DRCT – Directors Association for Commercials & Branded Content in Germany – was born out of a collective yearning for change, respect, and fairness in the pitching process. Conceived during the challenges of the pandemic, the initiative addresses industry-wide issues such as uncompensated labor, lack of transparency and fairness. For the past 2 years DRCT evolved into a powerful force for advocacy and unity. Through our interview with Board members: Jessica Benzing and Claas Ortmann, we dive into the impactful journey of its Pitch Reform, and the vision that promises to redefine creative collaboration in the film industry.
Agnieszka Celej: What sparked the creation of DRCT? What was the inspiration behind starting the association?
Jessica Benzing: The concept of DRCT emerged during the pandemic, a time when many of us directors found ourselves without work, feeling increasingly frustrated. This led to conversations among us, revealing a shared spectrum of challenges that extended beyond the immediate crisis. Issues like uncompensated labor, a lack of transparency, and a general absence of appreciation and fairness in the industry. It was an eye-opener for us, as we realized it’s also kind of weird that we never talked. Yes, we pitch against each other but we are colleagues as well. The pandemic underscored the potential strength and support we could find in unity and collaboration.
We also found out that the Producers Alliance in Germany were facing similar concerns for quite a while so we reached out and started talking as well.
Claas Ortmann: Early on, we recognized the need for DRCT to be more than a transient response to immediate issues. We envisioned a permanent entity to represent directors’ interests effectively in the marketplace, offering a balanced counterweight to other industry associations. DRCT is poised for a substantial, long-term impact, with much more to come.
Agnieszka: Could you spot the biggest challenges you’ve faced over the last two years?
Claas: It felt like running a company, demanding almost a full-time commitment. Our foremost challenge was advocating for compensated pitches to end the era of unpaid work. This ambition required us to achieve it sustainably, having the respect and the sympathy of the whole industry, striving not to alienate our production partners who already face significant pitch-related expenses.
The goal was to establish a foundation of mutual respect and partnership with production companies, a journey that took two years of dialogue and negotiation but has laid the groundwork for a sustainable change beneficial to all parties involved.
It was never before in the history of the German market and probably in the history of other markets too that we formed such a partnership to create this big of a change.
We think that we achieved something that can serve as a model, also for other countries.
Agnieszka: What are the main postulates of The Pitch Reform?
Claas: The Pitch Reform is basically built of four values: respect, transparency, trust, and fairness. Each value is supported by specific actions. For instance, under respect, we advocate for directors to only receive scripts that have been greenlit and budgeted, ensuring that pitches are grounded in feasible projects. This also includes our push for fair compensation for directors and a reasonable cost share for production companies. Additionally, we emphasize the need for adequate preparation time for directors, advocating for a minimum of five working days for treatment development, acknowledging the constraints faced by all of us, especially probably by mothers and parents in general among us.
Transparency involves clear communication about pitch participants to allow directors to make informed decisions about their involvement. While fairness, though not formally part of the upcoming Pitch Standard, is crucial for ensuring equal opportunities and encouraging the inclusion of marginalized voices and perspectives beyond the traditional “four white dudes” narrative.
Jessica: It’s imperative that these principles — respect, transparency, fairness, and compensation — become the norm, not the exception.
