RECORDING SCALES

THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURE AND TELEVISION FILM
August 14, 2005 -- February 25, 2009

THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES
Overtime is in 15-minute increments. Pension is paid at 10% of scale wages. H&W Contributions are $20.34 per day

TELEVISION FILMS
Overtime is in 15-minute increments. Pension is paid at 10% of scale wages. H&W Contributions are $20.34 per day

LOW BUDGET THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES & TELEVISION FILM 
Must be pre-approved by AFM no later than 96 hours prior to the first scoring session. 
Overtime is in 15-minute increments and is calculated as detailed above. 4% Vacation Pay not required. 
Pension is paid at 11% of scale wages. H&W Contributions are $20.34 per day.

Other Thresholds:
TV Films produced for basic cable and long-form television motion pictures (90+ minutes) - $5 million per programming hour
TV Films initially released to videocassette that are 61+ minutes - $7.5 million per programming hour
TV Films produced for pay cable - $5 million

LEADER - Required on all sessions and paid at 200% of scale.
When only one recording musician is called for a session, he/she shell be paid double the Recording Musician's rate to perform alone.

CONTRACTOR - If ten (10) of more musicians incl. leader are employed for any session, a contractor shall be employed. The minimum pay for a contractor shall be twice the minimum rate of pay applicable to the non-doubling recording musicians.

OVERTIME (Paid in 15 minute increments)

• 150% of scale for work done beyond hold hour, between 8:00A and 12:00A
• 165% of scale for work done beyond hold hour, between 12:00a and 8:00a
• 120% of scale for work done in 7th hour of recording, within 8-hour span before 12:00a
• 200% of scale for work done beyond 8-hour span, between 12:00a and 8:00a

HOLD HOUR
The Producer may hold the musician for one (1) hour beyond a single session or a guaranteed longer call. If musician is so held, or if work is performed in such hold hour, it shall be paid for at the straight time rate in units of fifteen (15) minutes. For time beyond the hold hour, see Overtime. If a musician notifies the contractor that he or she cannot stay beyond the hold hour, it will not be the musician’s responsibility to secure the services of a replacement.

DOUBLE SESSIONS
A double session shall be completed within eight (8) hours, with not less than 1 hour between sessions. Two single sessions shall not be called in the same day in lieu of a double session, in order to circumvent the time spread penalty.

INSTRUMENTAL DOUBLES
1st Double - 50% of basic rate / 25% for sideline sessions
2nd and each subsequent Double - 20% of basic rate / 10% for sideline sessions
The following groups of instruments are not construed as doubles:

• Piano and celeste
• Drummer's standard outfit
• Tympani
• Mallet Instruments (Xylophone, Bells, Marimbas)
• Latin Rhythm Instruments

Any combination of instruments not listed above is to be construed as doubling.
For electronic devices, please see below.

PRODUCTION/REHEARSAL MUSICIANS
Overtime is in 15-minute increments. Any work after midnight is paid at 150%

SIDELINE MUSICIANS
Minimum call is for 8 hours of work

GENERAL CONDITIONS FOR SIDELINE MUSICIANS
A Leader is required when 2 or more Sideline Musicians are employed. Leader shall receive 100% extra of scale.
A Contractor/Orchestra Manager is required if 10 or more sideline musicians are employed - he/she shall receive 100% extra of scale.

All work hours must be consecutive (except that a one-hour meal period, deductible from work time, will be allowed in nine hours).

Meal periods shall not be less than one-half hour nor more than one hour. Not more than one meal period shall be deducted from work of time of call, and subsequent meal period not later than 6 hours after termination preceding meal period.

Any work after 8 hours is paid at 150% per 15 minutes. 
Work between midnight & 1:00am: add'l 10% premium.
Work between 1:00am & 6:00am: add'l 20% premium.

Except for "leak through", if a sideline musician records, he/she shall be paid for a minimum of one recording session in addition to 100% of the sideline rate.
A musician who performs live recording on camera within a three-hour session will be paid the recording scale for a minimum three-hour session in addition to any other payments he/she would be entitled.

