Unit 24: Writing for Television & Video - Royalties

The way writers get paid is a tricky business. Depending on whether it is tv or film. Often tv writers will be paid a salary by the production company for writing or re-writing a show or an entire series. If the show gets continued or does well they well often get called back and put on a higher wage. They are almost never given royalties to the show and their salary will regularly last only the season. 
Working in film is a slightly different kettle of fish, to ask for royalties. While you might get more in the long run it largely depends on whether or not the film does well. Most royalties begin after the film has made a certain amount of money. So if the film flops and makes next to nothing the writer who signed the royalty agreement gets literally nothing. So as i said early while you may get more in the long run its is potentially risky business. 

Alot of writers opt for a one time fee from the production company and a title card on the screen (for example the writers name alone on the opening credits.) The reason they do this is most movies dont make enough money to cover production costs so the benefit is the writer will always get paid and not have any share in the losses. You can also agree a fee so you take a cut of the profit if the movie gets made or makes a certain amount of profit. This is where your agent comes in and works his or her's magic.