Cates adds, "The gains in this contract for directors and their teams are extraordinary -- there are no rollbacks of any kind."
The deal turns the spotlight back on the writers strike.
It is hoped the agreement might put pressure on the Writers Guild and the AMPTP to return to the bargaining table after a 74-day strike.
The WGA could look at the DGA agreement and see if those terms might also be acceptable to its guild members.
Thursday, the AMPTP released a statement that said:
"We hope this agreement with the DGA will signal the beginning of the end of this extremely difficult period for our industry."
Producers are now inviting the writers to have discussions that could get them back to the bargaining table.
Meantime, the writers say they will analyze and evaluate the DGA agreement and discuss their own strategies for negotiations.
The writers say they hope the DGA agreement is a step forward in their own negotiations.
