As the ongoing strike in the video game sector continues, SAG-AFTRA has announced two new agreements intended to broaden opportunities for collaboration between developers and union performers. The Student Interactive Waiver Agreement and the Game Jam Waiver Agreement have been introduced to accommodate developers at various stages of their careers, from students to independent creators.
The Student Interactive Waiver Agreement is aimed at students currently enrolled in video game-related courses at accredited educational institutions. This contract enables student developers to work with SAG-AFTRA performers on projects required for their coursework. To qualify, the project must be entirely recorded within the United States, owned by the student, and meet additional outlined criteria.
The Game Jam Waiver Agreement caters to developers participating in game jam events, which involve teams collaborating intensively over a short period to create video games around a set theme. Projects covered under this agreement must not include pre-recorded material. While session fees and secondary payments are deferred for non-revenue-generating projects, any revenue-generating projects will be transitioned to the appropriate union agreement with SAG-AFTRA’s assistance.
These waivers are the latest additions to SAG-AFTRA’s existing suite of agreements, which includes the Tiered-Budget, Interim, and Interactive Localization agreements—each designed to allow union-compliant development during the strike. The union reports that over 180 games have already been signed under the interim and tiered-budget agreements.
Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, SAG-AFTRA’s National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator, said the new waivers serve to support aspiring developers while upholding the union’s standards:
With these new agreements, SAG-AFTRA can help support game developers at all levels who want to work with union talent and who want to learn more about producing video games under a union contract. Plus, our members are passionate about this industry and they want to be able to participate in these types of projects where the future of video games is being shaped.
Meanwhile, Sarah Elmaleh, Chair of SAG-AFTRA’s Interactive Media Agreement Negotiating Committee, highlighted the importance of these collaborative opportunities:
With their restless creativity and freedom to experiment, student projects and game jams are especially playful and rewarding opportunities for devs and actors to collaborate. I’m thrilled that these collaborations can now be accommodated on a union contract just for them, so performers get the protections they need and developers can become accustomed to union talent and process from day 1 of their career.
