The poll was done by BVR Services GmbH of CuDOS and Ghent University, commissioned by FERA – European Federation of Cinema Directors and FSE – Federation of European Screenwriters. The poll revealed data about remuneration and work life of European Audiovisual Authors.
Until now, there were no available data on the European Union´s Audiovisual Authors economic income. Such is directed towards the members of 57 professional organizations in 26 countries adhered to FERA and FSE, as well as a few rights management societies (CMOs) which are members of SAA – Society of Audiovisual Authors.
The poll showed that he average profile of a male or female Audiovisual Author is 46 years old, works 45 hours a week, 80% of their income are derived from their work in the audiovisual sector, has an average annual income of 19,000 euro, 85% are freelance authors, 36% are women and 64% are men.
Female and male authors have their financial peak being 50 years of age, but the average annual income from their work is of 20,750 euro for women and 29,009 euro for men. Female author’s ´income starts out almost at the same level as male, but as years go by the gap starts widening and female authors have to struggle with much lesser income until the end of their careers.
Another of the great issues which Authors face is the amount of unpaid works, especially in the phase of development and promotion. 38% of directors indicate that they have not received income for project developments in 2016, 36% were only remunerated once and only 26% always receive remuneration.
As well, 25% of directors highlight that they have difficulty getting to the end of the month with the income they receive. This is an issue which largely affects emerging authors, as 44% of them indicated having financial problems.
As a result, many Authors find themselves forced to have two or three additional sources of income in order to reach the end of the month. The poll reveals that 47% of them would not survive as Authors if it weren´t for the income received from other sources, 74% are financially insecure, 65% of them are unsatisfied with their work security, as 34% of Directors and 42% of Screenwriters hold a job outside the audiovisual sector.
Lastly, the most encouraging data is that 83% of Authors, which is 4 out of 5, indicate that even if the life of an Author is insecure, they wouldn’t like to drop out. This reflects that in spite of the obstacles which female and male authors have to overcome, they keep choosing the profession above all problematic.