The basic principle regarding possessive credits should be freedom of Director and Employer to negotiate for them freely, in accordance with 8-104 of the DGA Basic Agreement. However, practices in the industry have served to lessen the significance of the possessory credit by according it to Directors without discrimination or determination of merit.
In order to encourage Employers to use discretion in according the possessory credit, the parties recommend that possessive credits be accorded only to Directors who:
- Have established their names as marketable with audiences or are acclaimed by critics
- or have established a signature style of filmmaking
- or have a substantial body of work as a Director consisting of not less than three feature-length theatrical motion pictures
- or have had a possessory credit on a previous film.
Employers are encouraged to follow these guidelines, and in so applying them, also exercise restraint in extending possessive credit in any form to personnel other than Directors, in accordance with their past practice.