A report by the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid highlights issues such as the gender gap, average salaries and the types of screenwriting (film or series)

This year's Goya for Best Screenplay winner A House on Fire, directed by Dani de la Orden and written by Eduard Sola

The ALMA Writers Guild, the DAMA Audiovisual Media Rights Management Organisation, the Audiovisual Screenwriters Associations (FAGA) and the SGAE Foundation have just presented The Screenwriting Profession in Spain, a report prepared by the University Institute of Spanish Cinema at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid under the direction of Professor Concepción Cascajosa. The study analyses the social and labour conditions of screenwriters working in film, series, programmes and documentaries in Spain. It is based on data gathered from 500 screenwriters who took part in a survey, supplemented by 40 in-depth interviews with active professionals.

The findings indicate that the profession is made up of 67.1% men and 32.1% women, and reveals a regional imbalance, with 54.7% of screenwriters living in Madrid and 19% in Barcelona. In terms of salary, six out of ten screenwriters earn a maximum of €30,000 per year, while only 18% earn more than €60,000. The irregular and intermittent nature of income forces many to combine screenwriting with other types of work: more than half (56%) are engaged in other professional activities within and outside the audiovisual sector. As a result, there is an urgent need for the implementation of the Artist Statute to ensure that taxation is adapted to their irregular income.

Screenwriters in Spain mainly work in series (57%) and film (50.6%), with fewer involved in documentaries (19.6%) and television programmes (17.1%). More than half (53.7%) work in at least two fields, with most common combination being film and series (28.6%). With film, the most common genres are comedy (17.7%) and drama (17.3%), followed by thriller (13.8%).

For those writing for series, the primary employers are subscription video-on-demand services, accounting for 46.4%, followed by state-owned channels with 41%. The highest percentage of high salaries is found in series, where 29.6% of screenwriters earn more than €60,000 per year. Copyright income plays a minor role for most screenwriters, with 66.3% earning a maximum of €3,000 net per year.

The research also shed lights on the concerns of Spanish screenwriters: one of their main demands is greater visibility for their work, as only a third feel adequately recognised by their employers. The report also explores screenwriters' perceptions of video-on-demand platforms. These services are seen as contributing to declining cinema attendance and a loss of rights, mainly due to a lack of transparency around viewing data. However, they are also viewed positively for having boosted employment and the improving the quality of Spanish productions. Spanish screenwriters are strongly in favour of regulating the use of generative AI, aligning with the demands of their counterparts in the United States. They stress the importance of ensuring that technological advances do not undermine creative professions such as screenwriting.

(Translated from Spanish)