What does New Media Agreement mean?
New Media Agreement is the SAG-AFTRA contract that covers digital content, such as web series, streaming content, and other projects created for platforms like YouTube, Vimeo, and major streaming services. This agreement allows flexibility for smaller, lower-budget projects while still ensuring that union actors receive fair pay and benefits. It’s frequently used for independent productions or digital-first content. Pay structures vary depending on the project’s budget, and the agreement is ideal for those working within the indie film or web series space.
Key Points of the New Media Agreement:
- Flexible Pay Scales: The agreement allows lower-budget projects to hire SAG-AFTRA talent at rates that are affordable for independent creators.
- Streaming Platforms: Covers web-based and streaming content, making it a key contract for digital platforms like Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube.
- Residuals: Actors earn residuals for the use of their work on digital platforms, depending on the distribution and success of the project.
Negotiation Tips:
- Deferred Payment: Actors working on lower-budget new media projects can negotiate for deferred payments, especially when the project is expected to generate future revenue through streaming or sales.
- Profit Participation: For promising indie or streaming projects, actors can negotiate a percentage of profits if the project becomes successful.
- Ownership of Work: In certain cases, actors can negotiate to retain rights or co-ownership of the content they appear in, especially on smaller, independent productions.
Example:An indie web series creator used the New Media Agreement to hire SAG-AFTRA actors while staying within a tight budget, ensuring fair pay with the potential for deferred compensation.
Example: A filmmaker creating content for a major streaming platform used the SAG-AFTRA New Media Agreement, ensuring the actors received residuals for future streams.
Did You Know?
The New Media Agreement is often used by creators producing digital content for platforms like YouTube and Vimeo, as well as larger streaming services like Netflix and Hulu!
Learn More:
For more detailed information, visit the official SAG-AFTRA New Media Agreement page.
