Insurance -- the big discussion thread

Dave Largent · November 18th, 2003, 05:34 PM

I know some companies have different policies depending on if you have a car alarm or not.

Michel Brewer · November 18th, 2003, 06:21 PM

Josh:

I cant give you the exact cost obviously but if its like mine, that would be about right....however one caution. I had heard others rave about state farm who previously had my auto ins. So I called them first and the cost was much different for me than other people were paying, I expected to hear around mid two's but they came back with the 500 (actually $570ish).

So while it should be the same cost who knows? I dont understand how they work but I know I need it. Another point my first inquiry to state farm was to have it insured in Santa Barbara which is a nice little beach town without any real crime...the AAA quote that I ended up getting is based out of Denver area which is much bigger etc. So who knows how they work but triple aaa worked well for me give it a try.

Michel

Dan Lahav · December 4th, 2003, 11:10 AM

Does anyone know a good place that insures cameras? I own a DVX and would definately like it insured incase i do something stupid since i do a lot of outdoors footage. Pref. in San Diego, but doesnt matter too much.

Don Bloom · December 4th, 2003, 11:23 AM

Check with your agent that carries your homeowners or renters policy. You could probably get a rider that would cover you.
Don

Witold Chrabaszcz · December 4th, 2003, 09:15 PM

While homeowner's insurace will either cover you already or allow for quick and easy addition of a rider for the equipment you choose to insure, it may not be the best idea.

Generally, making small claims against your homeowner's insurance is a _very_ bad idea. Homeowner's insurance is best used for rare calamities, not nicke and dime accidents (for most of us, digital equipment cost is no where near the cost of our house).

If you make small claims against your homeowner's insurance, you may end up loosing your homeowner's insurance which is a very serious issue for many reasons. Getting dropped will make it hard to get insured by other companies, for example.

Don Bloom · December 4th, 2003, 10:27 PM

I didn't say it was a great idea just that if all you want to do is cover your camera for a small amount it should be fine, even my own agent has told me that.

However, if you're covering a large amount of equipment and/or making a living or calling yourself a professional then you need to look elsewhere for coverage.

BTW, I've had a couple of claims (non equipment related) against my HO policy and they've never dropped me OR rased my rates. Of course I've been with them for 25 years. They know which side their bread is buttered on.
Plus a $3 or $4000 camera to me is not nickel and dime. Years back I had ALL of my still equipment (about 25 grand back then) covered under a rider and they never blinked. They loved the premium. At that time a seperate policy by a specialized company was very cost prohibitative.
All I'm saying is it pays to shop around to find the best deal for what you need covered.
Don

December 4th, 2003, 10:41 PM

http://www.Safeware.com/ they will cover your camera if it is stolen on a shoot and will immediately give you coverage to rent one as good as or better than.

I have my computers to my camera equipment insured by them.

Brian T. Young · December 19th, 2003, 11:18 PM

i don't see where they do camera gear -did you just contact them directly? what kind of premium do you have on your gear?

Dave Largent · January 5th, 2004, 03:34 PM

Say I'm out on a shoot and someone knocked
over my tripod and smashes my camera,
or the cam just falls out of my hands and breaks.
Who offers this type of replacement coverage?
My homeowners does not, and only will cover
10% of personal property for theft *away from home*.
Also, if someone trips on a tripod and is injured,
does homeowners liability cover this?

Jeff Donald · January 5th, 2004, 10:22 PM

You may be able to purchase an All Risk Rider to your Home Owners Insurance. Liability for an accident may or may not be covered. These would be outlined on the terms of your policy. Your Insurance agent or an underwriter would be able to tell you if you have liability coverage for the type of accident you describe. You can also purchase liability insurance for such occurrences. Many times it is bundled in various types of business insurance. If your agent doesn't carry that type of insurance, contact an insurance broker.

Jonathan Stanley · January 8th, 2004, 11:04 PM

In my case I am a member of WEVA since i do wedding videography, and part of the perks of the membership is group rates on equipment breakage and liability insurance. there are group rates available for most types of businesses out there.

Imran Zaidi · January 12th, 2004, 02:25 PM

Some local colleagues of mine who, along with myself, shoot all the time outdoors in the downtown area here in Orlando, have been warning me about something in regards to my short film I will be shooting next month. Apparently as a by-product of the goofy flip-flopping yellow and orange terror alerts we're under, nobody seems to be able to get by without permitting their shoots these days.

Now, in downtown Orlando, permits for shooting are free. So no problem, right? Well, the problem is that they require a policy be attached with $1 Million in insurance. You have to fax them the certificate to get your permit application approved.

