Estimate for Independent Feature

This can really depend. Independent Features can mean a budget of $700 up to $5mil or more. I've certainly heard of people getting paid up front (although often not very much). Either way, it's probably all negotiable.

I'm not sure on percentages though, there probably is an average out there. If no one suggests one to you, although someone probably will, you can look at WGA guidelines or look at one of those deals writers are doing with studios now where they get no upfront and get percentage (check out craig mazin or john august's blog on their recent deal) and then try to negotiate a number like that.

I guess the answer is to just get as much as you can =)

If this is the first script that you are actually going to make money from, forget about the WGA minimum, it's around $55,000 for the eventual sale to the production company. If you think you're getting anywhere near that for your first payment as a writer, you're dreaming. Most likely the independent production company will give you an option agreement. Which is basically them renting your property for a year or more. The option agreement will pay you in a five or six step process.

You'll get a couple thousand up-front when you sign the option agreement, if they are a legitimate production campany. Then you'll get $500 to $1,000 for the first rewrite. Then you'll get $500-$1,000 when they accept the rewrite. For the writer signing his first option agreement this is probably as far as it will get. But the option you signed spells out everything that you would get paid if the script actually gets made and released into theaters, then to pay-per-view and DVD release, all the way to television rights. If the script actually gets financed, you'll 1-2 percent of the of the final budget for the film when filming starts, you'll get another 1-2 percent of the entire budget when filming ends and the film is in the can. Then you can expect up to 5 percent of all NET profits that the film makes. Now this might sound incredible but the beancounters have many ways to cook the books that an independent feature that makes 300 million at the box office is recorded as a loss.

I think one of the most important steps for you now is to ask someone at the production company where your script is on their production slate. If it's in the top two or three there is a good chance that it's going to get financed and actually made. If it's below that there is probably no chance in hell it is ever gong to get made.

what zep said
the range of independent features now is enormous: from blair witch project to hustle and flow to crash. many producers have the same problem with getting deals with studios or choose not to go that route because they lose the power.

note that almost every best picture nomination is from an independent feature. studios care more about making tentpole money than quality storytelling.

RainbowDragon said:

How much should one expect to make for scripting an independent feature film? Since I imagine up-front payments are rare, what sort of deferred % is to be expected? (And yes, I'm aware it could easily boil down to nothing, but just curious what the upper limits tend to be). Anyone already gone down this path?

Thanks for your responses in advance.

Click to expand...

First film?

1.5% of total budget minus finance/legal costs/contingency
On a US$5m movie you might get US$2,000 option payment including two free re-writes and two polishes and then US$73,000 if it's made (possibly deferred until participation) and you're really really lucky.

Upper limits: a friend of mine was paid US$125,000 for his first feature which included loads of rewrites and polishes but he did get paid in full plus gets 5% of net back end (none received yet). 'Net' is a whole different kettle of fish...