SAG-AFTRA's Verticals Agreement Brings Union Protections to Microdrama Productions

SAG-AFTRA's independent Verticals Agreement has opened the door for producers to hire union performers on vertical microdrama productions, a format known for its notoriously small-scale budgets. The agreement has also introduced structure and legitimacy to the medium, according to TheWrap. Bigger-name talent is now more open to working in verticals because of the protections the agreement provides. The shift marks a change for a format that has largely operated outside traditional Hollywood labor structures, with the union's involvement cited as the factor drawing established performers and producers toward short-form vertical series.