Insurance for a short film at DVinfo.net

Jason J. Gullickson · June 27th, 2006, 06:52 AM

I did a quick search on "insurance" but didn't find alot of info, so maybe you guys could help me out.

We're putting together a short that will be a small, one-day shoot. We are using an operating theater as a location. We are using unpaid, non-union cast and crew, and there is no OPM involved.

What I'm trying to determine is what I should expect to budget for insurance, and if it is necissary for a production of this scale. Also, what role does the theater's insurance play?

Don Donatello · June 27th, 2006, 11:15 AM

if you buy production insurance for one day - don't be surprised if you get quotes in the 2000-3000 range !!!! most of the time it less to buy insurance for a year ..

more the likely the theater doesn't want their insurance to play a role .. most location require a 1 mil liability certificate ...

if this is a for FUN project .. you might call your home/renters insurance and ask them if they can issue a floaters policy to cover the one day/year ... i carry floater year round for "fun" projects = approx $350 for couple million ..
usually on a "fun" project you cannot promise any $$, percent, deferred payment or any financial gain to anybody in return for their services .. if you do it is no longer a fun project but becomes a commercial/business project and for that you would need business insurance - still your home insurance might be able to issue you a floater ....

when i need production insurance i buy it for a year - approx 1200 for 1 mil liabilty a year on documentary - approx 1800 year for dramatic .. approx 4500 year for full production insurance ( not including workmans comp) ...

Joshua Provost · June 27th, 2006, 12:28 PM

Jason,

I just got one-day general liability production insurance from the Allen Group. It was surprisingly easy and quick to get set up. The price was around $500.

I shopped around and what I found was interesting was that all of the agents all use the same insurance on the back-end, so the quotes were all pretty much the same, except different agents charged different agent fees.

The bottom end is almost always $500, whether you need insurance for a day or for a week. To that you can add workman's comp for a few dollars, and insurance on your equipment, etc.

You generally need insurance to shoot on any public property, and many private locations will insist you have it as well.

Do look into a full year's policy. I suspect it's not too much more than a day or week.

Josh

Jason J. Gullickson · June 28th, 2006, 07:05 AM

Thanks for all the info guys.

I got the quotes back that I requested and the range was $500 - $750 just like you all said above. I was surprised, because I have a friend who does general videography and he pays $600/year, but again, that's what you all said above.

So it looks like I'll be taking out a yearly policy in the near future.

Out of curiosity, what does this sort of thing usually cover? Does it only cover damages that the named insured's cause, or does it somehow provide an umbrella for everything in the "production"?

Matt DeJonge · June 28th, 2006, 12:54 PM

Jason, could you enlighten us as to who you ended up going with? I'm looking at getting yearly insurance too, but have no contacts yet (other than the Allen Group that Joshua suggested).

Joshua Provost · June 28th, 2006, 04:59 PM

The policy covers destruction to people and property. The named insured is who is really covered. They get to file a claim if you break their stuff.

The yearly policy your friend has may just cover insuring his equipment. For instance, I can add my equipment to my homeowners policy relatively cheap. Actual general liability production insurance is a different thing entirely, and it won't cover your equipment unless you specifically opt for equipment coverage.

I believe you can also get general liability for your business, and that may be acceptable to various locations, provided it's for the right amount (usually $1M), and you can cut a certificate of insurance with their name on it.

Silas Barker · July 22nd, 2010, 06:03 PM

You can add Workmans Comp for a few dollars????
The insurance company i talked to for a short film said it was about $1500 for up to 15 people, can you tell me more'? i'll also check out their website, thanks in advance!

