The year 2024 may eventually be considered a benchmark for Canada’s screen sector. Between initial regulatory decisions, historic labour disputes and controversial content deals, there was no shortage of drama. But what will the long-term effects be for Canada’s indie production scene? Playback spoke with several industry leaders to reflect on the year that was and how it may shape the years to come.

Part one looked at the shakeup in licensing and content for Canada’s major broadcasters. Part two, below, examines the historic writers strike vote. Part three weighs the potential impact of the base contributions regulations.

The independent screen sector averted disaster in May when the Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) and the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) settled on a new Independent Production Agreement (IPA), following months of extended talks and the WGC’s first-ever strike authorization vote.

Some of the fought-for provisions of the new IPA – which began on May 15, 2024, and expires on Jan. 31, 2027 – go into effect in 2025, including a staffing requirement for a writer to join a showrunner during production in January, and higher animation writer fees in March.

WGC executive director Victoria Shen (pictured left) says the additions are meant to create “real and substantive improvements in the earnings of our members,” as well as foster a new generation of showrunners. The Guild has previously reported that members’ aggregate earnings fell by 22% from 2018 to 2023.

“One of the things we always value is having stability in our system and the agreement that we reached with the WGC will provide stability and predictability for the duration of the IPA,” says CMPA president and CEO Reynolds Mastin (pictured right).

One of the more contentious topics was AI, with the IPA establishing baseline rules about the use of generative AI. Producers are now required to disclose if they supply a WGC member with AI-generated material and they must give the writer full compensation and credit. Shen says the WGC is currently one of two writers’ guilds globally to have AI rules in their agreements, following the Writers Guild of America’s agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) in September 2023.

Mastin says the collective bargaining process allowed the CMPA to begin a dialogue on AI with the WGC, which now extends to other unions and guilds, including the Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) and the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA).

The CMPA and Quebec producers association AQPM reached a tentative agreement with ACTRA in December to renew their IPA. Details on the renewed agreement won’t be available until the ratification vote, taking place from Jan. 15 to 21.

In November, the CMPA’s B.C. branch and the AMPTP were able to successfully negotiate a memorandum of understanding with DGC BC for an amended collective agreement lasting into 2028.

The deal includes clear definitions on generative AI and a sunset clause to renegotiate terms as the tech evolves. While labour agreements are a key first step for industry workers, Shen says protections are needed at the legislative level.

“We urgently need transparency in AI training practices, and a consent-based approach for text and data mining,” she says. “We also need to make it clear that neither AI systems nor their users are ‘authors’ for copyright purposes. Only human beings create copyrightable works.”

A version of this story originally appeared in Playback‘s 2024 Winter issue