DGA is responding to the slump by restricting TV actors from taking directing jobs
The Directors Guild of America has written a provision into its new contract that limits TV series actors from directing episodes as it seeks to preserve jobs for career TV directors.
The provision is intended to address a 40% decline in manufacturing jobs over the past four years, which has left much of the union’s 19,500 members unemployed.
The DGA reached a preliminary agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers on Tuesday. The terms – released on Friday – also include other provisions aimed at protecting members’ jobs, as well as increases in contributions to the health fund and residual flows, and new provisions on artificial intelligence.
According to a union summary, the contract seeks to “preserve valuable episodic directing spots for career directors by limiting the number of episodes that can be directed by those who have no track record of directing and are already working in other capacities on a scripted series.”
An example of this could be Noah Wyle, the star of ‘The Pitt’ who directed an episode in the second season, although Wyle previously directed for other shows. The provision is intended to support career managers, while still allowing those who are serious about building a directing career to continue working.
The DGA has also focused on ensuring that its members are allowed to work on American productions that go abroad. Under the deal, the studios and the union will appoint a committee to study the application of the DGA contract outside North America.
The union has focused on lobbying for a federal tax incentive to bring productions back from abroad. Under the terms, the studios agreed that their top executives — and not just the Motion Picture Association — would participate in that lobbying effort.
The deal also includes updated provisions on AI, including a provision that all AI-generated footage remains under the control of a director. The deal also includes provisions requiring notice of any AI training and transparency about AI use, which are very similar to terms won by the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA. The contract also includes a new employer-funded program to help directors build their AI skills.
The studios agreed to pay higher contributions to the health care plan, in line with the rate of health inflation, and to increase the cap on wages to which premiums apply.
The deal also requires the DGA to scale back benefits in certain respects, for example by imposing monthly premiums. The full changes to the health plan will be made later by the plan administrators. Earlier this year, the WGA also agreed to significant increases in costs for members as the price for a substantial increase in employer contributions.
The four-year contract still needs to be ratified by the members.
