In June, Producers Guild of America president Stephanie Allain proclaimed that the issue of producer credits being bestowed as a perk on those who hadnt done the job had gotten completely out of control. The Exhibiting Forgiveness and Hustle Flow producer joked at her organizations annual conference, Somebodys dog-walker gets it now.

Its an open secret that stars, managers and financiers are known to occasionally lobby for and receive producer titles without having done much producing at all (or, at least, what Allains organization would consider the work). Late last month the PGA highlighted its latest efforts aimed at cracking down on these kinds of practices, which the organization vigorously opposes. In a message to members nationally, the 8,400-member trade association shared updates to its Code of Credits, an informational document defining producing titles and laying out what the organization believes they entail, and the qualifications required for a Producers Mark, or p.g.a. certification, on feature films. It felt like there was energy behind producers wanting to be in the drivers seat and articulating what it is that they do, explains PGA associate national executive director Michelle Byrd of the impetus behind the updated and expanded Code of Credits. We were hearing regularly from our members, People dont understand what we do, we are constantly trying to defend our credits.

The endeavors represent PGAs latest parry in a long-running battle against credit creep. The group has revised its p.g.a. mark on an ongoing basis since the certification was first unveiled in 2012 on films like Lawless and Silver Linings Playbook to distinguish producers who make significant contributions from everyone else. This year more than 70 people took part in updating the rules. Its an evergreen document, explains PGA CEO Susan Sprung. (Use of the mark is prevalent: In 2022, 384 films in total applied for the certification, while in 2023, 402 films did.)

The Code of Credits, meanwhile, was established in 2004 to ensure that the credit goes to those who have earned it, as the PGA stated in a print THR ad about the initiative that year. It has been updated more irregularly, with its last major revision in 2019. After a separate group of 70-plus producers participated in its latest edit process, which lasted more than a year, the PGA plans to review the document annually moving forward.

The latest revisions to the Code of Credits add formats that previously werent part of the document, including animated and documentary films, special event TV and immersive media. The new Producers Mark rules clear up how hyphenates (like writer-producers or director-producers) can qualify for the mark and change the standards for how producing partners can both receive the p.g.a. certification.

Working producers, who can lose out financially on certain projects with more individuals sharing their title, already face a challenging industry landscape. The current Hollywood contraction, in part sparked by the end of the streaming bubble and low interest rates, has hit producers much like it has other roles. Since the first quarter of 2022, employment in the film, television and sound sector of LA.s creative economy has dropped a little over 34 percent, according to Otis College of Art and Designs Creative Economy Dashboard.

This downward pressure has resulted in a surge of grassroots organizing. In 2021 a group of fiction film producers led by It Follows producer Rebecca Green went public with a unionizing campaign in response to low fees, the end of studio producer deals and other issues; the group is still active, according to currentco-president Laura Lewis. Earlier this year another collective calling itself Producers United members include Jason Blum, Dede Gardner, Brad Simpson, Nina Jacobson and Lorenzo di Bonaventura announced that it was advocating for healthcare and commencement advances through direct meetings with studios and streamers. (The PGA is making progress on health insurance, which has long evaded producers: As of this year, the group secured promises from multiple production companies, including MACRO and Bad Robot Productions, to fund these benefits.)

Sprung maintains that the PGAs latest credit work was not spurred by this recent activity. This is all work we do on an ongoing basis. All of our work pre-existed each of these groups, Sprung says. She adds, We completely understand why people want to try to help move the needle, and we think thats great.

Of course, its one thing for the PGA to hone these guardrails, but its another thing to enforce them. The PGA is not a union with contracts with the studios and streamers. One mechanism of leverage it does have is awards consideration the PGA offers recommendations to the Academy during its determinations for which producers can be considered as Best Picture Oscar nominees. A p.g.a. mark also allows a feature film producer to be eligible for the annual Producers Guild of America Awards, considered a bellwether for the Oscar race.

In Sprungs view, there are also other potential benefits to continuously refining what it means to be a producer. The Code of Conduct and Producers Mark qualifications can serve as a tool for members to use in their individual negotiations with companies. And there is value in general education around producers jobs, she argues, especially now. The combination of the contraction in the industry and the fact that producers dont have the basic protections that other folks have made it more important than ever for us to step up on the advocacy piece, she says.