On June 2, DGA members sat in with casting professionals from Central Casting and Assistant Directors Training Program Trainees for an AFTRA Contracts Breakfast seminar held at the Directors Guild-Producer Training Plan offices in Sherman Oaks, California. These seminars are designed to keep the DGA membership and trainees abreast of current management practices and contract updates.

This seminar, presented by Central Casting and hosted by the Directors Guild-Producer Training Plan, featured an in-depth exploration of the three prevailing AFTRA TV background contracts and how DGA members and casting professionals can make the best use of them. Although SAG and AFTRA have recently merged, the seminar focused specifically on the current AFTRA contracts, which are still in effect.

The seminar’s speakers were Central Casting’s Vice President Franklyn Warren, SAG-AFTRA’s Los Angeles Director of Entertainment Television David Besbris, and SAG-AFTRA’s Director of Production Services Terri Becherer. After a brief history of AFTRA at the start of the session and a detailed discussion of the contracts, the participants learned the answers to questions such as: how payment for multiple episodes with overtime is calculated; if stand-ins may be asked to read lines during camera blocking; what constitutes background work for singers and dancers; and what are the situations under which an AFTRA Cast Clearance must be submitted.

The session ended with the panelists answering questions submitted by the participants, and a raffle where several participants won a gift bag that contained an emergency preparedness kit or Paymaster software and a Central Casting hat.