While the WGA writers' strike still rages on

 

While the WGA writers' strike still rages on, the Directors Guild of America came to an agreement with Hollywood studios overnight to improve wages and streaming residuals.  The three-year contract ensures labor peace with one guild and avoids a possible strike by three guilds at once, as the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which bargains on behalf of the studios, will begin negotiations for a new contract with SAG-AFTRA, the guild that represents actors, on Wednesday. Writers and directors shared many of the same concerns regarding wages, residuals, and the use of artificial intelligence in the industry. The writers' demands are seen as more complex, as they seek greater job security and staffing minimums in writing rooms. The DGA's agreement will be heavily watched by SAG-AFTRA and the WGA to see what kind of barometer the stakes set. "We have concluded a truly historic deal," Jon Avnet, the chair of the D.G.A.'s negotiating committee, said in the statement. "It provides significant improvements for every director, assistant director, unit production manager, associate director, and stage manager in our guild."