Chapter 017 Foundation Agreement

Jonathan Freedman watched Matthew Broderick walk away rudely, frowned slightly, motioned Simon to enter his office, and asked, "Simon, do you know Matthew?"

Simon also Without concealment, briefly explained a few things about the last encounter at the bar.

"Oh, it's a small matter," Jonathan smiled casually, sat down behind his desk, and said, "I'll make an appointment with Matthew, have a meal together, and shake hands. It's fine. there should not be any contradiction that can't be solved between you young people ."

Simon nodded, and he didn't take the last thing too seriously. he felt that Jonathan was obviously a little absent-minded when he spoke today, and his expression was also a little tired, so he asked: "Joe, have you rested recently?"

"Nothing, just a little busy these days."

Listening to the concerned tone of the young man opposite to him, Jonathan, who was rummaging through several documents on the desktop, hesitated, and suddenly he didn't want to take out the draft contract.

After hesitating so much, Jonathan finally handed a blue folder to Simon, making up his mind to compensate the boy as much as possible, and said gently, "Simon, the script has come to an end.

However, the studio checked your profile at WGA in advance, and know that you are a newcomer, so the price is not too high. and they also want another script of yours. they also saw the synopsis at Paramount yesterday, which is very good. So, take a look at the contract first."

Simon felt that there were obvious reservations in Jonathan's words, and he probably had a premonition of something, but he still opened the contract in his hand and read it carefully.

Looking at Simon who was reading the contract carefully, Jonathan wanted to hide.

He knew very well that Simon was not the kind of rookie who would cheer as long as he could sell his script. Therefore, I don't want to face the reaction of this young man after reading the contract.

God seemed to have heard Jonathan's prayer. There was a sudden knock on the office door. Owen Wright came in and said, "Mr Friedman, Mr Broca is here."

As soon as the assistant finished speaking, Norman Broca, who was standing outside the door, just glanced at Simon and waved to Jonathan: "Joe, come out for a while? I have something to talk to you about." Not wanting to have any communication with Norman Broca, Jonathan was even more unbearable to face Simon at this time.

As if nothing had happened, he stood up and introduced to Simon, who also stood up with him: "Simon, this is the president of our WMA, Mr. Norman Broca. You can continue to look at the contract, I will chat with Norman for a few words. Come back."

Simon looked at the old man who had no intention of coming in, wearing a black suit, grey hair, a little short, and a standard Jewish big nose.

Nodding to the other party, Simon waited for Jonathan to leave the office before sitting down again and focusing on the contract in front of him again.

Then, as the reading deepened, Simon's frown became deeper and deeper.

In all fairness, Simon didn't care too much about the $100,000 basic remuneration involved in this contract.

As a newcomer, such an offer is very good.

$100,000 is probably enough to finish Lola Run by me.

However, this is a complete buyout contract.

80,000 US dollars to buy out the entire copyright of "The Butterfly Effect", and 20,000 US dollars as a deposit to buy the first option of "Death Is Coming" for the next three years. Moreover, as long as Fox intends to shoot "Death is Coming" in the next three years when the price is renegotiated, it will still be a full-copyright buyout contract.

properly turning over the contract in his hand, and Simon didn't even believe how Jonathan could give him such a harsh agreement.

In Hollywood, screenwriting is also a very precarious profession. Even union members of the WGA are largely unemployed for most of the year, and many have to find other jobs to make ends meet.

Therefore, to win more rights, Hollywood screenwriters are also one of the most frequent groups to strikes in the industry.

After decades of confrontation with studios, the Screenwriters Guild has gradually reached a "Basic Agreement" with the Hollywood Producers Alliance to protect Hollywood screenwriters in basic treatment, minimum wages, medical insurance, and pension plans. and other rights.

For movie screenwriters, the most important clause involved in the "Basic Agreement" is not the minimum script remuneration stipulated therein, but a sharing agreement that can bring long-term income to the screenwriters.

According to the latest version of the "Basic Agreement" signed by the Screenwriters Guild and the Producers' Union in 1985, in addition to the two levels of minimum basic remuneration stipulated by the division of film production costs, film screenwriters can also obtain the corresponding share of the income of follow-up videotapes and television broadcasting rights from the film.

Among them, the videotape's share is 0.3% of the sales revenue within 1 million boxes, and 0.36% of the sales revenue after 1 million boxes.