June 27th, 2006, 06:52 AM	#1
Jason J. Gullickson Regular Crew Join Date: May 2005 Location: Madison, WI Posts: 170	Insurance for a short film I did a quick search on "insurance" but didn't find alot of info, so maybe you guys could help me out. We're putting together a short that will be a small, one-day shoot. We are using an operating theater as a location. We are using unpaid, non-union cast and crew, and there is no OPM involved. What I'm trying to determine is what I should expect to budget for insurance, and if it is necissary for a production of this scale. Also, what role does the theater's insurance play? __________________ Jason J. Gullickson Producer the second society http://2soc.net

June 27th, 2006, 12:28 PM	#3
Joshua Provost Major Player Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 493	Jason, I just got one-day general liability production insurance from the Allen Group. It was surprisingly easy and quick to get set up. The price was around $500. I shopped around and what I found was interesting was that all of the agents all use the same insurance on the back-end, so the quotes were all pretty much the same, except different agents charged different agent fees. The bottom end is almost always $500, whether you need insurance for a day or for a week. To that you can add workman's comp for a few dollars, and insurance on your equipment, etc. You generally need insurance to shoot on any public property, and many private locations will insist you have it as well. Do look into a full year's policy. I suspect it's not too much more than a day or week. Josh __________________ Owner/Operator, 727 Records Co-Founder, Matter of Chance Productions Blogger, Try Avoidance

June 28th, 2006, 07:05 AM	#4
Jason J. Gullickson Regular Crew Join Date: May 2005 Location: Madison, WI Posts: 170	Thanks for all the info guys. I got the quotes back that I requested and the range was $500 - $750 just like you all said above. I was surprised, because I have a friend who does general videography and he pays $600/year, but again, that's what you all said above. So it looks like I'll be taking out a yearly policy in the near future. Out of curiosity, what does this sort of thing usually cover? Does it only cover damages that the named insured's cause, or does it somehow provide an umbrella for everything in the "production"? __________________ Jason J. Gullickson Producer the second society http://2soc.net

June 28th, 2006, 12:54 PM	#5
Matt DeJonge Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 37	Jason, could you enlighten us as to who you ended up going with? I'm looking at getting yearly insurance too, but have no contacts yet (other than the Allen Group that Joshua suggested). __________________ AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 4200+ / 2GB RAM / nVidia 7900GT Dual Head, 3x500GB HD Adobe CS3, LightWave 3D 9.3

June 28th, 2006, 04:59 PM	#6
Joshua Provost Major Player Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 493	The policy covers destruction to people and property. The named insured is who is really covered. They get to file a claim if you break their stuff. The yearly policy your friend has may just cover insuring his equipment. For instance, I can add my equipment to my homeowners policy relatively cheap. Actual general liability production insurance is a different thing entirely, and it won't cover your equipment unless you specifically opt for equipment coverage. I believe you can also get general liability for your business, and that may be acceptable to various locations, provided it's for the right amount (usually $1M), and you can cut a certificate of insurance with their name on it. __________________ Owner/Operator, 727 Records Co-Founder, Matter of Chance Productions Blogger, Try Avoidance

June 27th, 2006, 11:15 AM	#2
Don Donatello Hawaiian Shirt Mogul Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: northern cailfornia Posts: 1,261	if you buy production insurance for one day - don't be surprised if you get quotes in the 2000-3000 range !!!! most of the time it less to buy insurance for a year .. more the likely the theater doesn't want their insurance to play a role .. most location require a 1 mil liability certificate ... if this is a for FUN project .. you might call your home/renters insurance and ask them if they can issue a floaters policy to cover the one day/year ... i carry floater year round for "fun" projects = approx $350 for couple million .. usually on a "fun" project you cannot promise any $$, percent, deferred payment or any financial gain to anybody in return for their services .. if you do it is no longer a fun project but becomes a commercial/business project and for that you would need business insurance - still your home insurance might be able to issue you a floater .... when i need production insurance i buy it for a year - approx 1200 for 1 mil liabilty a year on documentary - approx 1800 year for dramatic .. approx 4500 year for full production insurance ( not including workmans comp) ...

July 22nd, 2010, 06:03 PM	#7
Silas Barker Major Player Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Sacramento, California Posts: 577	You can add Workmans Comp for a few dollars???? The insurance company i talked to for a short film said it was about $1500 for up to 15 people, can you tell me more'? i'll also check out their website, thanks in advance!