Sports & Entertainment Beat

Many unsigned or independent music artists struggle to finance studio time, recording an album, touring the country or even promoting their music locally.  The struggle can push some artists to treat their talents like a hobby or even give up the dream of performing professionally. Others work full- or part-time jobs to raise the money themselves while playing small gigs for little pay. Some industrious artists use crowdfunding websites to raise the capital necessary to fund their talent.

After three extensions and close to two months of negotiations, SAG-AFTRA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (“AMPTP”), a trade association of Hollywood’s largest production companies, reached a tentative deal on a new three year master contract covering film and television on Friday, July 4, 2014.  The negotiations were led by Carol Lombardini for AMPTP and David White for SAG-AFTRA and resulted in a new 2014 Producers-SAG-AFTRA Codified Basic Agreement and an industry-wide 2014 SAG-AFTRA Television Agreement (together, the “Agreement”).