term, cannot bewaived. (See Article 108 of the Animation Section.)Even under the new IPA, however, you may still see a draft contract with thecopyright in the script being assigned to the producer. This may be due to productioncompanies continuing to use their old contract templates, for whatever reason. Donot sign any animation contracts with an assignment of copyright. It is, ineffect, signing for less than a minimum term (a violation of WGC working rules on themember’s part), and the WGC then has to attempt to get the producer to amend thecontract. This is much more difficult to pursue after the fact than if the clause werenot in the contract in the first place. It is also important for the collection ofsecondary use monies that the copyright be retained in the contract, rather thanrelying on “the IPA will override it” if the producer does not comply with amending thecontract.Article 803 in the Animation SectionArticle 803 of the Animation Section reads:803 “Nothing in this Section limits the Animation Writer and Producer fromnegotiating alternative division of rights with respect to copyright in the Script Materialto that described in 802 above.”Some producers have attempted to use Article 803 to take back the copyright thathas been retained by the writer in Article 801. However, Article 803 does not modifyA Member of the International Affiliation of Writers Guilds366 Adelaide Street WestSuite 401Toronto, Ontario M5V 1R9Tel 416 979-79071-800-567-9974Fax 416 979-9273info@wgc.cawww.wgc.ca
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Animation Contract Guidelines Introduction Now that the 2006-2008 ...

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