The most important guide for production insurance
This is a scenario that takes place: You're shooting a short horror film. The crew is shooting a complicated fight scene with an axe and prosthetic torso inside the living area of your uncle's cabin.
The film director shouts "Action!" and immediately the mysterious character swings the axe and smashes your brand new ARRI Skypanel (and damages a window in the procedure).
Your thoughts: "Man, I hope we have production insurance for this project."
This exact scenario has probably played out probably thousands of instances. For the majority of the shoots with production insurance, it's can be devastating, but ultimately is manageable. For productions that don't have insurance, it's downright catastrophic.
Let's dive into the basics of insurance for production, with practical advice about the best ways to prepare for every eventuality and keep your ventures secure, safe and profitable whatever happens to you.
You don't have to go by yourself.
What if there were the opportunity to join a group of fellow creatives and film makers to help you navigate the industry? Get to know experts.
The basic principles of production insurance
To really hone in on the practicalities and tips regarding producers, we chatted with filmmaker Lisa Normand about her years working on sets and overseeing the setup of production insurance in terms of liability, claims and liability.
"First all film projects no matter how small or large requires production insurance. It will not only protect you and your crew, but it will also open up doors to make hiring equipment, secure sites, and hiring staff that much easier." Lisa Normand, producer
As Normand points out that in many cases, rental properties or other production resources won't even allow you to rent equipment or sign contracts without the proof of insurance required for the project.
Also, you'll quickly realize that when you look at locations or seek discounts or favours, having production insurance can be a huge help aiding in securing all the necessary resources to complete your task.
Where should you look for production insurance?
If you haven't used production insurance before the first thing that pops up in your head could be: Where can you find production insurance?
You don't need to call State Farm. You'll need an insurance firm who specializes in production insurance that understands the kind of coverage you need. You can also look around and request quotes from a variety of companies to make sure you receive the most comprehensive quality and coverage you're searching for. Lisa Normand
A quick Google search can provide an adequate list of companies offering film production insurance and agents, but it's never hurt to shop around and get quotations from multiple firms. A few of the bigger names in production insurance worth checking out include:
If you're working together with other production companies or agencies for a particular project You can always work with them in providing production insurance for an entire production to avoid making arrangements for overlapping or incomplete coverage.
The various kinds of production insurance
Another question which quickly comes up for those who don't have much experience with setting things up has to do with the various types of insurance for production.
Luckily, many of the above companies will offer to walk you through your setup process whether that is via online chat or by giving them an email.
"When speaking to a production insurance company, you'll want to provide as much information regarding your production as you can such as budget, size of crew and if you're doing any stunts scenes or cars chases or blowing anything up, then of course. Also, you should inquire whether they offer workers' compensation also if you're going by payroll to crew members or if you need to set that up separately," Normand points out.
Other things to think about include looking into workers' compensation to find out if your company is already set up or would require adding it to your production insurance (something some companies provide as an additional charge).
Additionally, answering these concerns about the budget, size of the crew equipment, and the number of stunts and risks should aid in organizing and managing your entire production. If you aren't able to provide these basic details to the company that handles your production insurance Perhaps you're not quite as organized and prepared for your project as you might think and may require additional time in order to get all your ducks lined up.
Understanding how to use production insurance
When you've finished your homework, got your quotes and set up your production insurance plan, your next step in the process is to make sure you're ready to utilize your insurance should any accidents or mishaps happen. (And of course, while there is no way to plan for accidents on the set, they can happen!)
"Speaking from experience, accidents happen! It is your goal to avoid them but there's always the risk of a broken lighting or camera that falls over. But no matter what unexpected mess comes your way, you can always keep precise records and making budgets to cover damage and loss." Lisa Normand
Normand reminds us that the most effective defense against incidents on set is to have a well-organized offensive. It is important to establish an agenda that permits your team to operate in a safe and productive in a safe and efficient manner, with all safety procedures and safety precautions in place.
When an incident happens to occur You'll need to make aware of the facts accurately as you possibly are able to. It is essential to report each instance with your insurance agency as well as provide the date and time of the incident. what happened, and the details of the injuries.
It's important to remember that insurance claims for production are made per case, so if an equipment dolly for a camera falls and damages a camera a light and causes damage to a set, they all fall under the same instance regardless of whether the gear comes from different departments or not.
Make sure your data is safe and secure
Another crucial tip to remember is to ensure that you keep your equipment and sets safe and secure. Not only do you need proof that your work was following safety protocols and guidelines, but you also should consider storage and security as well.
"There there is a gray area about this but...if your equipment isn't secure, then you run the risk of having an insurance company refusing to pay a claim. Therefore, it's crucial that if you have a camera truck in transit like a camera truck, you make sure it is kept inside a structure or type of secure and bonded parking lot." Lisa Normand
Based on Normand's model, when you leave the equipment you use to film in a van for the night and the vehicle isn't kept in a secure location, then any damage or theft may not be compensated.
According to Normand's experiences, it's never worth the risk to find out what might be the outcome if gear was not properly secured or supervised. might even suggest hiring security to keep an eye on gear left on set for a long period of time.
The reason you must have production insurance
For the vast majority of teams or projects, producing insurance isn't a viable option. It's a requirement that you must have. But, if you're on the fence about whether or not you should consider adding production insurance to your short film that you shoot on a weekend or a small production, take a look at the following factors.
Normand discusses the significance of insurance on production for these three big factors:
- This will make it easier to find the gear and locations you need faster
- You'll be covered in case there are actual accidents or damages
- It can be extremely beneficial if you're asking for discounts or special offers since you can always let people know that their gear, locations or time will be covered!"
At the end of the day, spending a few thousand dollars against your deductible will cost lower than having to replace a $40,000and camera set-up. You'll also be able to make yourself more attractive by asking your uncle to borrow his lake house for an outdoor shoot, or ask your friend to loan their RED camera.
By securing production, your resources will be safe within your control and will be guaranteed.
Want to dive deeper? These are more useful resources to check out before you contact estimates and set to get your own production insurance
- What should you be aware of about insurance for film The Film Fund
- The most important guide for film production insurance | Wrapbook
- Production FAQ on Insurance Film Emporium