The Ultimate Guide to DGA Theatrical Rates

When your feature or short film production hires crew from the Directors Guild of America, you know your cast and crew are getting top notch expertise. With that level of excellence.comes a lot of terms like, completion of assignment pay, wrap allowance production fees, and other daunting details. So it is not just about the DGA rates alone. Whether you are shooting a feature film or a short film, this article will help guide you through, the information you need to know, when working with the DGA.

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Here is a layout of what you will find in the order of appearance:

• DGA Basic Agreement Theatrical Rates Table Directors
• DGA Theatrical Director Fringe Rates
• DGA Basic Agreement Theatrical Rates Table UPM, AD’s
• DGA Basic Agreement Completion of Assignment UPM, AD’s
• DGA Basic Agreement UPM, AD’s Fringe Rates
• DGA Low Budget Agreement Director Rates Table
• DGA Low Budget Agreement Levels 1-3 UPM, AD’s Rates Table
• DGA Low Budget Agreement Levels 1-3 UPM, AD’s Other Terms
• DGA Low Budget Agreement Level 4 UPM, AD’s Rates Table
• DGA Low Budget Agreement Level 4 UPM, AD’s Other Terms
• DGA Low Budget Agreement Extended Workdays

Important DGA rates and dates

Latest DGA rates effective July 1st, 2019 and remain in effect until June 30th, 2020. When the subsequent season DGA rates come in we will update our blog.

Basic Agreement is for films with budgets $11 million and over.

Shooting a feature film, Documentary or Short Film? You can always find the latest union rates on our website with our easy Union Rates Search tool.

DGA Rate Card for Film Directors Theatrical Basic Agreement Directors

6th and 7th Days Worked; Holidays Worked

The workweek for Studio locations is 5 days, with the 6th and 7th days off. The workweek for Distant locations is 6 days, with the 7th day off.

Film directors will be paid 1/5 of their weekly salary plus $3,609 for work on a 7th day in a workweek or on New Year’s Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, the day after Thanksgiving or Christmas Day. If compensation is less than $3,609 per day, then they are paid 200% of scale.

If required to work a 6th day studio, Directors will be paid 150% of actual pro rata daily salary or an additional 200% of scale, whichever is lower.

Pension & Health Employer Contributions:

Pension Plan 7%, Health Plan 10.5%

Pension & Health Ceilings:

Theatrical: Pension ceiling = $200,000; Health ceiling = $400,000

DGA Rate Card for Theatrical Basic Agreement UPM and AD's

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6th and 7th Days Worked; Holidays Worked

Extended Workday

Rest Periods

The rest period is 9 hours, if the rest period is invaded the employee receives ¼ days pay for every hour invaded.

UPMs, 1st ADs, Key 2nd ADs and 2nd 2nd ADs are entitled to an additional week’s salary upon completion of assignment if employed two or more consecutive weeks or 2 1/2 days salary if employed at least five consecutive days but less than two consecutive weeks. COA pay shall be based on actual (including overscale) salary paid, excluding production fee, extended day, and rest period invasion payments, and shall be computed by totaling all compensation earned (including upgrade salaries) and dividing the total thereof by the number of weeks worked.

No COA is paid for a hiatus of at least one week over Christmas/New Years so long as (1) the Employee receives unworked holiday pay for Christmas Day and New Years Day; (2) the hiatus is a maximum of two consecutive weeks; and (3) if on location, the Employer will provide travel to/from location or will provide per diem and housing if the Employer agrees that Employee remains on location.

Pension & Health Contributions

Pension Plan 7%, Health Plan 10.5%, Vacation 4%, Holiday Accrual 3.719%

Pension & Health Ceilings

Theatrical: Pension ceiling = $200,000, UPM Health ceiling = $350,000, AD’s Health ceiling = $250,000

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DGA Rate Card Theatrical Low Budget Directors

*For Second Unit Directors

DGA Rate Card Low Budget Theatrical UPM’s and AD’s

Low Budget Agreement Levels 1 - 3

**COA is Completion of Assignment

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Low Budget Level 4A $3.75M-5.5M

Low Budget Level 4B $5.5M-8.5M

Low Budget Level 4C $8.5M-11M

All Level 4: 6th and 7th Days Worked; Holidays Worked

Workweeks for all Low Budget levels for Directors, UPM’s, AD’s are the same as the Basic Agreement, Studio locations 5 day workweek, Distant locations 6 day workweek.

For studio locations, 5 day workweek, employees working on the 6th day get 150% of their daily salary including any production fee. Daily salary for weekly employees is ⅕ their weekly salary. Employees who work on the 7th day get 200% of their daily salary and production fee, if any.

For distant locations employees working on the 7th get an addition ⅕ of their studio salary and an addition ⅙ of their production fee. Distant weekly salaries equal 7/5 of the studio salary.

For Holidays worked employees get 200% of their daily pay, for holidays not worked employees get paid their daily pay.

Employer Fringe Contributions

Same as Basic Agreement:

• DGA Basic Agreement Theatrical Director’s Fringe Rates
• DGA Basic Agreement UPM, AD’s Fringe Rates

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