Skip to content
CGMagazine
  • News
  • ArticlesExpand
    • Buyers Guides
    • Features
    • Interviews
    • Previews
    • Spotlight
    • The Vault
  • ReviewsExpand
    • Game Reviews
    • Comic Reviews
    • Anime Reviews
    • Book Reviews
    • Tabletop Reviews
    • Hardware Reviews
    • Music Reviews
    • Movie Reviews
    • TV Reviews
  • Guides
  • Magazine
  • MediaExpand
    • Podcasts
    • Video
    • Sound Off
    • First Fifteen
    • Weekly Goods
    • Video Interviews
    • Video Reviews
  • Store
  • Newswire
Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
CGMagazine
SAG-AFTRA Voice Actors' Union Negotiating Agreements for Smaller Games

SAG-AFTRA Voice Actors’ Union Negotiating Agreements for Smaller Games

  • Ana Valens Ana Valens
  • October 4, 2016
  • 2 Minute Read

In recent years, the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (or SAG-AFTRA for short) has been pushing for better support for voice actors within the gaming industry. Last October, SAG-AFTRA found overwhelming support among union members to strike in solidarity with demands for such measures as vocal stress compensation and performance bonuses, as well as more transparency about voice acting requirements. Now, SAG-AFTRA is negotiating agreements for low-budget titles, according to the union’s official website.

For any titles with a budget of $250,000 or under, the agreement is meant to be a contract “that allows independent producers on a limited budget to produce games using union talent.” The union notes that they are currently “negotiating the agreements with qualifying producers following an approved template that includes vocal stress language and a provision for secondary compensation,” which is certainly major progress from last year’s concerns.

A sample agreement is currently online for any interested producers and employers. Several new terms have been added. For one, agreements are signed on a One Production Only basis, and an employer “loses the right to use all VO / talent assets for productions that exceed the terms, budget or time limits set forth” in the contract. Performers cannot be engaged for more than 6 months, and a set rate of $825.50 USD for four hours has been introduced. Also, motion and performance capture are not allowed under the agreement, protecting voice actors from overuse. Those intending to do so must contact the SAG-AFTRA offices for performance capture terms and conditions.

As Gamasutra notes, the agreement comes after ongoing concerns with voice actors’ working conditions within the industry. According to reporter Chris Kerr, SAG-AFTRA, “requested that the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health open an investigation into the workplace conditions of video game voice acting,” meaning that the agreement comes as an attempt to make employers agree to better working conditions for performers.

All things considered, the terms set forward sound very reasonable. Voice actors are an invaluable asset of game production, and the work involved can be extremely stressful. The industry has a responsibility to treat voice actors with the utmost transparency and respect. One hopes producers agree.

Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on linkedin
Share on reddit
Ana Valens

Ana Valens

Reporter @DailyDot. Follow for articles, reporting, and new stories.
All Articles

Must Read

Samsung Reveals Galaxy S21 Lineup at Unpacked 2021 5

Samsung Reveals Galaxy S21 Lineup at Unpacked 2021

ASUS ROG Line Expands With RTX 30 Series and 11th Gen Intel CPUs 12

ASUS ROG Line Expands With RTX 30 Series and 11th Gen Intel CPUs

Star Wars Open World Game In Development With Ubisoft's Massive Entertainment

Star Wars Open World Game In Development With Ubisoft’s Massive Entertainment

MORE FROM Ana Valens

Blasters of the Universe Shows Virtual Reality Can Make You Break a Sweat

Blasters of the Universe Preview: Virtual Reality Can Make You Sweat

Splatoon 2 Preview (Dummy Draft)

PAX Preview: Splatoon 2 – The Big Gun on The Nintendo Switch

New Iron Fist Trailer Peeks Into Upcoming World 1

New Iron Fist Trailer Peeks Into Upcoming World

Nintendo 2016 Financial Report Shows Strong Numbers 1

Nintendo Showed Significant Financial Growth In 2016

CGMagazine Logo

Advertise with us
Jobs @ CGMagazine
© 2020 CGMagazine Publishing Group

Facebook
Twitter
Youtube
Linkedin
Instagram
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • About Us
  • Policies
  • Jobs
  • Contests
  • CNW News
Menu
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • About Us
  • Policies
  • Jobs
  • Contests
  • CNW News
  • News
  • Articles
    • Buyers Guides
    • Features
    • Interviews
    • Previews
    • Spotlight
    • The Vault
  • Reviews
    • Game Reviews
    • Comic Reviews
    • Anime Reviews
    • Book Reviews
    • Tabletop Reviews
    • Hardware Reviews
    • Music Reviews
    • Movie Reviews
    • TV Reviews
  • Guides
  • Magazine
  • Media
    • Podcasts
    • Video
    • Sound Off
    • First Fifteen
    • Weekly Goods
    • Video Interviews
    • Video Reviews
  • Store
  • Newswire
Search