Directors Guild, studios reach contract deal

DIRECTORS GUILD, STUDIOS REACH CONTRACT DEAL
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Steve Gorman]
The Hollywood directors' union reached a contract deal with major film and television studios on Thursday -- five days after the Directors Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers opened formal talks. The Directors Guild deal contains a number of points addressing how directors should be compensated for work in new media, including provisions that essentially double the rate currently paid for Internet downloads, the union said. It also establishes new "residual" fees to directors for the reuse of material in the form of advertising-supported online streaming and video clips, the union said. "Two words describe this agreement -- groundbreaking and substantial," said Gil Cates, chairman of the Directors Guild's negotiating committee.
http://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSN1726376020080118

* In Tentative Deal, Directors Send Message
This is not the time to get hung up on new media.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/18/movies/18directors.html?_r=1&ref=today...

* Directors Guild Deal With Studios Could Point Way To Writers Pact
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/17/AR200801...

* Studios, directors in sync
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/life/20080118/wk_directors_deal18.a...

* Directors, studios make a deal
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-fi-strike18jan18,1,343...

* Why the DGA deal makes sense
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-oe-apted18jan18,1,24...

* Cue the writers
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-ed-dga18jan18,1,2983...