By Ray Pride Pride@moviecitynews.com
ALL MAJOR STUDIOS OFFICIALLY ADOPT THE PRODUCERS MARK CERTIFICATION
Announcement Makes ‘Six For Six’ As Paramount Pictures Corporation, The Walt Disney Studios, and Warner Bros. Pictures Join Sony Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation and Universal Pictures To Implement The On-Screen ‘p.g.a.’ Credit and Certification
Los Angeles (July 11, 2013) – The Producers Guild of America (PGA) is pleased to announce that all six major studios have signed on to implement the Producers Mark certification “p.g.a.” Paramount Pictures Corporation, The Walt Disney Studios, and Warner Bros. Pictures signed on this week joining Sony Pictures Entertainment’s Columbia Pictures and Screen Gems, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, and Universal Pictures. With all six major studios now signed on, today’s announcement caps a long effort to develop and launch a certification process that clearly delineates who did the majority of the producing work on a film while also establishing an authentic seal of approval.
Establishing the “Produced by” credit certification is a significant industry achievement as it protects the integrity of one of the most challenging and enduring roles in feature film production. Once a producer’s work on a film is certified by the PGA, the “Produced by” credit and producer’s name will be followed by the distinctive mark: “p.g.a.”
There are already 50 films today carrying the “p.g.a.” certification from independent and animated films to major studio tentpoles.
“We are extremely gratified and proud that the Guild has come so far with this important initiative, and we applaud both our studio and industry colleagues for their support. We also thank our board and past PGA presidents Marshall Herskovitz and Kathleen Kennedy, and the incredible contributions of our National Executive Director, Vance Van Petten,” said PGA presidents Mark Gordon and Hawk Koch (on leave).
Hawk Koch will re-join Mark Gordon as Co-President of the Producers Guild of America on July 30, 2013 when his term as President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences expires.
Gordon and Koch continued, “People often talk about ‘historic moments,’ but this is truly that: from this day forward producers, studios and audiences will know for certain that those who are credited with the ‘p.g.a.’ mark actually did the work of a producer.”
Vance Van Petten, National Executive Director of the PGA said, “The federally registered ‘p.g.a.’ mark is based on the industry-standard Producers Code of Credits, used frequently by studios and filmmakers, which guides the Guild’s awards process in vetting a film’s producers. It’s the ideal tool to ensure that producers receive onscreen verification of their work.”
The Producers Mark certifies authenticity, not membership. A producer need not be a member of the PGA to be eligible for certification. The Producers Mark consists of the acronym of the Producers Guild of America, in lowercase letters separated by periods: “p.g.a.” However, the Producers Mark is, specifically, a certification mark, and simply indicates that the credited producer performed a majority of the producing duties on the film.
The Producers Mark is given only to producers who request it and are certified through the PGA’s process, and may be used only with respect to the film for which the certification was given. At present, the Producers Mark certification program does not include television or new media productions. Studios can continue to recognize other individuals with the “Produced by” credit as they deem appropriate, even if such producers have not sought, or have been denied, permission to use the certification mark.
The process for acquiring a “p.g.a.” certification is comparable to the arbitration process implemented by the PGA during awards season, only with a quicker turnaround time. Studios will provide a Notice of Producing Credits to the PGA upon the commencement of post-production. The certification is modeled on the guidelines established by the Producers Code of Credits (PCOC) that was initiated in 2004 and is accepted industry-wide.
The Producers Mark does NOT:
- Control the “Produced by” credit. Studios and distributors remain free to assign the credit to whomever they wish.
- Rely solely on the input of the Guild and its members. Non-Guild members are eligible both to receive the Producers Mark and to serve on panels to determine the certification of a given film’s credits.
- Confer any compensation on producers who receive it.
- Exclude directors, writers, actors or others who may have performed additional duties on a film beyond serving in a producing capacity.
About the Producers Guild of America
The Producers Guild of America is the non-profit trade group that represents, protects and promotes the interests of all members of the producing team in film, television and new media. The Producers Guild has more than 5,700 members who work together to protect and improve their careers, the industry and community by providing members with employment opportunities, seeking to expand health benefits, promoting fair and impartial standards for the awarding of producing credits, as well as other education and advocacy efforts such as encouraging sustainable production practices. Visit www.producersguild.org, www.pgagreen.org, www.pgadiversity.org for more information.
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