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2004-2005 Basic Agreement Rate Card
Directors Guild of America Minimum Salary Schedules as per the Film Basic Agreement for Directors, Unit Production Managers, Assistant Directors & Technical Coordinators.

Click to go directly to rates for :
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Rates Effective:
July 1, 2004
to June 30, 2005 |
Low Budget: All Films Budgeted Up to
$500,000 |
Medium Budget: All Films Budgeted
$500,000- $1,500,000 |
High Budget: All Films Budgeted Over $1,500,000 |
Shorts/ Documentaries |
| Weekly Salary |
$8,395 |
$9,541 |
$13,358 |
$9,541 |
| Guaranteed Preparation Period |
2 Weeks
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2 Weeks
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2 Weeks
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2 Days
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| Guaranteed Shooting Period |
8 Weeks
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10 Weeks
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10 Weeks
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1 Week + 1 Day
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| Guaranteed Cutting Allowance |
1 Week
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1 Week
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1 Week
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0
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| Compensation for Days
Worked Beyond Guarantee |
$1,679 |
$1,908 |
$2,672 |
$1,908 |
| Daily Employment Where
Permitted |
$2,099 |
$2,385 |
$3,340 |
$2,385 |
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| Rates Effective July 1, 2004 to June 30, 2005 |
½ Hour |
1 Hour |
1½ Hour |
2 Hours |
| Program Rate |
$19,361 |
$32,879 |
$54,798 |
$92,056 |
| Guaranteed Preparation Period |
3 Days
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7 Days
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12
Days
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15
Days
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| Guaranteed Shooting Period |
4 Days
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8 Days
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13
Days
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27
Days
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| Compensation for Days Worked Beyond Guarantee |
$2,766/Day |
$2,192/Day |
$2,192/Day |
$2,192/Day |
| Daily Employment Where
Permitted |
$3,457/Day |
$2,740/Day |
$2,740/Day |
$2,740/Day |
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DIRECTORS' TELEVISION MINIMUMS
NON-NETWORK, NON-PRIME TIME
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Rates Effective July 1, 2004 to June 30, 2005
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½ Hour |
1 Hour |
1½ Hour |
2 Hours |
| Program Rate |
$8,245 |
$16,482 |
$24,729 |
$34,429 |
| Guaranteed Preparation Period |
3 Days
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6 Days
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9 Days
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12 Days
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| Guaranteed Shooting Period |
3 Days
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6 Days
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9 Days
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12 Days
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| Compensation for Days Worked Beyond Guarantee |
$1,374/Day |
$1,374/Day |
$1,374/Day |
$1,435/Day |
| Daily Employment Where
Permitted |
$1,718/Day |
$1,717/Day |
$1,717/Day |
$1,793/Day |
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Rates Effective July 1, 2004 to June 30, 2005
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½ Hour Dramatic Programs with budgets of $443,487 or more |
1-Hour Dramatic Programs with budgets of $831,539 or more
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1½ Hour Dramatic Programs with budgets of $2,217,436 or more |
2-Hour Dramatic Programs with budgets of $2,217,436 or more |
| Program Rate |
$8,245 |
$16,482 |
$24,729 |
$59,097 |
| Guaranteed Preparation Period |
3 Days
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6 Days
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9 Days
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15 Days
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| Guaranteed Shooting Period |
3 Days
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6 Days
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9 Days
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27 Days
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| Compensation for Days Worked Beyond Guarantee |
$1,374/Day |
$1,374/Day |
$1,374/Day |
$1,407/Day |
| Daily Employment Where
Permitted |
$1,718/Day |
$1,717/Day |
$1,717/Day |
$1,759/Day |
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| Length |
0-15 Min. |
16-30 Min. |
| Rate |
$19,654 |
$39,314 (or the applicable pilot fee, if less, but in no event less than $19,654) |
| Included Days |
10 days, of which 4 must be consecutive |
14 days, of which 6 must be consecutive |
| Compensation for Days Worked Beyond Guarantee (Daily) |
$1,965 |
$2,808 |
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| Rates Effective July 1, 2004 to June 30, 2005 |
Unit Production Manager |
1st Assistant Director |
Key 2nd
Assistant Director |
2nd Second Assistant Director |
Additional 2nd Assistant Director |
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Weekly Studio Salary |
$3,814 |
$3,625 |
$2,430 |
$2,293 |
$1,396 |
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Weekly Location Salary |
$5,341 |
$5,070 |
$3,395 |
$3,206 |
$1,958 |
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Weekly Production Fee, Studio |
$825 |
$671 |
$513 |
$0 |
$0 |
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Weekly Production Fee, Location |
$985 |
$825 |
$671 |
$0 |
$0 |
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Daily Employment Salary, Studio |
$954 |
$906 |
$608 |
$573 |
$349 |
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Daily Employment Salary, Distant
Location |
$1,335 |
$1,268 |
$849 |
$802 |
$490 |
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Daily Employment Production Fee Studio/Location |
$206 |
$246 |
$168 |
$206 |
$128 |
$168 |
$0 |
$0 |
$0 |
$0 |
| BASIC CABLE DRAMATIC PROGRAMS: ½ hour with budgets between $443,487 and $665,231; 1-hour with budgets between $831,539 and $1,219,590; 2-hour with budgets of between $2,217,436 and $3,880,513 = 83½% of the above rates. |
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TECHNICAL COORDINATORS' MINIMUMS
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Type of Employment |
Rates Effective July 1, 2004 to June 30, 2005
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Days Guaranteed |
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½ Hour |
$2,458 |
3 |
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Two ½ Hour Shows (Back-to-Back)
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$4,311 |
5 |
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Weekly |
$3,613 |
5 |
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Daily |
$817 |
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OTHER CONTRACT INFORMATION
All single camera productions will be covered under the Basic Agreement. Programs that were in production prior to February 11, 2002 remain under the terms and conditions of the BA or FLTTA agreement in effect on that date. The "Interim Settlement Agreement" covers NEW Prime Time Multi-camera Dramatic Programs, principal photography of which begins on or after February 11, 2002. Live Multi-camera dramatic productions are covered under the FLTTA.