In addition, the revenue share of TV broadcasting rights is divided according to different platform types such as public TV networks, basic cable stations, paid cable stations, pay-per-view stations and even overseas TV stations.

Since the 1980s, with the explosion of the videotape market and the continuous development of TV networks, the income of Hollywood films in these two areas has continued to increase, and now it has reached the level of one-third of the income of the theatre chain.

So for a movie that grossed only $30 million worldwide, it would probably make that amount on videotape.

Based on the average selling price of home videotapes of around $30, $30 million in sales is exactly the equivalent of 1 million video cassettes sold. According to this figure, the screenwriters of the film can successively get about $90,000 in revenue from the sales of the 1 million cassettes.

Subsequent TV broadcasting rights revenue share will be equal to the videotape sales share.

The two combined, almost $200,000.

This is far higher than the average transaction price of Hollywood scripts in the 1980s and is usually several times the basic salary that the screenwriter and the studio agreed to.

Moreover, the sales share of these two aspects is also a long-term continuous income, which means that even if the screenwriter cannot find a job at all in the next few years, the sales share obtained at regular intervals can ensure his life.

Simon has full confidence in "Butterfly Effect" and "Death Is Coming" that was picked up by the studio in advance.

According to the usual consumption habits of mass movie fans, as very classic horror films, these two films are likely to perform better in the videotape market in the future than in the theatrical release stage, and the sales volume will even far exceed 1 million boxes.

Therefore, if a sharing agreement can be obtained, and the TV broadcasting rights income of the same scale is counted, Simon will receive hundreds of thousands of dollars in follow-up income from these two scripts in the future, far from the basic $80,000 at this time. The remuneration is comparable.

There's nothing wrong with Simon not being a WGA member.

Simon has no plans to join the WGA next, so he cannot enjoy the protection of the WGA's perfect "Basic Agreement".

However, in Hollywood, where the film industry system is already quite complete, the screenwriter's sharing clause is an industry practice.

As long as the screenwriter can find a reliable agent, or even if he knows a little about it, and the partner is a regular Hollywood film company. Then, both parties can sign the terms of the accompanying sharing agreement.

But now, a vice president of Hollywood's largest talent agency has 'sought' a buyout deal for himself that makes him a total idiot.

At a certain moment, Simon had the urge to jump up and smash the contract in his manager's face.

However, remembering some details in Jonathan's expression just now, Simon calmed down, turned his head and glanced at the office door, waiting patiently for the agent to return.

At the same time, in Norman Broca's office, Jonathan Friedman, who had been heartbroken since yesterday afternoon, heard the request of his superior, and couldn't help raising his voice, waving his arms and saying: "Don't like it? He's going to kick Simon out just because he doesn't like it? It's so unreasonable. Norman, do you know how embarrassing it was when I just handed the contract to that kid? I'm a WMA VP, But he gave his client a stupid deal that even a third-rate agency agent might not be able to offer. Now, you asked me to tell him that he was kicked out and will never have anything to do with this movie again. What do you want me to say?"

Norman Broca looked at Jonathan, who had almost lost his usual gentle manner, concealed the disdain in his heart, and said in a stern tone, "Joe, you need to know, You are now the vice president of WMA. As a management, you must consider the interests of the entire company. What's more, he is just a young boy who doesn't understand anything. If you can't even handle this kind of thing, where will you pay? Can you afford your current position?"

It must be in your interest, right!

This thought flashed through Jonathan's mind, listening to Norman Broca's words already beginning to threaten his position, his tone was a little calmer, but he still argued: "Simon is already reading that contract. "The Butterfly Effect" "The total remuneration is only $80,000, $50,000 for the first edition, $20,000 for revisions required by the studio, and $10,000 for subsequent polishes.

These terms are written. Even if he agrees to withdraw, how to calculate this money? Should I just go back and tell him that there is only $50,000 left?"

"Of course, there is only $50,000 left. In the entire federation, How many people are there who can make $50,000 at the age of 18 , what is he not satisfied with."

Norman Broca saw that Jonathan's attitude softened, so he became more aggressive.

Before pitching the script to the studio last week, Norman Broca had hoped to rework the script to include Matthew Broderick, but Jonathan rejected it because the script was good enough.

Now, taking advantage of the opportunity that Matthew doesn't like Simon to kick the opponent out, he can just let his trusted screenwriter do it.