Screenplay

A screenplay or script is a blueprint for producing a motion picture. It can be adapted from a previous work such as a novel, play or short story, or it may be an original work in and of itself. Every year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences hands out Oscars in both Original Screenplay and Adapted Screenplay categories. In the United States of America, the Writers Guild of America has final control on who may be awarded screenwriting credit for a screenplay.

Script costs

Whether written on spec or on assignment, a ballpark figure is that 'script costs' should constitute no more than 5% of a film's budget. So the total remuneration for all the writers involved in the script for a $10 million dollar movie should generally be no more than $500,000.

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For the above movie, written on assignment, the payments might typically break down as follows.

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First draft: $150,000

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First draft revisions: $50,000

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Second draft: $75,000

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Second draft revisions: $25,000

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Production bonus: $500,000 minus the total of the above payments

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The first four payments are paid half on commencement of the writing step and half on completion. The final payment, the production bonus, is paid ONLY if the script goes into production and becomes due on the first day of principal photography. If a script is approved for production before all the steps have been completed, the production bonus is therefore bigger. This means there is an incentive for the writer not to drag out the process.

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The above deal is referred to as "300,000 against 500,000", a form of words you will often see used in the business. Alternatively, one might say "low six figures against mid six figures" (these vague terms are usually used to keep writers from squabbling over minor differences in pay for similar projects).

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