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Staffing
The first two 2nd ADs employed are the Key 2nd AD and 2nd 2nd AD. The
term "Additional 2nd AD" applies to the subsequent 2nd ADs
assigned to a shooting unit. An Additional 2nd AD may only be employed if
the Key 2nd AD and 2nd 2nd AD are employed and may perform all the duties
of a 2nd AD. The Additional 2nd AD does not receive preparation time,
production fees or completion of assignment pay.
In Los Angeles and New York, the Company must employ two 2nd ADs and
two Additional 2nd ADs before it may assign other persons (production
assistants, etc.) to perform crowd control.
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1ST AD |
KEY 2ND AD |
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15 Min. or less |
2 Days |
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16-30 Min. |
3 Days |
1 Day (2 Days if pilot or 1st episode) |
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31-60 Min. |
6 Days |
2 Days (3 Days if pilot or 1st episode) |
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61-90 Min. |
10 Days |
5 Days |
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91-180 Min. |
15 Days |
7 Days |
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Features |
15 Days |
7 Days |
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Shorts |
2 Days |
1 Day |
- 2nd Units: The 1st AD will receive prep time where 20 or more members of the cast and crew are employed or stunts are to be performed. The prep time is 1 day for 1 or 2 days shooting and 2 days for 3 or more days shooting.
- If a Key 2nd AD and 2nd 2nd AD or two Key 2nd ADs are employed on episodic TV programs, neither one is entitled to payment for unworked prep time.
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Completion of Assignment Pay
Completion of Assignment Pay is capped at a maximum of six events per production, per season.
Unit Production Managers, 1st Assistant Directors, Key 2nd Assistant Directors, and 2nd 2nd Assistant Directors (other than those employed on a daily basis for less than 5 days) are entitled to an additional week's salary upon completion of assignment if employed 2 or more weeks or 2 ½ days salary if employed less than two weeks.
For feature films, long-form television and series on distant location, no Completion of Assignment is paid for a hiatus of at least one week over Christmas/New Year's so long as the Employee receives unworked holiday pay for Christmas Day and New Year's Day; the hiatus is a maximum of 2 consecutive weeks; if on location the Employer will provide travel to/from location or will provide per diem and housing if the Employer agrees that Employee remains on location.
Technical Coordinators receive 1 week of Completion of Assignment Pay if employed for at least 2 or more 5-day workweeks. If employed for fewer than 2 5-day workweeks, but employed for 5 or more days in the aggregate between the commencement or resumption of employment and hiatus or layoff, shall receive completion of assignment pay of 2 ½ days.
Extended Workday
UPM: Any UPM who works more than 16 hours before being dismissed shall receive an additional day's salary for each 4-hour period or portion thereof worked beyond 16 hours. Such salary in all cases shall be 1/5 of the studio work week rate and shall be excluded from all other computations.
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Workday Begins |
Workday Ends |
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1st AD |
General Crew Call |
Camera Wrap (plus travel time on distant location or
"bus-to" local location) |
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Hours Worked:
- 14+ to 16 Hours - additional ½ day's salary (does not apply to multi-camera stage shows)
- 16+ to 20 Hours - another additional ½ day's salary
- 20+ Hours - another additional full day's salary for each 4 hour
period or fraction thereof.
