As a member of the DGA you get their medical benefits, you can direct movies made by signatory companies, you will get paid no less than their agreed upon minimum and they will help you with any contract disputes.

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The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)

Aren't there also restrictions like having to hire SAG actors? I remember Lloyd Kaufman saying he had to quit the DGA to continue making Troma movies because they used non-SAG actors (or something like that).

Also, don't you need to have directed some big-budget features just to join the DGA?

Yes.

No.

I've been on sets where the cast is SAG and the director's team in non-union (I've directed several like that) but I've never been on a set with non-union cast done with the DGA. I've also worked on DAG/SAG shows where the crew was non-union. I imagine the negotiations can get complicated.

The budget of a movie doesn't matter to the DGA. For example: K. Smith and R. Rodriguez both directed small budget films and then were hired by a signatory company to direct DGA films.

If a signatory company wants to hire a director who isn't a member of the guild, they can. The director simply joins at that point.

do you have to be invited into the DGA thats what i heard about the SAG

Once a Shotta always a shotta.
Movies are the motion of words.
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flyingbuddhaproduction?gmail.com

quote:

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Originally posted by horrorfilmer

do you have to be invited into the DGA thats what i heard about the SAG

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Well, it's not really an invitation. But you do need to be hired by a signatory company, so maybe invite isn't all that bad a word for it. In other words you cannot just go to the DGA office, pay your dues and be a member,