Directors Guild of America membership has voted by an overwhelming margin to ratify the new collective bargaining agreements between the DGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).
“I am happy to report that the DGA membership overwhelmingly voted to ratify the new contract,” said Paris Barclay, DGA president. “Our major gains in SVOD residuals, together with our improvements in wages and pensions, were the result of our forward-thinking preparation. With the groundwork already laid in previous negotiations, this new contract embodies what we knew was possible when we established our first New Media agreement nearly a decade ago. All our thanks go to our Negotiating Committee, led by co-chairs Michael Apted and Thomas Schlamme, and National Executive Director Jay Roth, as well as our Guild’s professional staff, for all their determination and hard work.”
Formal negotiations with the AMPTP began on Monday, December 5, and concluded three weeks later on Friday, December 23. Talks were led by Apted, Schlamme and Guild chief negotiator Roth. On December 29, the DGA’s National Board of Directors unanimously recommended sending the contract to members for ratification. Ratification voting opened on January 4, and the results were finalized tonight (1/25) after the deadline.
Gains include significant increases in SVOD residuals; increases in employer contributions to the pension plan; annual wage increases (2.5% in the first year, 3% in the second and third); increases in nearly all residuals bases; and a provision addressing the lack of TV directing opportunities for aspiring career directors. The new agreement also includes provisions addressing safety, improvements in creative rights–including expanded rights of members when their work is shown theatrically as well as provisions addressing late scripts–and specific advances that pertain to members of the director’s team.
The new contract’s three-year term will take effect on July 1, 2017 and will run through June 30, 2020.
Matthew Forrest Launches Commercial/Branded Content Production Company Cloud Forest
Producer Matthew Forrest has officially launched Cloud Forest, a Los Angeles-based video production company specializing in commercials and branded content, with additional capabilities in emerging formats like AI and VR.
With the mantra “Where your vision meets our production precision,” Cloud Forest aims to serve brands, agencies and networks with a blend of creativity and operational efficiency.
Forrest brings over 20 years of experience to Cloud Forest. His portfolio includes producing commercial content for Square, Aveeno, and Lyft, branded content series for KitchenAid, Pizza Hut, and Verizon, and projects like Mariah Carey’s “Keys of Christmas.” Forrest’s career highlight came at Endemol Shine, where he earned a Sports Emmy in 2018 for producing Life VR’s “Capturing Everest.”
“Leveraging my varied experiences in both traditional and digital formats, I’m excited to create content across a wide array of platforms with the partners I admire,” said Forrest. “Our focus is on delivering excellence in commercials and branded content, while also offering cutting-edge solutions in AI and VR when appropriate for our clients’ needs.”
Cloud Forest’s talent roster currently features long-time Forrest collaborators such as commercial directors Ben Pluimer, Michael Belcher, Clyde Bessey, Christopher Louie and Kevin K. Shah; director/photographer Shawn Corrigan; photographers Gabriela Oltean and Will Deleon; and creative directors Natalie Perry and Drew Grossman. The studio’s strength lies in curating the right team and accurately defining the necessary resources--budget, roles, and technology--allowing every project to meet its creative and business goals.
This approach has earned praise from industry... Read More