SAG singing new toon

A new three-year agreement between the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), representing voice-over performers working in television animation, and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), representing 108 television animation producers, has been approved by the Guild’s National Board of Directors. The deal is a final version of one that was announced in August [AF 8/11/98], when it represented only 60 animation producers, and was still pending approval by SAG member performers. The contract gives voice-over performers immediate wage increases, starting with the basic session fee, up from $559 to $576. In addition, the residual formula payable for prime-time re-runs on Fox will immediately increase by 10% and then another 10% beginning the second year of the contract. The definition of an “interstitial bit” was expanded from 90 to 120 seconds, granting producers greater flexibility in the right to use excerpts in “generic” promos or in re-caps.” Animation studios represented in the deal include Disney, Warner Bros. and DreamWorks Television Animation. The deal has no impact on voice-over performers working in theatrical animation, as their work is covered by SAG’s Basic Theatrical Agreement.