Excerpt "Clip" Payments | Writers Guild of America East

About Excerpt Payments

The use of any portion of one television or theatrical project in another television or theatrical project is called an excerpt.

If you are a writer and have seen an excerpt of your project used in another project, or if you represent a company planning to use an excerpt of an existing project in your TV or theatrical project, an excerpt payment may be due if the project the excerpt was taken from was produced under WGA jurisdiction.

If a project was produced under WGA jurisdiction, excerpt payments are due if excerpts are taken from the following:

a. All TV projects;
b. Theatrical projects produced after 1960; and
c. United Artist & Universal Theatrical projects produced after 1948

Excerpts payments are not due if excerpts are used in the following instances:

a. Promotional, trailer, news or review
b. Stock shots

PAYMENT INFORMATION

Payment is due to the Guild within 30 days of the use of the excerpt(s).
Clip and compilation payments are a one-time-only payment.
No residuals are due for the excerpt(s) once the project has been paid.
No Pension & Health payments are due on excerpt fees.

Make checks payable to:
WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA, East, INC.

Send to:
Writers Guild of America, East, Inc.
250 Hudson Street, Suite 700
New York, NY 10013
Phone: 212-767-7800
Fax: 212-582-1909

Checks must be payable in U.S. dollars and drawn on a U.S. bank. Wire transfer information is available upon request.

Please include the following with all payments:

Title and type of project containing clip(s): TV series, feature film, TV documentary, etc.
List of clips used, including type of clip (Theatrical or TV) series title, episode title, and original airdate of comedy variety shows.
Total clip length of each episode or film from which the clips were taken (aggregate from the same episode or film).
Credited writers of clip(s), if known.
Running time of program using excerpt(s), if television.

Use of Excerpts
Rates & Usage Determination

Clip or Excerpt: Use of excerpts not subject to exception under other provisions and which comprise 50% or less of the entertainment portion of a program. TV includes basic cable, pay cable, video, and DVD.

Aggregate clips from a single TV episode or theatrical motion picture when used in one television or theatrical motion picture, to determine the appropriate clip rate for that motion picture or episode.

May 2, 2021 through May 1, 2023	Length of Clip	Usage	MBA
$394	10 seconds or less	TV in TV	Art.15.B.10.dd
$1,192	Over 10 seconds but less than 2 minutes	TV in TV	Art.15.B.10.dd
$1,192 +$198	First two minutes For each minute or portion over 2 minutes	TV in TV	Art.15.B.10.dd
Rerun fee	over 10 minutes	TV in TV	Art.15.B.10.dd

May 2, 2021 through May 1, 2023	Length of Clip	Usage	MBA
$496	30 seconds or less	TV in Theatrical	Art.15.B.13.j.
$989	Over 30 seconds but less than 2 minutes	TV in Theatrical	Art.15.B.13.j.
$989 +$394	First 2 minutes For each minute or portion over 2 minutes	TV in Theatrical	Art.15.B.13.j.

May 2, 2021 through May 1, 2023	Length of Clip	Usage	MBA
$198	30 seconds or less	Theatrical in Theatrical or TV	Art.15.A.3.j.
$594	Over 30 seconds but less than 2 minutes	Theatrical in Theatrical or TV	Art.15.A.3.j.
$594 +$198	First 2 minutes For each minute or portion over 2 minutes	Theatrical in Theatrical or TV	Art.15.A.3.j.

Compilation: Television excerpts or combination of film and television excerpts exceeding 50% of the entertainment portion of a television program. The Compilation rate is calculated by multiplying the applicable 30-minute minimum by 2.5 for each half-hour of broadcast time.

May 2, 2021 through
May 1, 2022

Length

Usage

MBA

$69,445

(Network Prime Time)

For each 30 minutes of program using episodic or combination of programs clips (deduct commercials from running time)

TV/Film in TV

Art.15.B.10.e.

$40,553

(Other Than Ntwk PT.)

For each 30 minutes of program using episodic or combination of programs clips (deduct commercials from running time)

TV/Film in TV Other Than Ntwk PT

Art.15.B.10.e.

EXAMPLE: The rate for a 1-hour compilation program utilizing various clips is calculated as follows: $27,778 (NPT 30-min S&T) x 2.5 (multiplier) x 2 half hours = $138,890 (effective though May 1, 2022).

If there is any inconsistency between this schedule and the Basic Agreement, the Basic Agreement shall prevail.

Recap: Excerpt(s) used to recap story to date of a series.

May 2, 2021 through
May 1, 2023

Length of Clip

Usage

MBA

$221

First 90 seconds, no fee

For each minute or portion of minute in excess of 90 seconds

TV program of less than 60 minutes

Art.15.B.10.c.

$221

First 3 minutes, no fee

For each minute or portion of minute in excess of 3 minutes

TV program over 60 minutes or more

Art.15.B.10.c.

Flashback: Excerpt(s) used to inform of past developments to explain or advance current story.

May 2, 2021 through May 1, 2023	Length of Clip	Usage	MBA
$221	First 30 seconds, no fee For each minute or portion of minute over 30 seconds where such usage is less than 15% of the running time of show	TV program of 30 minutes or less	Art.15.B.10.d.
$221	First 30 seconds, no fee For each minute or portion of minute over 30 seconds where such usage is less than 10% of the running time of show	TV program of over 30 minutes	Art.15.B.10.d.
$52 $103	Payment to writers no longer on staff: Flashback of 1 minute or less. Flashback over 1 minute & less than 3 min.	TV non-prime time serials	App.A. Art.15.B.3.b.

Discounts

A 40% discount applies to the clip and compilation rates when excerpts are used in a local program broadcast in no more than one market. If the program is broadcast later in another market, the balance becomes payable. (Art.15.A.3.j. and Art.15.B.10.h.)

For further information, please call (212) 767-7814 or email elindsay@wgaeast.org.