A video game developer can now bring in a union actor before the game gets the green light. On Nov. 5, SAG-AFTRA introduced the Pre-Funding Pitch Interactive Media Agreement, giving developers a way to hire professional voice and motion performance talent for materials they’ll use to raise production funding.
The agreement covers trailers, teasers, sizzle reels, demos and playable prototypes. It also covers a vertical slice, a short, polished segment that shows how the finished game might look, sound and play. For a team pitching a character-driven game, that means a potential backer can hear the character and see the performance while the rest of the game is still on the drawing board.
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SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin said the agreement lets developers bring in professional performers earlier to strengthen their pitches. Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the union’s national executive director and chief executive officer, said the agreement simplifies hiring union talent at a stage when developers are competing for backing.
To qualify, a project can have no more than 30% of its initial production funding secured. The material must be made solely to raise production funding, and it can’t give the impression of a complete game, be released commercially or be made available for public viewing or play. The agreement also excludes material released as part of a crowdfunding campaign and pitches seeking milestone funding.
Developers who fall outside the standard criteria can ask about a waiver at interactive@sagaftra.org. Application details are available through the SAG-AFTRA Production Center.
