The Directors Guild of America has voted to ratify a four-year contract intended to preserve members’ jobs amid a historic downturn in film and TV production.
Christopher Nolan, the DGA president, and Russell Hollander, the national executive director, told members Thursday that the contract had been approved “overwhelmingly.”
“Throughout this process, our focus was clear: protect our members, strengthen the Guild, and address the challenges facing our industry during a period of profound change,” the guild leaders wrote. “This incredible show of support from our membership for this new contract shows the strength of our unity and our solidarity.”
The deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers puts a limit on actors and other non-directors who want to direct television, allowing them to helm no more than two episodes per season. The provision, which includes various exceptions, is meant to preserve jobs for career TV directors.
The DGA also secured a promise that senior leaders from some of the major studios will lobby on behalf of a federal tax incentive “when it is strategically advantageous to do so.” A federal production subsidy is a high priority for Hollywood labor, and the unions are eager for the studios to participate fully in the campaign to pass it in Congress, rather than leaving the job solely to the Motion Picture Association.
The deal also includes increased contributions to the DGA health plan, which was on track to exhaust its reserves in 2030. The new contract increases health contributions from 11.25% of compensation to 14%, while also significantly raising health contribution caps.
In exchange, the DGA has agreed to recommend modifications in health benefits to the trustees of the plan, including a higher eligibility threshold and individual premiums. Those modifications were not included in the deal put before members, but must be implemented by Jan. 1, 2027, as a condition of receiving the increased employer contributions.
The deal also spells out that any footage generated by AI will be under a director’s control. The deal also calls for the implementation of an employer-funded “skills enhancement” program to train DGA members in the use of AI. The program is expected to be operational by the end of this year.
The studios also agreed to meet with the DGA if they license material for AI training, and to bargain about any potential compensation that may be due to DGA members — a term consistent with agreements previously reached with SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild of America.
The DGA has also been focused on extending union coverage for directors who work overseas. The union did not get anything firm on that front, but did agree to keep meeting with the studios to discuss the issue. The AMPTP also agreed to issue a bulletin reminding producers not to discriminate against DGA members when hiring for overseas productions.
The contract also includes a new credit — “Pilot Directed By” — that will be included in all on all subsequent episodes of a TV show. The credit is meant to acknowledge the role of the pilot director in establishing the style of the series by putting that director on level footing with a writer who gets a “Created By” or “Developed By” credit. Going forward, anytime a creator of a TV series is mentioned in a company press release, the pilot director must also be mentioned.
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