SAG-AFTRA Introduces New Agreements for Collaboration with Students and Game Jams

SAG-AFTRA, a union representing over 160,000 media professionals, has introduced two new agreements to enable its members to collaborate with students and game jam participants. The Student Interactive Waiver Agreement and the Game Jam Waiver Agreement provide video game developers at all stages of their careers with the opportunity to work with union performers, despite the ongoing video game strike. The Student Interactive Waiver Agreement applies to students enrolled in video game courses at accredited educational institutions in the US, allowing them to work with SAG-AFTRA performers to meet course requirements during game development. The Game Jam Waiver Agreement is designed for developers participating in game jams, enabling them to work with union performers with deferred session fees and secondary payments, provided the project does not generate revenue. If a game jam project does generate revenue, SAG-AFTRA will work with participants to sign the project to the appropriate agreement. According to SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, these new agreements will support game developers at all levels who want to work with union talent and learn about producing video games under a union contract. He added that SAG-AFTRA members are passionate about the industry and want to participate in projects that are shaping its future. The introduction of these agreements comes after SAG-AFTRA voted to strike in July due to unresolved rights and protection concerns related to the industry's use of AI technologies. Earlier this month, SAG-AFTRA provided an update on the strike, stating that it remained far apart from video game studios and publishers.