Members of the Directors Guild of America (DGA) have approved the four-year agreement negotiated with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) in the spring by an overwhelming majority. This means that the agreement reached in June has now been officially ratified and will come into force in the coming days.

DGA President Christopher Nolan and National Executive Director Russell Hollander emphasised the unity of the membership in a joint statement. The negotiations had focused on protecting the creative profession and adapting to far-reaching structural changes in the industry – particularly in relation to the use of artificial intelligence and changing production conditions.

Following the conclusion of the round of negotiations, the AMPTP also highlighted its constructive cooperation with the DGA and the trade unions WGA and SAG-AFTRA. The agreements reached would offer members substantial improvements whilst also ensuring greater stability in the US entertainment industry.

Key provisions of the new contract

A key element of the agreement concerns the use of artificial intelligence in film and television production. In future, control over AI-generated material will remain explicitly with the director. In addition, an employer-funded training programme is to be introduced to train DGA members in the use of AI technologies; this is expected to launch before the end of this year.

Furthermore, the agreements stipulate that, in future, studios must consult with the DGA when licensing AI training data. This will also involve examining potential remuneration models for members. The arrangement is in line with similar agreements previously reached with the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and SAG-AFTRA.

Another key issue concerns the funding of members’ health insurance. Employer contributions are set to rise from the current 11.25 per cent to 14 per cent of remuneration. This adjustment is intended to ensure the long-term stability of the health scheme, whose reserves would otherwise have been exhausted by 2030.

Occupational safety and new industry regulations

To strengthen the professional role of directors, the contract also includes a restriction on non-directing creative staff who direct episodes in television productions. In future, they will be permitted to direct a maximum of two episodes per series.

Another new feature is the so-called „Pilot Directed By“ credit. In future, this is to appear in all subsequent episodes of a series, highlighting the creative contribution made by the director of the pilot episode. This brings this role more into line with that of the writer, similar to the „Created By“ or „Developed By“ credits.

In addition, the studios have undertaken to support political discussions on nationwide tax incentives for film and television productions.

Classification

With the ratification of the agreement, the DGA continues the series of recent collective bargaining agreements in Hollywood, which already includes the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA. The focus is increasingly on the regulation of AI technologies and on safeguarding working standards in a rapidly changing production landscape.