So the question I have is, who has experience with this, and are there any pointers you may have as far as figuring out how to get an ultra low budget film shoot insured? It seems almost silly with how small the production is, but red tape is red tape.

Also, I do realize the implications of an accident on set so please, nobody chastise me for thinking the insurance is silly. :)

Peter Moore · January 12th, 2004, 02:47 PM

A friend of mine in Chicago wanted to get permits, and to do so he was also required to get something like $2 million in liability insurance. That's the way it goes, I'm afraid.

K. Forman · January 12th, 2004, 04:34 PM

As I have been recently shopping around for insurance myself, I can tell you it isn't cheap. For the 30 days I will be shooting, I am looking at $1,200 and up for 1 Mil. If that is out of your budget, you might consider going Guerilla.

Don Donatello · January 13th, 2004, 10:48 PM

i have found 1mil $ liability insurance policy is far cheaper for 12 months then for 2 weeks. also coverage for a documentary is less then dramatic ..

the last time bought for a project that was for pro shoot it was 900 for a year (up to 70K budget documentary ..they wanted 1500 if it was dramatic) in california.

i do carry a floater policy with my home insurance for those "fun- have no plans to make $$ type projects ... $155 year for 1st million then less for each additional ...
you'll have to talk to your insurance for details ... there's one thing having fun shoot with 3-8 persons VS crew of 30!!!

now you might be able to get your insurance thru somebody else?
do you know any production company's ? they usually have insurance and you do your short under them. they get the permit in their name .. now why would they do this ? either because they are doing you a favor , they owe you favor , or because you are going to pay them for the use $$.

there are some non profit organizations that if you are a member will let you permit under them ...

also many camerpersons/gaffers carry liability and you might be able to strike a deal with them??

November 18th, 2003, 06:21 PM	#122
Michel Brewer Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Ventura California Posts: 179	ins costs Josh: I cant give you the exact cost obviously but if its like mine, that would be about right....however one caution. I had heard others rave about state farm who previously had my auto ins. So I called them first and the cost was much different for me than other people were paying, I expected to hear around mid two's but they came back with the 500 (actually $570ish). So while it should be the same cost who knows? I dont understand how they work but I know I need it. Another point my first inquiry to state farm was to have it insured in Santa Barbara which is a nice little beach town without any real crime...the AAA quote that I ended up getting is based out of Denver area which is much bigger etc. So who knows how they work but triple aaa worked well for me give it a try. Michel __________________ milking the celebrity criminal trials thank god for the freaks

December 4th, 2003, 11:10 AM	#123
Dan Lahav Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: CA Posts: 172	Camera Insurance Does anyone know a good place that insures cameras? I own a DVX and would definately like it insured incase i do something stupid since i do a lot of outdoors footage. Pref. in San Diego, but doesnt matter too much.

December 19th, 2003, 11:18 PM	#128
Brian T. Young Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 137	i don't see where they do camera gear -did you just contact them directly? what kind of premium do you have on your gear? __________________ Brian Young - Los Angeles - www.FlacaProductions.com F800, F5, FS7, A7s

January 5th, 2004, 03:34 PM	#129
Dave Largent Trustee Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 1,483	Accidental Breakage Insurance. Say I'm out on a shoot and someone knocked over my tripod and smashes my camera, or the cam just falls out of my hands and breaks. Who offers this type of replacement coverage? My homeowners does not, and only will cover 10% of personal property for theft away from home. Also, if someone trips on a tripod and is injured, does homeowners liability cover this?

January 5th, 2004, 10:22 PM	#130
Jeff Donald Warden Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Clearwater, FL Posts: 8,287	You may be able to purchase an All Risk Rider to your Home Owners Insurance. Liability for an accident may or may not be covered. These would be outlined on the terms of your policy. Your Insurance agent or an underwriter would be able to tell you if you have liability coverage for the type of accident you describe. You can also purchase liability insurance for such occurrences. Many times it is bundled in various types of business insurance. If your agent doesn't carry that type of insurance, contact an insurance broker. __________________ Jeff Donald Carpe Diem Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Where to Buy? From the best in the business: DVinfo.net sponsors

November 18th, 2003, 05:34 PM	#121
Dave Largent Trustee Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 1,483	I know some companies have different policies depending on if you have a car alarm or not.

