DGA Board Backs 4-Year Studio Contract With 24.4% Health Contribution Increase
Updated
Updated · Deadline · Jun 13
DGA Board Backs 4-Year Studio Contract With 24.4% Health Contribution Increase
3 articles · Updated · Deadline · Jun 13
Summary
The Directors Guild’s national board unanimously recommended ratification of a new four-year contract with the AMPTP, sending the deal to members for a vote expected before the June 30 expiration.
Christopher Nolan said the agreement targets three priorities—health-plan stability, job protection and AI safeguards—as Hollywood faces rising healthcare costs, unemployment and broader industry contraction.
A 24.4% increase in employer health-plan contributions anchors the benefits package, alongside higher contribution caps plus wage and residual gains broadly in line with WGA and SAG-AFTRA deals.
AI and employment terms go further in some areas: directors keep authority over AI-generated footage, studios will fund a skills program, and new limits aim to curb directing slots being absorbed by multi-hyphenates without directing track records.
The pact also includes a studio sideletter backing lobbying for a federal production tax incentive, a ban on excluding DGA members from directing jobs outside the U.S. and Canada, and a new 'Pilot Directed by' credit.
With production down 40%, will this deal's job protections create real opportunities or just increase costs for studios?
Is the new 'Pilot Directed by' credit a true career boost or just a symbolic nod to directors?
As AI evolves from tool to creator, how will directors legally maintain authority over AI-generated scenes?
DGA Recommends 4-Year Deal: AI Safeguards, Health Plan Boosts, and International Work Access for 19,500 Members
Overview
On June 12, 2026, the DGA Board recommended a new four-year contract, setting the stage for members to review its terms. The agreement features minimum salary increases—2.5% in the first year and 3% in each following year for most roles—while directors on certain network programs receive a steady 2.5% annual raise. Although the DGA cannot directly negotiate federal tax incentives, the contract includes a sideletter requiring studios to involve senior executives in lobbying for such incentives. These measures aim to boost compensation and expand opportunities for DGA members, reflecting the Guild’s focus on both immediate and long-term benefits.