Table of Contents
What are WGA residuals?
WHAT ARE RESIDUALS? Residuals are compensation paid for the reuse of a credited writer’s work. When you receive credit on produced Guild-covered material, you are entitled to compensation if the material is reused. It is important to understand that the compensation is for reuse, and not the original use.
Does Netflix pay Writer residuals?
If you wrote a one-hour episode on a Netflix series under the 2017 MBA, your first-year residual would be calculated using $25,663 as the base for story & teleplay, 150% for the subscriber factor, and 35% for the first year.
How much do screenwriters get in residuals?

Do screenwriters get residuals? Yes, screenwriters receive residual income. Film writers get 1.2% of the total distributor’s income and TV writers get $27,245 for the story and teleplay credit for the 2019-2020 season.
How are residuals calculated for streaming?
Currently, residuals are calculated based on the amount that a performer was originally paid and how many subscribers the streaming platform has. It’s estimated that performers will see a gain of over $750 million in streaming residuals over eight years.
How much do movie residuals pay?
Currently, residuals on television broadcasts of movies are 3.6 percent; video and DVD is 4.5 percent on the first million dollars of gross receipts and 5.4 percent thereafter. If the movie’s producer is also the distributor, then residuals are calculated based on a percentage of the wholesale price paid for the movie.
Do Netflix actors get residuals?

When shows are syndicated, redistributed, released on DVD, purchased by a streaming service or otherwise used beyond what the actors were originally paid for, those actors get residual checks called royalties.
How much do studios pay for scripts?
In the 2017-2018 period, WGA spec script sales ranged from $72,600 to $136,000. The average? Around $110,000. There are different WGA minimums for everything, from a 15-minute episode of television, to selling a movie script, to a big budget feature film.
How much do TV residuals pay?
“If you’re doing a show and you’re not an executive producer and own it, then you get residuals which can amount to checks from $2 to $2,000.”
Do TV producers get residuals?
Residuals are union-negotiated payments that writers, actors, directors, and others, receive from a studio, producer, or distributor, when a movie, TV show, or internet production (streaming services or titles released for free on consumer platforms – i.e. social media platforms – which are called advertising supported …
Do actors get residuals forever?
The amount paid out decreases after each rerun — so by the 13th rerun, the amount has decreased to 5 percent of the original fee the actor was paid for her appearance in an episode. This 5 percent will be paid every time an episode is run forever.
Do agents get 10% of residuals?
Residuals are subject to the 10 percent commission only if they are “over scale.” Therefore, minor amounts will not result in fees to agents. When the residuals are subject to agent fees, the commission is paid to the agent who obtained the work, not the agent at the time of the payment.
What does Netflix pay studios?
Netflix buys shows at a rate of the cost of production plus about 30 percent of production costs, but it retains most of its future licensing rights. This is different from how networks typically license shows, which often only covers 60 to 70 percent of production.