Film Production Insurance: Understanding the Protection Coverage of Film Production Insurance

Film Production Insurance: Understanding the Protection Coverage of Film Production Insurance
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Film Production Insurance

Film production insurance is arguably one of the most critical things that any filmmaker should take care of before proceeding with a project. Generally speaking, film production insurance is a general liability insurance policy that would cover or protect the filmmaker for his or her activities for a year. There are three reasons why a filmmaker should get this type insurance: for legal protection, contractual obligations, and asset protection. There are various types of insurance policies that a filmmaker could get, depending on the type or length of the project.

Film production insurance is mandated by law, since every US state demands that any workers involved in film production have insurance. Workers’ compensation insurance provides replacement income for those involved in the project while also covering the medical costs incurred by the crew or actors injured while on the job. Workers’ compensation insurance can be purchased from private insurance providers. The premium may vary according to the job classification or the type of risks that the employees face. Contractual obligations also require insurance for film production, as a film production is contractually obligated to have insurance before working with any studio or television production firm.

Asset Protection

Finally, film production insurance is needed for asset protection. It would protect the filmmaker against loss and damage to assets like camera and other production equipment, or against liability for people working with the production crew. The film production insurance policy may depend on the type of movie being filmed; short documentary movies may require a shorter policy, while full length feature films may require a longer policy. Short term policies are also used for a single production like commercials. This type of policy is usually approved quickly, usually within a day. The long-term policies on the other hand can be availed of in a matter of weeks.

Categories

Likewise, filmmakers have three major categories of insurance policies to choose from depending on the project type they are working on. One is the general liability insurance which protects the filmmaker against damage to the location or space of the filming, as well as injury or harm to people who are not involved in the film production. The said insurance however will not protect an employee who gets involved in a vehicular accident while working on the set. Short term policies can be availed of, with varying rates depending on the insurance firm or insurance broker.

Protecting Equipment

There is also the film production equipment insurance which happens to be one of the more frequently availed of insurance policies of filmmakers. As the name suggests, this insurance protects the filmmaker against any loss or damage of film equipment utilized in the filmmaking production. This can also protect against theft to any rented equipment, and this only covers the total amount of the equipment as requested on the application.

Coverage Against Errors

Lastly, there is the insurance for errors and omissions. This policy protects the filmmaker against lawsuits that may stem from the illegal use of titles, ideas, materials, formats, and plots. Filmmakers may also use this insurance to protect themselves against other legal issues like plagiarism and defamation. Usually, this insurance requires the advice of a lawyer who will check on the script and clearances of the filmmaker.