Overworked & Underpaid? – Rates in 2009
Posted on 9/1/2009 at 1:19:45 PM
It is alw
ays empowering to know what we earn – or should earn. If your situation’s anything like mine, you’ll probably want to practice your most indignant expression before you start reading…
These are the rates that people are getting at the moment. Every company structures their payments differently – some on a monthly basis, others on a per episode basis, others over 6 episodes. This is what the averages work out to, excluding taxation.
The WGSA is not endorsing these rates, however we do strongly urge members to be aware of the Industry baseline and to never go below that.
Daily Dramas
Storyliners: (Daily drama)
| A storyline 6/7 scenes an episode | B story 4.5 scenes an episode | C storylines (3 scenes an episode) |
| R1 300.00 – R1333 an episode | R900 to R916 an episode | R500 – R800.00 an episode |
Storyliners Monthly fee structure
| entry/junior storyliner - | Senior | |
| R12000 | R15000 – R20000 | R25000 |
Breakdown rates (taking storylines and structuring them into episodes)
| Starting rate | Top rate |
| R1 300.00 per episode | R1 600.00 per episode |
Script editor for a Daily Drama
| (20 episodes per month) | R1 600.00 per episode |
Writing for a Daily Drama
| Most experienced writers | Least experienced writers/trainee writers |
| – R6 800.00 – R7 000.00 per episode– 1 draft – roughly 4 800 words/36 pages | – R5 500.00 per script for the same as the above with input |
Headwriter Daily drama – monthly
| Starting rate | Top rate (with support of full time assistant head writer) | Top rate (solo) | |
| With support of storyliners | Starting at 30 to 50k month | 60- 70 k | 80.000 |
| Running story workshops. | R1000.00 @ day | 1.500 @ day |
Headwriter Rates
Once again the WGSA is not endorsing these rates, this is what being paid to various people at the moment. We do however strongly urge members to be aware of the Industry baseline and to never go below that.
How to calculate your rates:
Work on an average script of R750/min x the minutes of the episodes, times the number of episodes. Thus 48×13 = R468 000 and scripts will cost R22000/script (average)
Take out R50 K for research and translation. The rest should go to the writers and HW. You need to leave something for the production company’s operating costs, but that’s really small.
For a drama series, it all depends on the Headwriter’s duties. If it’s a specific contract for a particular number of eps, there’s usually a payment for each ep.
These are some baseline rates excluding any taxation:
HW Drama 48”
| Starting rate | Top rate | |
| Editing and conceptualising, taking the writers through step outline, first draft, second and third drafts, | R7 500 @ episode | 10 000 @ episode |
| If the HW is storylining as well | A separate fee in line with general storylining fees (and definitely open to negotiation) | A separate fee in line with general storylining fees (and definitely open to negotiation) |
|
Running story workshops. |
R1000.00 @ day | 1.500 @ day |
HW Sitcom/Drama 13 x 24 min
| Starting rate | Top rate | |
| Brainstorm character bible, breakdowns and write breakdowns, oversee writing of other eps, give notes for rewrites and do a final pass.. | 45 000 – (R3500 an ep) | 70 000 – (5.300 @ ep)
75 000 - (5.700@ ep) 85 000 - (6.500 @ ep) |
| HW writing an episode | Separate fee | Separate fee |
|
Running story workshops. |
R1000.00 | 1.500 @ day |