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Key 2nd AD & 2nd 2nd AD |
| Workday Begins |
Workday Ends |
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At earlier of General Crew Call, Make-up Personnel Call or Hair
Dressing Personnel Call
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½ hour after camera wrap in studio; 1 hour after camera wrap at "report to" and/or "bus-to" local locations and distant locations (plus travel time to distant location or "bus-to" local location)
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Hours Worked:
- One 2nd AD assigned to shooting unit:
- In the studio or on a "report to" location: 13+ to 16 hours - additional ½ day's salary (does not apply to multi-camera stage shows).
- On distant location or "bus-to" location 14+ to 16 hours - additional ½ day's salary (does not apply to multi-camera stage shows).
- After 16 hours - another additional day's salary for each 4 hour
period or portion thereof worked.
- Two or more 2nd ADs assigned to shooting unit:
- Two or more 2nd ADs who work more than 16 hours before being
dismissed shall receive an additional day's salary for each four
hour period or portion thereof worked beyond 16 hours.
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Work Week
The studio workweek consists of 7 days with the 6th and 7th days off;
the location workweek has the 7th day off only. The start day of the
initial workweek must be designated in the deal memo and Employees must be
advised of any changes in advance.
For work on the 6th day in the studio workweek, Employees must be paid 150% of their pro-rata daily salary; on the 7th day, Employees must be paid 200% of their pro-rata daily salary (studio) or an additional 1/5th of weekly studio salary (distant location). With certain limited exceptions, Employer must pay the 6th or 7th day premium if the workweek is shifted so that Employees work on a 6th or 7th day.
A studio weekly or daily Employee who works 14 hours & past 1:00
a.m. into a 6th or 7th day will be paid for 6th or 7th day unless the
Employee receives a rest period of 33 hours for one day off or a 50 hour
rest period for 2 days off .
Residency
The Guild will provide Employer with documentation of the home address of each member to be hired on location. The Employee may change his/her home address by notifying the Guild in writing; the change will be effective 60 days after the request is received by the Guild; the Employee may not change his/her address more than once in any 12 month period.
The Guild will consider a member's request to change his/her address outside of the above time period if member can document s/he has been a resident of the area in which employed at least 60 days prior to first day of employment and the area is not Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Wilmington (NC), San Francisco, Toronto, or Vancouver.
Capricious Discharge
Assistant Directors and Unit Production Managers employed on a weekly
basis for at least 3 consecutive workweeks should be made aware of
problems with their performance at least two days prior to being replaced.
If such Employee is replaced other than for cause, without the 2 days
notice, s/he shall be entitled to one week plus 2 days salary in addition
to any other payments due.
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Discharge Without Cause
If the UPM, 1st Assistant Director or Key 2nd Assistant Director is
replaced without good cause, the Company must pay 3 weeks completion of
assignment pay:
- If the UPM or AD completed 50% of the episodes in a single
television series order, excluding options, of 13 or more episodes or
- If the UPM or AD completed 50% of the days of principal photography
on a theatrical film or a long form television film 90 minutes or
longer.
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AD/UPM General Information
When a UPM, AD or TC furnishes his or her own transportation, he or she
shall be entitled to a mileage expense of $.30 per mile.
The distant location incidental allowance for all UPMs and ADs is $18.00 per day and is payable at the same time and in the same manner per diem is paid.
Except on distant location, if a UPM, AD or TC starts work on or before 9:00 a.m. and works after 7:30 p.m., he or she shall be paid a dinner allowance of $22.00 unless dinner is furnished by the Employer commencing no later than 9:00 p.m.
Any UPM, AD or TC is entitled to receive with his or her closing check
earned vacation pay at the rate of 4% of salary paid during the period of
employment. Such employees are entitled to another 3.719% of salary as
Unworked Holiday pay (subject to an offset of amounts paid for holidays
occurring during employment period), payable by check sent to the Employee
by April 15 of the year subsequent to the calendar year in which such pay
is earned.
Contributions:
Pension-Health
Company will contribute 5½% to the Pension Plan and 7½% to the Health Plan. Employee contributes 2½% to the Pension Plan.
DGACA-Assistant Director Training Program
Company will also contribute ½% to Training Plan and DGACA for AD/UPMs employed in L.A. County or on location outside L.A. County when transported by Employer to location.
Contract Info Box - top of page
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Work Report Numbers
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For a printable Adobe PDF version of this rate card please click here
2004 Film Basic Agreement Rate Card.
If you don't have Acrobat Reader you can download it here for free 
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- 310-289-5300 (Los Angeles)
- 800-421-4173 (Los Angeles)
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- 212-581-0950 (New York)
- 800-356-3754 (New York)
- Ext. 403 (Film)
- Ext. 404 (Tape)
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- 312-644-7520 (Chicago)
- 888-600-6975 (Chicago)
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