Infinity and Beyond

After only 6 days The Directors Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) has concluded negotiations over a three-year agreement that includes the following:

1) Increase both wages and residual bases for each year of the contract.
2) Establish DGA jurisdiction over programs produced for distribution on the Internet.
3) Establish a new residuals formula for paid Internet downloads (electronic sell-through) that essentially doubles the rate currently paid by employers.
4) Establish residual rates for ad-supported streaming and use of clips on the Internet.

-Wired

The WGA has been trying for 6 months to secure a deal but they have lost focus according to AMPTP President Nick Counter who said“The formal negotiations that led to this agreement were preceded by weeks of tough and candid informal discussions. In the end, though, both parties were determined to focus on the core issues that are most important to all of us.” Counter assumedly is referencing the non-core issues of animation and reality television that the WGA has brought to the table and remain a sticking point due to the fact that the AMPTP refuses to negotiate about them.

Specifics of the finances can be found at the Hollywood Reporter. If the WGA could set animation and reality programming aside they might be able to reach similar terms but I’m pessimistic about them getting anything but an equal or lesser deal. Not that I support chastising the WGA for the strike, and for the most part have remained supportive of the Guild, but at this point the deal the DGA has gotten looks like their best bet and the longer they wait the worse I see the deal getting.

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