Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1541667
30 SAG-AFTRA | Fall/Winter 2025 | sagaftra.org For Members S AG-AFTRA has rolled out a new Verticals Agreement, a new media contract specifically created for the unique needs of serialized micro-dramas designed for mobile screens. The Verticals Agreement covers productions with budgets under $300,000 and is tailored to address the fast pace and tight budgets of vertical storytelling, while maintaining strong protections for SAG-AFTRA members. Designed for phones and social feeds, this agreement is powering the evolving landscape of serialized storytelling, giving SAG-AFTRA performers protection and providing flexibility for creators and producers. "Our members are always on the lookout for good work opportunities. As technology develops and our industry looks for creative ways to engage audiences, new formats emerge. SAG-AFTRA perceives the advent of so-called 'verticals' as an exciting new space. This fast-evolving format is catching on, and we are here to support our performers as they pursue their craft and engage this new business model. By offering a contract that is tailored to the unique needs of these projects, our union is meeting the moment. As the business of verticals experiences substantial growth, so too will our relationship with the producers," said SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin. "We're thrilled to introduce an agreement that reflects the way today's audiences consume content while ensuring performers are protected and supported. This agreement works for the realities of these productions — their pace, their budgets and their creative ambitions, while upholding the union's core standards of actor protections," said National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland. "Verticals are more than just a new format; they open up more opportunities for new stories to be told, reaching new audiences every single day." For more information on SAG-AFTRA's new Verticals Agreement, go to sagaftra.org/verticals. Turning the Industry on Its Side: SAG-AFTRA Goes Vertical With New Agreement What's a Vertical? A "vertical" is a short-form, episodic drama that is filmed vertically to be viewed on smartphones. Episodes often last one to two minutes and can be watched on the go. They are typically feature a lot of cliffhangers to keep viewers coming back for more. Streaming Fund Starts Delivering Payments Fund Generates Over $1 Million in Compensation O n Sept. 12, SAG-AFTRA announced that the SAG-AFTRA-Producers Success Bonus Distribution Fund would begin distributing over $1 million in bonuses to eligible members. The Fund, conceptualized during the 2023 TV/ Theatrical/Streaming negotiations and championed by then-SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher, is a way to allow a broad range of performers to benefit from the revenue generated from highly successful high-budget subscription streaming shows. Using methodology recommended by the TV/Theatrical Standing Committee, the union trustees successfully negotiated to expand the pool of recipients to include certain eligible performers who do not typically receive residuals. Drescher's innovative streaming bonus was the union's first-ever collectively bargained source of payment that is neither residuals nor primary compensation. It functions to reward performers of successful shows whose compensation was previously not directly linked to their show's success.