DGA Reaches Tentative Deal Ahead of Strike

DGA Reaches Tentative Deal Ahead of Strike

In a piece of breaking news that will no doubt soothe the entertainment industry greatly, it appears that the DGA and the studios have reached a deal. Tentative, but still on the table and ready for final ratification. Here’s Brandon Blake, an entertainment attorney with Blake & Wang P.A., with the news.



Tentative Agreement Reached

With the WGA strike now entering its 34th day, and SAG-AFTRA due to head to the table with the AMPTP and vote on strike action in the next 48 hours, it’s a fraught time in Hollywood. However, at least one strike may be off the table. The prospective agreement for the DGA would see them enter a new 3-year deal, including a 76% increase in residuals from foreign platforms, a renewed focus on safety, an unprecedented reduction in hours to be worked, wage increases across the board, and some cautious controls on AI. The agreement is to be submitted to the DGA’s National Board for approval via a special meeting, due to be held this Tuesday.

Historic Deal

The DGA is calling the new deal a ‘historic’ one, with ‘significant improvements’ for guild members. There’s also the first-ever set of T&Cs for director teams on non-dramatic programs created for SVOD, including both variety and reality programming, and bringing Associate Directors and Stage Managers into the residual fold. It also includes historic first-time compensation for the ‘soft prep’ involved prior to the official prep period, and an additional shoot day for 1-hour length programming, the first to be added in 40 years. Greater studio transparency on residual reporting was also included.

There are some (legitimate) concerns that the exit of the DGA from the larger strike nexus is intended to put pressure on both SAG-AFTRA and the WGA to fold on their demands, as we saw in the 2007/2008 writer’s strikes. We’ve already seen the WGA weigh in that this will not be repeated this round, and it’s unlikely to be an empty threat. For now, however, there’s at least some positive news on the current strike climate to enjoy.

 

 

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