WHAT ARE STEPS?

In the realm of professional Hollywood screenwriting and studio deals, “steps” often refer to the specific stages or drafts a writer is contracted to deliver, with each step associated with a particular portion of the overall payment.

Here’s a typical breakdown:

1. Treatment or Outline: Before writing the actual script, a writer might be hired to provide a detailed synopsis, treatment, or outline. This lays out the story, characters, major plot points, and sometimes even includes specific scenes. It’s a roadmap for the screenplay. For a motion picture it would be typical for a writer to have a 6 week writing period for this step.
2. First Draft: Once the treatment is approved, the writer proceeds to write the first full draft of the screenplay. For a motion picture it would be typical for a writer to have a 12 week writing period for this step.
3. First Rewrite: After feedback on the first draft, the writer will undertake a rewrite. This can be a significant overhaul or a series of minor changes depending on feedback. Depending on the deal the writer has, this rewrite can be guaranteed or optional at the discretion of the studio or production company. For a motion picture it would be typical for a writer to have a 10 week writing period for this step.
4. Second Rewrite (or subsequent rewrites): Depending on the contract and the needs of the project, there might be multiple rewrites. For a motion picture it would be typical for a writer to have a 10 week writing period for this step but it also depends on the scope of the work.
5. Polish: This is a finer-tuned version of the script where dialogue might be sharpened, small continuity errors fixed, and other final touches added. It’s less extensive than a full rewrite. For a motion picture it would be typical for a writer to have a 4 week writing period for this step.

Each of these steps has a predetermined pay amount in a writer’s contract along with the rates at which additional work will be billed. To paint a better picture, here is the kind of language you would find in actual writing deal for a major Hollywood motion picture:

Guaranteed Compensation: The sum of two hundred fifty thousand U.S. Dollars (US$ 250,000); accruing and payable as follows (it being agreed to that no sums shall be payable hereunder until five (5) days after satisfaction of the conditions precedent set forth in and receipt by Company of the invoices corresponding:

• thirty thousand U.S. Dollars (US$ 30,000) upon commencement of the Outline;
• thirty thousand U.S. Dollars (US$ 30,000) following delivery to Company of the Outline;
• ninety-five thousand U.S. Dollars (US$ 95,000) upon commencement of the Draft;
• ninety-five thousand U.S. Dollars (US$ 95,000) following delivery to Company of the Draft.

Optional Compensation:
Company shall have the options, exercisable in Company’s sole discretion during the applicable Reading/Option Periods set forth to ask Writer to create and deliver one or more of the following elements of the Materials, and Writer shall receive the following additional compensation if Company exercises such option(s):

• Optional Rewrite: one hundred thousand U.S. Dollars (US$ 100,000) payable: fifty thousand U.S. Dollars (US$ 50,000) upon commencement of the Optional Rewrite and fifty thousand U.S. Dollars (US$ 50,000) promptly following delivery to Company of the Optional Rewrite.

• Optional Polish: fifty thousand U.S. Dollars (US$ 50,000) payable: twenty-five thousand U.S. Dollars (US$ 25,000) upon commencement of the Optional Polish and twenty-five thousand U.S. Dollars (US$ 25,000) promptly following delivery to Company of the Optional Polish.

As a writer’s experience and credits in the industry grow, they can demand higher and higher rates for their steps. A writer’s representatives (agents and entertainment attorneys) can play a significant role in writer’s accumulating these “bumps” throughout their career. For less in-demand writers and those at the beginning of their careers they can expect to receive guild minimums for their first couple of projects. The Writers Guild of America (WGA) sets minimum rates for each of these steps to ensure writers are fairly compensated.