Contract talks begin between Hollywood screen actors and producers

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Hollywood

The Screen Actors Guild and Hollywood producers started have talks on a new contract that the wary entertainment industry hopes can be achieved without a strike.

In a joint statement, the two sides said they exchanged proposals during the full day of meetings and planned to resume discussions Wednesday. No further details were provided.

The guild, which represents 120,000 members, and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers are negotiating a new three-year deal covering movies and prime-time television.

Improved compensation for shows and movies distributed online is a key issue in the actors negotiations, as it was for the Writers Guild of America during its 100-day strike.

That walkout shut down most TV shows and took a heavy toll on the Los Angeles area economy.

Top SAG officials have indicated they're intent on negotiating a contract that betters the deals reached by the writers and directors guilds.

Those unions won key victories, including jurisdiction over programs produced for distribution online, and new and better compensation for shows and movies streamed or downloaded online.

Other issues for actors could involve DVD residuals and forced endorsements by actors of products placed in films or on TV shows.