DGA National Executive Director Jay D. Roth announced today that the Guild’s National Board has approved new single picture agreements for productions made for the internet.
"The DGA is committed to nurturing the development of internet productions utilizing DGA talent while at the same time protecting the economic interests and creative rights of our members," said Roth. "These new agreements will do that by allowing Guild members to be protected by a DGA contract while working on current projects for the internet."
The flexibility of the new internet agreements is similar to the Guild’s Low Budget Film Agreements, which allow DGA directors working on low and moderately budgeted projects to use the talents of other DGA members on their directing teams and still be protected by a collective bargaining agreement. These agreements make it possible for many independent directors to come under the protection of the DGA.
Through the new internet agreements, the Guild hopes to encourage the burgeoning world of direct-to-internet productions by allowing Internet companies seeking the talents of DGA directors and their team members to become signatory to a DGA agreement.
For that reason, the Guild is offering these special arrangements for a limited time, until the economics of internet production and distribution become clearer. One feature of the agreement is that there is no residual compensation for free internet use. At the same time, these agreements will help the Guild monitor economic developments in this area.
Although highly flexible in budgetary concerns, these agreements will serve the purpose of protecting DGA members in the areas of basic creative rights, credits, and pension and health benefits as guaranteed under the DGA Basic Agreement and Freelance Live and Tape Television Agreement.
Furthermore, the new agreement requires that signatory internet companies provide all DGA members with a deal memo and sets up the rules for residual compensation should the project migrate to other markets such as theatrical, television or home video.