December 4th, 2003, 11:23 AM	#124
Don Bloom Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,609	Check with your agent that carries your homeowners or renters policy. You could probably get a rider that would cover you. Don

December 4th, 2003, 09:15 PM	#125
Witold Chrabaszcz New Boot Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: rtys Posts: 12	While homeowner's insurace will either cover you already or allow for quick and easy addition of a rider for the equipment you choose to insure, it may not be the best idea. Generally, making small claims against your homeowner's insurance is a _very_ bad idea. Homeowner's insurance is best used for rare calamities, not nicke and dime accidents (for most of us, digital equipment cost is no where near the cost of our house). If you make small claims against your homeowner's insurance, you may end up loosing your homeowner's insurance which is a very serious issue for many reasons. Getting dropped will make it hard to get insured by other companies, for example.

December 4th, 2003, 10:27 PM	#126
Don Bloom Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,609	I didn't say it was a great idea just that if all you want to do is cover your camera for a small amount it should be fine, even my own agent has told me that. However, if you're covering a large amount of equipment and/or making a living or calling yourself a professional then you need to look elsewhere for coverage. BTW, I've had a couple of claims (non equipment related) against my HO policy and they've never dropped me OR rased my rates. Of course I've been with them for 25 years. They know which side their bread is buttered on. Plus a $3 or $4000 camera to me is not nickel and dime. Years back I had ALL of my still equipment (about 25 grand back then) covered under a rider and they never blinked. They loved the premium. At that time a seperate policy by a specialized company was very cost prohibitative. All I'm saying is it pays to shop around to find the best deal for what you need covered. Don

December 4th, 2003, 10:41 PM	#127
Guest Posts: n/a	http://www.Safeware.com/ they will cover your camera if it is stolen on a shoot and will immediately give you coverage to rent one as good as or better than. I have my computers to my camera equipment insured by them.

January 8th, 2004, 11:04 PM	#131
Jonathan Stanley Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Boone, NC Posts: 115	In my case I am a member of WEVA since i do wedding videography, and part of the perks of the membership is group rates on equipment breakage and liability insurance. there are group rates available for most types of businesses out there.

January 12th, 2004, 02:25 PM	#132
Imran Zaidi Trustee Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 1,315	Need Insurance For Permit? Some local colleagues of mine who, along with myself, shoot all the time outdoors in the downtown area here in Orlando, have been warning me about something in regards to my short film I will be shooting next month. Apparently as a by-product of the goofy flip-flopping yellow and orange terror alerts we're under, nobody seems to be able to get by without permitting their shoots these days. Now, in downtown Orlando, permits for shooting are free. So no problem, right? Well, the problem is that they require a policy be attached with $1 Million in insurance. You have to fax them the certificate to get your permit application approved. So the question I have is, who has experience with this, and are there any pointers you may have as far as figuring out how to get an ultra low budget film shoot insured? It seems almost silly with how small the production is, but red tape is red tape. Also, I do realize the implications of an accident on set so please, nobody chastise me for thinking the insurance is silly. :)

January 12th, 2004, 02:47 PM	#133
Peter Moore Trustee Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Arlington VA Posts: 1,034	A friend of mine in Chicago wanted to get permits, and to do so he was also required to get something like $2 million in liability insurance. That's the way it goes, I'm afraid.

January 12th, 2004, 04:34 PM	#134
K. Forman Capt. Quirk Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Middle of the woods in Georgia Posts: 3,596	As I have been recently shopping around for insurance myself, I can tell you it isn't cheap. For the 30 days I will be shooting, I am looking at $1,200 and up for 1 Mil. If that is out of your budget, you might consider going Guerilla.

January 13th, 2004, 10:48 PM	#135
Don Donatello Hawaiian Shirt Mogul Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: northern cailfornia Posts: 1,261	i have found 1mil $ liability insurance policy is far cheaper for 12 months then for 2 weeks. also coverage for a documentary is less then dramatic .. the last time bought for a project that was for pro shoot it was 900 for a year (up to 70K budget documentary ..they wanted 1500 if it was dramatic) in california. i do carry a floater policy with my home insurance for those "fun- have no plans to make $$ type projects ... $155 year for 1st million then less for each additional ... you'll have to talk to your insurance for details ... there's one thing having fun shoot with 3-8 persons VS crew of 30!!! now you might be able to get your insurance thru somebody else? do you know any production company's ? they usually have insurance and you do your short under them. they get the permit in their name .. now why would they do this ? either because they are doing you a favor , they owe you favor , or because you are going to pay them for the use $$. there are some non profit organizations that if you are a member will let you permit under them ... also many camerpersons/gaffers carry liability and you might be able to strike a deal with them??