Instrumental Doubles - 25% for first double; 10% for each add'l double

Wardrobe Allowance: $30.00 (allowance for tuxedo or white tie and tails)
Wardrobe Change: $10.00 for 1st change & $15.00 for each add'l.
Wardrobe Removal: Whenever a sideline musician turns in wardrobe or property on time which he/she is not otherwise compensated, he/she shall be paid a wardrobe allowance of thirty minutes at the regular hourly rate for that day. If more than one-half hour is required, he/she shall be paid for such excess time in units of 15 minutes.

Calls may be cancelled for any of the following reasons only: 1) Illness in principal cast; 2) Fire, flood, or other similar catastrophe; 3) Governmental regulations or other issues due to a national emergency. In the event of a cancellation, the musician so cancelled shall be entitled to a one-half check, EXCEPT if the musician is notified of the cancellation before 6:00PM of the day previous to the work date by the same or any other producer, HE/SHE SHALL NOT BE ENTITLED TO SUCH ONE-HALF CHECK.

ELECTRONIC MUSICAL DEVICES
At the Producer’s election, a musician who is employed to play an electronic musical device shall be paid at either “real time rates” (i.e. regular scale) OR at the Multi-Tracking Rate. 

The use of electronic devices such as multiplex, maestro, octave dividers, etc., will be treated as a double if used to simulate other sounds in addition to the normal sounds of the instrument to which the device is attached.

Use of multiple electronic musical devices, as in conjunction with any electronic musical instrument such as synthesizers, EVI, or EWI, shall count in the aggregate as three doubles.

CARTAGE
Producer shall specify method of transportation, either by public or private transportation. If public transportation is the only practical manner of transportation, Producer has the option of designating the qualified public carrier and shall pay the cartage bill of the designated public carrier. If the musician uses a carrier other than the one designated, the Producer shall not be liable for a cartage bill greater than the rate charged by the designated carrier.

$30.00 - Harp
$12.00 - String Bass, Tuba, Cello, Drums, all heavy or bulky amplifiers, Baritone Sax, Bass Sax, Contra-bass Clarinet, Contra Bassoon, Accordion, Baritone Horn, Contra Bass Trombone

MINUTES OF MUSIC
Motion Picture Film - There are no restrictions on how many minutes of finished music may be used from a recording session for MP Films.
Television Film - In a three hour session, not more than fifteen minutes of finished recorded music may be recorded. When more than the authorized amount of finished music is recording during a session, payment for the excess will be based on one-half hours pay for each two and one-half minutes of music.

SOUNDTRACKS
A B-4 Sound Recording Form is created with the release of a Motion Picture/TV Film Soundtrack. Payment is due when sales reach 15,000 units.

PAY-OFF REQUIREMENTS
Payments shall become due and payable within fifteen (15) business days following a session.

LATE PENALTIES (Written notice is required)
If payment is made more than:
15 but less than 31 business days, 6% of scale wages is due.
30 but less than 61 business days, 10% of scale wages is due.
60 but less than 91 business days, 50% of scale wages is due.
Additional 10% late payment charges shall acrue for each additional 30-day period in which payment is not made after written notice is given to the Producer.

GENERAL WORKING CONDITIONS - RECORDING SESSIONS
Rest Periods - 10 minutes per hour OR accumulate two 10-minute rest periods OR two 15-minute rest periods in a three hour session, instead of three 10-minute rest periods. Rest Periods may not begin sooner than 30 minutes from the beginning of the session. Musicians shall not be required to perform for more than 90 minutes.

Meal Period - A one-hour meal period shall be called no later than six hours after reporting for work. When more than six hours of recording occur without a break of at least one hour, a penalty of one hour at the minimum scale shall be paid to each musician.

Saturdays & Sundays - Weekends shall be treated as regular work days without any premium, UNLESS they are the employee's sixth or seventh consecutive day of work for the same Producer. In this case, the employee shall receive time and one-half for such sixth or seventh day worked.

Holidays - On the following legal holidays, employees shall receive double time scale: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.

Calls - All calls for recording Musicians shall be made not later than 6:00pm on the day preceding the call, except in emergency, and except that, at the end of any recording session, calls for the following day may be given to the Musicians. When the Producer has prior knowledge of a call for recording musicians, it will give advance notice of such call to the appropriate Federation Local.

Cancellation of Session(s) - A confirmed call for underscoring may be cancelled upon 96 or more hours notice. A call for pre-recording may be cancelled upon 48 or more hours notice.