Flourishing as a film and television writer today is as challenging as ever, especially in an age when online screenwriting “masterclasses,” open-source software, and direct-to-buyer email queries have broadened industry access to millions. As such, producers and agents need to be more discerning than ever when wading through material. How do they separate the pros from the amateurs? One way is to determine whether the writer is a member of the WGA.

The WGA, or Writers Guild of America, represents writers in film, TV and radio, with branches in Los Angeles (WGAw) and New York (WGAe). Some mistakenly refer to it as a “union,” although it’s not – it’s a guild – meaning that while they collectively bargain rates and standards with the studios, they do not help their members find work. They are open to anyone who sells or is hired to write a script by a WGA signatory company. They do not represent book authors, journalists or columnists.

The WGA website outlines their system for gaining membership, but here’s the need-to-know in a nutshell. They work on a “unit system.” Every time you make a sale or get hired to work, you earn units. A story for a 30-minute TV program is three units. A short screenplay is eight units. A rewrite of a full-length theatrical feature is 12 units. Earn a total of 24 units in three years, you’re a full member. (Anything less, you’re an associate member with reduced benefits.) Selling or getting hired to write a feature-length film automatically nabs you 24 units, so that’s the quickest way to full membership.

First and foremost, membership brings the credibility mentioned above that so many writers seek from producers and agents. It also offers minimum salary guarantees, pension and health benefits, residual payments, procedures for determining and arbitrating credits, educational opportunities, seminars, networking events and access to those oh-so-coveted screeners at awards season.

For a struggling writer living on Ramen and Pop Tarts, the $2,500 entry fee is a little stiff, although it’s well worth it if you can manage, because one job can more than pay for it. After that, be prepared to pay annual dues of 1.5% on applicable earnings. Also, you can’t do “non-union work,” meaning any remuneration has to be paid under a WGA signatory agreement. That means no more screenwriting gigs from friends or Craigslist ads.

Again, the WGA does not directly help its writers find work, but it does have a “Find a Writer” section on its website where producers can search for writers based on criteria like expertise, genre, years of experience, age, and gender. They also host screenings, panels, workshops, and an annual awards show where members can network with those inside and outside the guild. Lastly, full membership means eligibility to run for guild office, which can open up connections at much higher levels, particularly with sister guilds and studios.

The guild has a three-tier Low Budget Agreement (LBA), which covers films made for $1.2 million or less. Each tier offers salary minimums that are a fraction of larger-scale theatrical features. For instance, an original script for a $400,000 film will cost a signatory producer around $26,000 – still a lot, but not nearly as steep as the $152,000 they would have to pay on a $6 million film. Low-budget producers may be more willing, then, to hire a less experienced screenwriter who will work for that rate. The admissions rules and units earned toward eligibility are essentially the same for the LBA as for larger films (you still get 24 units for selling a feature script), and there are no restrictions if you or a family member serve as a producer or financier of the film. Bottom line, at this level, up-and-coming writers are less likely to compete with seasoned veterans while those with access to modest film funding have a chance to literally write their own destiny.

Resources

https://www.wga.org/the-guild/going-guild/join-the-guild
https://www.wga.org/contracts/contracts/other-contracts/how-to-join-wgaw-through-lba
https://www.wga.org/uploadedFiles/contracts/min20.pdf
https://www.wgaeast.org/

BIO: Mark Heidelberger co-founded Beverly Hills-based Treasure Entertainment in 2000, serving as a film executive, producer and literary manager until 2011 before going freelance. Film and TV credits include Harsh Times, Comfort, Ninja Apocalypse, The Basement, Take the Night, Pray for Rain, and Hallmark Channel’s You’ve Got a Friend. Often times, he performs ghostwriting services on screenplays in addition to his producing duties. He is a member of the Producers Guild of America. He holds a BA in Film Studies from UCSB and an MFA in Producing from UCLA’s School of Theater, Film, and Television.