SAG-AFTRA and the Studios reached a tentative four-year contract on May 2. The deal includes new AI guardrails on top of the 2023 digital-replica rules. The Board votes this week. The Directors Guild starts its own talks May 11. Most of the coverage is HR-side or labor-side. Here is the working creator read. What changed The current contract did not expire until June 30. SAG-AFTRA agreed to a fourth year to lock the AI rules in early. That means the line for AI in commercial filmmaking is now set through 2029-2030. What this means in the cutting room Working editors and post-production crews should read the actual deal language when it goes public. The 2023 rules covered "digital replicas." The 2026 rules build on that. We do not have the specifics yet. But the framing matters. A four-year horizon means the guardrails define the operating window. Productions in pre-production this fall will be the first ones inside the new rules. What I am watching - The Board votes in the coming days. That is when the language goes public. - The DGA talks on May 11. Directors hold the next AI rules card. - The first production to publicly run inside the new rules. The bigger picture Six months ago we were talking about whether AI would have rules in Hollywood. Now we are talking about which rules. That is progress. Working actors, editors, and crews now have a frame to plan against. Producers have a frame to budget against. Studios have a frame to commit to. The art is going to keep moving. The rules just told us where the lines are. Discussion What is the one specific question you want answered when the deal language goes public this week? Drop it below. Founding Members are getting the full multi-model routing playbook this week, including the new Alibaba HappyHorse-1.0 model that just took the #1 spot on the video Elo leaderboard. If you are routing shots between Veo, Kling, Runway, and Seedance, the playbook is the upgrade.

I just posted something I've been working on for a while, a video that explains exactly what AIography is, where it's going, and why I built it. The short version: I've spent 40 years editing at Warner Brothers, Sony, Disney, HBO, and Netflix. I was there when Avid replaced film. I consulted on Final Cut Pro before it had a name. Every time a transformative technology hit, I watched the same thing happen: everyone focused on the shiny new thing and forgot about the craft. It's happening again with AI. And almost nobody is talking about story. That's what this community is about. 🎬 Watch the video below. If what I'm saying resonates, I'm now offering a Founding Member tier for $29/month, or pay annually and get two months free. Locked in for life. Full access to everything I'm building: courses, live workshops, Lumarka early access, and direct access to me. This window won't stay open forever. Head to the Classroom and hit the Founding Member upgrade. Then come back here and introduce yourself. I want to know who's in the room.

Before you jump in, there’s one important thing to understand about this community. AIography exists to explore how AI is reshaping filmmaking, storytelling, and creative workflows from script to screen. This is a place for learning, sharing experiments, asking smart questions, and helping each other navigate a rapidly changing creative landscape. To help keep the signal high and reduce spam, posting is unlocked once you reach Level 2. You’ll get there quickly by engaging in discussions, reacting to posts, and participating thoughtfully. What this community is NOT: - A place to pitch “make money” schemes - A place to drop affiliate links, funnels, or cold offers - A place to self-promote unrelated products or services If your first instinct after joining is to sell something, this is not the right room for you. What is encouraged: - Thoughtful discussion around AI tools and workflows - Sharing work in context (what you tried, what worked, what didn’t) - Helping others learn and think more clearly about AI and creativity - Genuine collaboration and curiosity Promotion may be allowed later and in the right context, but it is never the starting point here. Posts or comments that ignore this will be removed. Repeated behavior will result in removal from the community — no drama, no warnings loop. We’re here to build understanding and craft, not noise. If that sounds like your mindset, you’re in exactly the right place. If not, it’s better to know that now. — Larry