August 22, 2018
Each Awards season, studios and distributors send “for your consideration” screeners to DGA members beginning in late Fall. Below, please find answers on how the screener program works.
Who receives screeners?
All DGA members in good standing, including retirees, will receive Awards screeners, digital screener notices and screenings mailings. DGA members who are suspended or have not yet paid their Initiation Fee in full are not eligible to receive screeners or to vote for the DGA Awards. If your status changes (i.e., you are no longer suspended or you complete your Initiation Fee payment) or if you are a new member who joined in the midst of the Awards season, you will not be able to receive screeners sent during the period when you were ineligible. Members should make every effort to update their status by October 1 of each calendar year, as screeners are sent out during the Fall through January.
What kinds of screeners will I receive?
You may receive screeners (physical DVDs), digital screener notices (notices in the mail with a code that allows you to stream or download screeners online) as well as screening mailings (notices in the mail letting you know about screenings in theaters that you can attend). Members may not choose the format – it is up to the studios and distributors to determine whether to make physical or digital screeners available to DGA members.
When will I receive screeners, and how many?
Studios and distributors may send Awards screeners, digital screener notices and screening mailings to DGA members beginning in Fall 2018 and ending in January 2019. The number of screeners DGA members will receive is at the discretion of the studios and distributors. At this time, screeners will be limited to films eligible for the DGA’s Feature Film Award.
Where will the screeners be sent?
Awards screeners, digital screener notices and screening mailings will be mailed to the member home address currently on file with the DGA, unless you have selected a different address as your Awards mailing preference. Screeners cannot be sent to P.O. Box addresses so if you use a P.O. Box, you will need to supply a different mailing address to the DGA.
Some screeners will be sent via Fed-Ex or UPS and will require a signature for delivery. Again, this is at the discretion of the studios and distributors.
Can I have my screeners sent somewhere other than my home address?
Yes. Simply log in to the DGA Website, go to "Account Settings" and click on the "Address Settings" tab to update your Awards mailing preference or change your home address.
If you have any questions, please call the Web Support line at 310-289-2082 or email dgawebsupport@dga.org.
Who is sending the screeners and screening mailings? Will the DGA share our mailing address or other contact information with the studios?
Awards screeners, streaming, download notices and screening mailings will be sent to DGA members via third-party fulfillment houses such as Vision Media Management or Technicolor. The DGA will not permit the fulfillment houses to share any DGA member contact information of any type with the studios or distributors or any other individual or entity.
Who pays for sending screeners?
Studios and distributors will be responsible for all costs associated with screener-related mailings.
Why does the DGA need my email address?
Without an email address on file, you will not be able to log on to the DGA website – and therefore, you will not be able to vote online for the DGA Awards. Additionally, we will be providing most of the information related to the DGA Awards through email communications with members.
To provide your email address to the DGA, please call the Web Support line at 310-289-2082 or email dgawebsupport@dga.org.
Who do I contact if there’s a problem with my screener or if I have lost my screener?
All Awards screener mailings will contain both phone and email contact information so that DGA members may immediately contact the appropriate studio/distributor or fulfillment house representative if there is a delivery or technical issue with the physical or digital screener. DGA members should immediately contact the studio or distributor to report the loss or theft of a screener.
What steps will the studios and distributors take to keep track of screeners?
Most screeners will be digitally watermarked specific to the individual DGA member recipient, which means that any unauthorized copy of the screener found online or otherwise in the public domain will trace back to the DGA member to whom it was sent. Therefore, a DGA member should know, at all times, the whereabouts of all screener materials sent to them.
In addition to the screener program, the Guild will continue to operate its extensive theatrical screening program in Los Angeles and New York and at locations in Chicago, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., and members also can continue to use their DGA Membership cards for free admission to certain public screenings in commercial theaters as determined by the studios.
If you have any further questions about screeners, please contact Tim Webber at (310) 289-2021 or twebber@dga.org