Requirements for Original New Media Projects

WGAE Signatory and Membership Requirements for Low Budget New Media Projects (Including Scripted Podcasts)

The WGAE will accept signatory applications for companies incorporated East of the Mississippi River and/or for current members of the WGAE, wherever the company may be incorporated, that meet the following criteria for an “Original New Media Production.”

As defined in the Sideletter on Literary Material Written for Programs Made for New Media (“New Media Sideletter”) of the Writers Guild of America Theatrical and Television Basic Agreement (“MBA”), an “Original New Media Production” is a production which is intended for initial release in New Media, excluding news, which meets one of the following criteria:

A. The actual cost of production exceeds: (1) $15,000 per minute of program material as exhibited; or (2) $300,000 per single production as exhibited; or (3) $500,000 per series of programs produced for a single order; OR

B. The literary material was written under employment by or acquired from a “professional writer(s),” as that term is defined in MBA Article 1.C.1.b.; and

The Project must already be produced, accessible to view, and be no less than 30 total minutes in length, which can include numerous episodes; and

The producer must provide to the Guild a writing contract for each writer for an amount no less than $5,000 in non-deferred compensation, and proof that at least $5,000 of the contracted writing fee has been paid; and

The producer must submit a Notice of Tentative Writing Credits (NTWC) form to the WGAE’s credits department to approve for each produced episode of the Project, and for each episode produced moving forward; and

The Project must be currently, or have been previously, distributed on a known, trafficked and clearly identified online distribution platform (e.g., YouTube, Crackle, etc.) and available to the public, and not just a personal web domain; and

The producer must submit a detailed production budget for the Project along with the signatory application and writing contract, and 90% of the funding must come from an unrelated third party financing (e.g., financing that comes from a third party which is not directly or indirectly related to the owner of the signatory company or have interest in the signatory company); and

Signatory applications will be required to submit proof of financing/funding; OR

C. The writer employed is a current WGAE member or the Project is part of an active and current WGAE organizing campaign; and

If self-produced, the writer/producer must provide to the Guild a writing contract for no less than $5,000 in non-deferred compensation, and proof that at least $5,000 of the contracted writing fee has been paid; and

The producer must submit a Notice of Tentative Writing Credits (NTWC) form to the WGAE’s credits department to approve for each produced episode of the Project, and for each episode produced moving forward; and

The Project must be distributed on a known, trafficked and clearly identified online distribution platform (e.g., YouTube, Crackle, etc.) and available to the public and not just a personal web domain.

Please contact the WGAE Film/TV/Streaming Department to determine if you meet one or more of the above criteria.

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