The mobile-screen boom just got a serious shake-up: SAG-AFTRA has launched the new “Verticals Agreement” for short-form serialized drama under mobile budgets. But as the union sets the deal in motion, the industry’s asking: What about stunts, simulated intimacy, and all the things vertical shows love to include?
📜 So What Is the “Verticals” Agreement?
- The contract covers productions with budgets under $300,000 that are created for mobile-first/vertical formats.
- The idea: give actors union status even on smaller-scale mobile projects; minimum rates, protections, credit rights.
In short: the vertical story boom just got professional.
🚀 Why It Matters – And Why It’s Already Causing Headaches
âś… For Actors & Key Crew
You finally have a path to do mobile-first drama without being non-union. That’s huge if you’re serious about your craft and credits.
âś… For Producers
You now have a contract avenue for micro-dramas with union backing — which means you can attract bigger talent, better crew.
⚠️ But… Big Questions Remain
- The budget limit is real. If you’re pushing hard for action or intimacy scenes, you might not qualify for this deal.
- This means either: you scale down your show or you step out of this lane.
- The fast-turn, low-budget model often lives on shortcuts and flexibility — this contract brings structure, and structure can mean slower, costlier shoots.
🎠The Big Gaps: Stunts & Simulated Intimacy
Here’s where the union’s new playbook might not yet meet the vertical world’s reality:
- According to the existing micro-budget agreement, hazardous stunts or those requiring a stunt coordinator are not allowed under that deal.
- Simulated sex and romantic intimacy are undefined territory in the new vertical contract. Many vertical dramas thrive on romantic, sexy, or even steamy beats—and nobody yet has clear guidance on how the new agreement will handle that.
- So, what happens when a micro-drama has a chase sequence or a surprise rooftop stunt? Or the kind of “vertical romance” moments that are key to many platforms? Do you escalate budget? Do you turn the action into “suggestive” instead of “stunt”? Will your drama—built to sizzle in 90 seconds—have to cool its jets?
The industry is asking: Will we see vertical shows move away from big romance and real action? And will the audience actually accept that? Because if viewers tune in for drama and intensity, a contraction in either might hurt retention.
đź”® Our Take: The Vertical Deal Just Became More Serious
We’re big fans of vertical storytelling — fast, mobile-first, democratized. But stories still need craft, and people still need protection. This new SAG-AFTRA deal is a step in the right direction. It raises the bar. Good.
But: if your budget is tight and you count on stunts or heavy intimacy, you might find yourself hitting a wall — or forced to choose compromises.
Platforms beware: if you keep the “cheap, fast” model without reputation or ethics, union rules and anxious creators will push back.
Producers: this could be your moment. Or your reckoning.
