The Directors Guild of America (DGA) has introduced a clause in its new contract to prevent TV series actors from directing episodes, aiming to safeguard jobs for professional TV directors.
Protecting Director Roles
This measure addresses a 40% decline in production jobs over the past four years, impacting many of the union’s 19,500 members. The agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, reached on Tuesday and detailed on Friday, includes job protection clauses, increased health fund contributions, residuals, and new AI provisions.
The union's summary states the contract aims to reserve episodic directing roles for seasoned directors by restricting the number of episodes directed by those without a directing background who are otherwise engaged in scripted series roles.
Balancing Opportunities
An example is Noah Wyle, star of “The Pitt,” who directed an episode in its second season, although he has prior directing experience. This provision supports career directors while allowing aspiring directors to advance their careers.
The DGA has also prioritized ensuring its members can work on U.S. productions filmed abroad. A committee will explore applying the DGA contract outside North America. The union is advocating for a federal tax incentive to repatriate productions, with studios agreeing to involve top executives in these lobbying efforts.
AI and Health Provisions
The agreement updates AI provisions, including ensuring directors control AI-generated footage. It mandates AI training notifications and transparency, reflecting terms won by the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA. An employer-funded program will help directors enhance their AI skills.
Studios will increase health plan contributions, matching health inflation rates, and raise the cap on wages subject to these contributions. The DGA must reduce benefits in some areas, like introducing monthly premiums, with complete health plan changes to be determined by plan trustees.
The four-year contract awaits membership ratification.
Source: https://variety.com/2026/film/news/dga-deal-terms-tv-actors-jobs-directors-1236780373/
