Directors Reach Agreement with the AMPTP

So... the expectation was that the Writers Guild strike would affect the negotiations with the Directors (and AFTRA, one of the actors unions) and that all three guilds would be on strike by the middle of February if the AMPTP (the producers union) didn't get an agreement with the writers.

Well... The DGA has reached an agreement that is quite good for the directors, and now there is a question of whether a similar agreement will be amenable to the writers...

DGA touted a trio of new-media gains:
Establishing DGA jurisdiction over programs produced for distribution on the Internet;
Boosting the residuals formula for paid Internet downloads (electronic sell-through) by double the current rate;
And establishing residual rates for ad-supported streaming and use of clips on the Internet.

“This was a very difficult negotiation that required real give and take on both sides,” said DGA president Michael Apted said in a statement. “Nonetheless, we managed to produce an agreement that enshrines the two fundamental principles we regard as absolutely crucial to any employment and compensation agreement in this digital age: First, jurisdiction is essential. Without secure jurisdiction over new-media production -- both derivative and original -- compensation formulas are meaningless. Second, the Internet is not free. We must receive fair compensation for the use and reuse of our work on the Internet, whether it was originally created for other media platforms or expressly for online distribution.”

That last paragraph gives the general reason for the issues that caused the writers strike.

Also, read that with the knowledge that with producers now having to pay a director (and potentially a writer and actors) for the use of material on the internet... the cost of those shows will go up.

But then, maybe we'll actually get shows!