Summary of Proposed Changes to the Screen and Television Credits Manuals
October 4th, 2002
Members of the Writers Guild of America are making it clear where they stand on a controversial set of proposals that would significantly alter the credit arbitration process. Earlier in the week a committee representing the WGA West and East sent proposals outlining how the modification of current Screen and Television Credits arbitration, which dictates how credits are distributed, to the guild's 12,000 members for review.
Summary of Proposed Changes to the Screen and Television Credits Manuals -- Fall 2002
1. Anonymity of Writers
Screen
The current manual states that at the request of any participating writer, the identities of all participating writers will not be revealed to the Arbitration Committee. The proposed change in language would conform Screen with the longstanding rules in Television that the identities of the participating writers are automatically not revealed to an Arbitration Committee.*
2. Order of Names
Screen
The current manual states that the order of names may be arbitrated. There is no specific guideline for arbiters to determine which writer's name goes first. The proposed change would conform Screen with the longstanding rule in Television that the most substantial contributor is entitled to first position credit.
Screen and Television
Currently there is no provision specifically to address the situation when the arbiters determine that each writer contributed equally or when there is no consensus by the Arbitration Committee on order of names. A new provision is proposed that would require the writers' names be ordered chronologically in such instances.
3. Rules for Adaptations -- Selection From Source Material
Screen and Television
The current rule would be clarified to emphasize that the selection of screenplay/teleplay elements from the source material is part of the creative process of writing the screenplay/teleplay. The provision also would be modified so arbiters would give weight to a writer's original and unique utilization, choice or arrangement of source material when it is present in the final shooting script, but not to the use of basic story elements, which any writer may have also selected.
4. Rules for Production Executives *
Screen and Television
The current rules require notice when a production executive claims to be writing as a member of a team with a non-production executive. An additional notice provision is proposed requiring production executives to notify any other writer on the project (whether they are writing as a team or not) if the production executive writes literary material. Such notice must be in writing and counter-signed and dated by the non-production executive writer. The notice must indicate that the production executive's material may be submitted in a credit arbitration. The production executive must provide the other writer with a copy of his/her literary material as soon as practicable. Failure to comply with these notice provisions would preclude the production executive from submitting the material for consideration in a credit arbitration. Please note: there are no proposed changes to the automatic arbitration provisions under the applicable provisions of the MBA. (i.e. if a production executive is proposed for writing credit and there are non-production executive writers on the same project then the credits are subject to the automatic arbitration provisions.)
Screen
Under the current rules, the first writer on an original and any writer on a non-original screenplay may receive screenplay credit if they contribute more than 33% to the final shooting script. On original screenplays, subsequent writers must contribute 50% to receive screenplay credit.
The current rules impose a higher standard for a writer who is also a production executive to receive credit in certain instances. When a production executive is a subsequent writer on a project, he/she must contribute more than 50% to receive credit. If the production executive is a member of a team then the team must contribute substantially more than 60% to receive credit. Also, if the Arbitration Committee determines that the production executive has made a sufficient contribution to warrant credit then a non-production executive writer may receive credit without necessarily meeting the usually required percentage.
The proposed changes would eliminate the heightened requirements (more than 50% or more than 60%) for production executives to receive credit. Also, the proposals would eliminate the provision that gives arbiters the discretion to give other writers credit without necessarily meeting the required percentage if the production executive receives credit. (Note: There are no heightened percentage requirements for writers who are production executives in Television.)
* The complete anonymity of writers in Screen is contingent upon the approval of the proposed changes in the Rules for Production Executives. If members vote to retain the heightened requirement for production executives to receive credit, then the identities of some participating writers may not be completely anonymous. The Arbitration Committee will need to know if a participating writer is a production executive in order to apply the correct standards to accord credit.
(Source: WGA.ORG & AP)
Summary of Proposed Changes to the Screen and Television Credits Manuals -- Fall 2002
1. Anonymity of Writers
Screen
The current manual states that at the request of any participating writer, the identities of all participating writers will not be revealed to the Arbitration Committee. The proposed change in language would conform Screen with the longstanding rules in Television that the identities of the participating writers are automatically not revealed to an Arbitration Committee.*
2. Order of Names
Screen
The current manual states that the order of names may be arbitrated. There is no specific guideline for arbiters to determine which writer's name goes first. The proposed change would conform Screen with the longstanding rule in Television that the most substantial contributor is entitled to first position credit.
Screen and Television
Currently there is no provision specifically to address the situation when the arbiters determine that each writer contributed equally or when there is no consensus by the Arbitration Committee on order of names. A new provision is proposed that would require the writers' names be ordered chronologically in such instances.
3. Rules for Adaptations -- Selection From Source Material
Screen and Television
The current rule would be clarified to emphasize that the selection of screenplay/teleplay elements from the source material is part of the creative process of writing the screenplay/teleplay. The provision also would be modified so arbiters would give weight to a writer's original and unique utilization, choice or arrangement of source material when it is present in the final shooting script, but not to the use of basic story elements, which any writer may have also selected.
4. Rules for Production Executives *
Screen and Television
The current rules require notice when a production executive claims to be writing as a member of a team with a non-production executive. An additional notice provision is proposed requiring production executives to notify any other writer on the project (whether they are writing as a team or not) if the production executive writes literary material. Such notice must be in writing and counter-signed and dated by the non-production executive writer. The notice must indicate that the production executive's material may be submitted in a credit arbitration. The production executive must provide the other writer with a copy of his/her literary material as soon as practicable. Failure to comply with these notice provisions would preclude the production executive from submitting the material for consideration in a credit arbitration. Please note: there are no proposed changes to the automatic arbitration provisions under the applicable provisions of the MBA. (i.e. if a production executive is proposed for writing credit and there are non-production executive writers on the same project then the credits are subject to the automatic arbitration provisions.)
Screen
Under the current rules, the first writer on an original and any writer on a non-original screenplay may receive screenplay credit if they contribute more than 33% to the final shooting script. On original screenplays, subsequent writers must contribute 50% to receive screenplay credit.
The current rules impose a higher standard for a writer who is also a production executive to receive credit in certain instances. When a production executive is a subsequent writer on a project, he/she must contribute more than 50% to receive credit. If the production executive is a member of a team then the team must contribute substantially more than 60% to receive credit. Also, if the Arbitration Committee determines that the production executive has made a sufficient contribution to warrant credit then a non-production executive writer may receive credit without necessarily meeting the usually required percentage.
The proposed changes would eliminate the heightened requirements (more than 50% or more than 60%) for production executives to receive credit. Also, the proposals would eliminate the provision that gives arbiters the discretion to give other writers credit without necessarily meeting the required percentage if the production executive receives credit. (Note: There are no heightened percentage requirements for writers who are production executives in Television.)
* The complete anonymity of writers in Screen is contingent upon the approval of the proposed changes in the Rules for Production Executives. If members vote to retain the heightened requirement for production executives to receive credit, then the identities of some participating writers may not be completely anonymous. The Arbitration Committee will need to know if a participating writer is a production executive in order to apply the correct standards to accord credit.
(Source: WGA.ORG & AP)
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