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.
