# Fee for a series.



## Sid_Barnhoorn (Jul 30, 2007)

Hi guys,

I'm scoring this anime series, I've done the first episode for free because they didn't had any funding yet but they're getting funded now. They're asking me how much I'd want per episode. The budget they've got now is not that big but they're going for normal tv budget funding.

The first episode I did was wall to wall music, +_22min. How much you think I could ask for this? Thanks!

Cheers,
Sid


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## Ned Bouhalassa (Jul 30, 2007)

IMO, it depends on how many episodes there are, and if you'll have to record any live players. Also, is there a separate amount for opening and closing credits?


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## Sid_Barnhoorn (Jul 30, 2007)

Hi Ned,

Thanks for your reply. All the recordings I'll be doing is mostly just me recording guitars, shakuhachi and some other stuff. There won't be any external live players involved unless really needed but it's not planned atm. There is no seperate opening atm, there are end credits but I don't know if that's seperate. It's just for the whole thing atm. I haven't composed any seperate end credits yet but I see what you're getting at.

There'll be 26 episode plus an end movie which'll equal 4 episodes.

What ya think?

Cheers,


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## Ned Bouhalassa (Jul 30, 2007)

Since dollars vs euros is a bit tricky given that things cost more in Europe, I'd say about 15,000 to 18,000 espressos would be cool (an espresso is about 2 dollars canadian here). Some will say it's not that much, but, by the time you get to show 12 or 13, you'll be re-using quite a number of cues, and by the last 6-7 you might only need to write 2 new cues a show (you'll be able to just edit the ones you already wrote to fit any new scenes).

Congratulations!!! o-[][]-o

PS: You'll also use a lot of your already-written cues for that final movie.


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## Dean (Jul 30, 2007)

Hi Sid,
I have worked on about ten 26 and 52 part series for production companies around Europe,states,Asia and an average rate for a 26 x 1/2 hour animated series is about
800.00euro - 1000.00euro per episode not including opening /closing theme,thats usually a seperate fee.

In my experience about 24,000.00euro - 30,000.00euro Ex.VAT in total is a standard fee for 26 x 1/2 hr series.
MOST IMPORTANT;ROYALTIES!!...50% IS STANDARD!!
Most likely this will be a buy-out contract but you will still receive 50% of all broadcast/performance fees worldwide,this is where the real money lies,(again this is standard in your contract accept no less,it does'nt come ouy of the producers pocket anyway.)
2 tips:
You could offer to spot the series yourself for a small fee,and gives you more control.
Also offer to do the cue-sheets yourself,this way you can insure the right titles and cue lengths and send them to the collection societies on time.

Edit:the amount of re-use music/themes does'nt effect the budget,producers always try to pull that one.

Goodluck,
Dean.


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## Sid_Barnhoorn (Jul 31, 2007)

Thanks guys,

That helps alot!  And what you recon for the opening/closing credits, in terms of fee? Thanks!

Cheers,
Sid


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## Sid_Barnhoorn (Jul 31, 2007)

Btw: Do any of you have an example contract for this kind of stuff for me so I know what the ins/outs are and such? Thanks!

Sid


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## Ned Bouhalassa (Jul 31, 2007)

In the past, I've gotten 4 grand for opening, closing and some bumpers (to commercials - but that's a more North-American approach, with ads during the show).


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## Sid_Barnhoorn (Aug 2, 2007)

With a buyout I won't receive 50% of all broadcast/performance fees worldwide I think. That's abit of the catch of the buyout. I do get royalties for everytime a dvd is sold or anything else.

They want to do a buyout so is $1200,- still acceptable or should I ask for more, per episode?

Thanks!
Sid


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## Ned Bouhalassa (Aug 2, 2007)

What you mean is that they want to have all the publishing broadcast royalties, which usually always end up being 50% of the overall royalties, unless you have your own publishing company or are associated with one. In which case, the productions company's publishing arm would get 25%, your publishing company would get another 25%, * AND YOU AS THE COMPOSER WOULD GET THE REMAINING 50% OF ROYALTIES*. This is not negociable. Don't underestimate how much you can get in royalties from this tv show, especially since it might play in Japan, Europe, etc.

A buyout usually means that they want to be able to use your music for any other show in the future. In that case, your fee is too low. The fee that you are suggesting, 1,200, would be only for the use of the music for this tv series, and for one season. If they want to use the same music again in subsequent seasons, they will have to negotiate a new contract. Of course, the opening and closing themes can be used for as many seasons as they want.


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## Sid_Barnhoorn (Aug 2, 2007)

Thanks Ned, I'm giving this info to them since they're fairly new to this as well but if all goes well it should work out!

Cheers,
Sid


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## Sid_Barnhoorn (Aug 2, 2007)

PS: I'm associated with Buma/Stemra which is the performance/broadcast company in the Netherlands.

Sid


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## Ned Bouhalassa (Aug 2, 2007)

Right, and the cue sheets that will be filled out contain sections where you specify who are the composer(s), their share of royalties (50%), and who are the publisher(s), and their share of royalties.


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## John DeBorde (Aug 2, 2007)

and just to throw it out there, see if you can negotiate incremental increases in your fee if the show is picked up for additional seasons. If the show is successful, it is likely that they will want to keep the team together that is making it a success, and hopefully you can get a little bump in upfront pay from that.

just a thought.

-john


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## synthetic (Aug 2, 2007)

Generally speaking, if music is for TV underscore then the composer retains the writer's share, but this is not true for feature films, right? So the PRO incomeòâD   ^!ªâD   ^!«âD   ^!¬âD   ^!­âD   ^!®âE   ^!‘âE   ^!’âE   ^!“âE   ^!”âE   ^!•âE   ^!–âE   ^!—âE   ^!˜âE   ^!™âE   ^!šâE   ^!›âE   ^!œâE   ^!âE   ^!žâE   ^!ŸâE   ^! âE   ^!¡âE   ^!¢âE   ^!£âE   ^!¤âF   ^!¯âF   ^!°âF   ^!±âF   ^!²âF   ^!³âF   ^!´âF   ^!µâF   ^!¶âF   ^!·âF   ^!¸âG   ^!¹âG   ^!ºâG   ^!»âG   ^!¼âG   ^!½âG   ^!¾âG   ^!¿âG   ^!ÀâG   ^!ÁâG   ^!ÂâG   ^!ÃâG   ^!ÄâG   ^!ÅâG   ^!ÆâG   ^!ÇâG   ^!ÈâG   ^!ÉâG   ^!ÊâG   ^!ËâG   ^!ÌâG   ^!ÍâG   ^!ÎâG   ^!ÏâG   ^!ÐâG   ^!ÑâG   ^!ÒâG   ^!ÓâG   ^!ÔâG   ^!ÕâG   ^!ÖâG   ^!×âG   ^!ØâG   ^!ÙâG   ^!ÚâG   ^!ÛâG   ^!ÜâG   ^!ÝâG   ^!ÞâG   ^!ßâG   ^!àâG   ^!áâG   ^!ââG   ^!ãâG   ^!äâG   ^!åâG   ^!æâG   ^!çâG   ^!èâG   ^!éâG   ^!êâG   ^!ëâG   ^!ìâG   ^!íâG   ^!î


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