FAQ

When shooting a film on a city street or private residency you will most likely need General Liability (GL), an Inland Marine policy to cover rented equipment, and Workers Comp to cover injuries your crew may sustain. You may also be asked to purchase Hired and Non Owned Auto from the result of renting or borrowing someone’s car.

The following are definitions from various Insurance Department sites and do not constitute a contract. They are merely meant to clarify terminology. Please read your individual policy for exclusions and endorsements.

FAQ

Your premium will depend on the coverage you need listed above. If you just need GL then that will be the least expensive. Adding auto coverage will increase the premium. If you have rented equipment we are covering, that will be under Inland Marine. If you need a full production package that will be more expensive.

No, General Liability covers negligent acts that results in bodily injury or property damage NOT to your crew (covered by Work Comp) or the equipment (Inland Marine Policy). Ex, camera falls off balcony and hits a pedestrian and crew member and damages street sign. GL does NOT cover the crew member or the damage to the camera but would cover the pedestrian’s law suit against you for Bodily Injury and damage to the street sign under 3rd Party Property Damage. Some brokers offer just GL omitting 3rd Party Property Damage which is NOT WISE TO GET unless you want to be liable for the damages. Not worth saving a few bucks.

If you are renting trucks from a rental house they will require this coverage. It will cover the bodily injury liability caused to another person as a result of an at-fault accident by your driver. Damage to the truck itself may or may not be covered based on the type of policy. This coverage is relatively cheap and would provide coverage to your PA’s car or other crew member if he/she were involved in an accident while working for you. Otherwise his/her insurance must pay for the damage to the car and if they were at fault the production company could be named in a law suit.

The “Bare Minimum” is usually General Liability (GL) with 3rd Party Property Damage. You may also need Equipment Coverage covered at REPLACEMENT COST (the cost to replace the equipment NOT the amount you are paying to rent the equipment). Insurance carriers charge MINIMUM PREMIUMS meaning the carriers will not lower them based on less shooting days. They are the MINIMUM they will do business with you.

KEY TERMS

CAST INSURANCE:
This coverage usually is purchased on feature films or TV productions (except documentaries) but also may be purchased for other types of production. It indemnifies the production company for the net loss or extra expenses to begin or complete principal photography of an insured production, due to death, injury or illness of any insured artist or director. Insured persons are initially covered for accident only, until they are examined and complete a medical questionnaire. The insurer then will expand the coverage to include illness

CERTIFICATE OF INSURANCE:
The insurance company document that verifies insurance.

FAULTY PROCESSING:
Covers loss, damage or destruction of raw film or tape stock, exposed film (developed or undeveloped), recorded videotape, matrices, lavenders, positives, interpositives, working prints, cutting copies, fine grain prints, color transparencies, cels, art work and drawings, software and related materials used to generate computer images, sound tracks and tapes, resulting from fogging or use of faulty materials (including cameras or videotape recorders), faulty sound equipment, or faulty developing. Faulty coverage does not include loss caused by errors of judgment in exposure, lighting or sound recording, from use of incorrect type of raw stock or faulty manipulation by the cameraman. Faulty Stock, Camera and Processing coverage can be purchased only with Negative, Film and Videotape coverage.

GENERAL LIABILITY (GL):
Coverage for an insured when negligent acts and/or omissions result in bodily injury and/or property damage on the premises of a business, when someone is injured as the result of using the product manufactured or distributed by a business, or when someone is injured in the general operation of a business.

GUILD TRAVEL ACCIDENT:
Travel accident coverage with limits required by the guild or union contacts with the producer. Coverage also may be extended to non-union employees, up to $50,000 each.

HIRED AND NON OWNED AUTO :
This non owned auto liability insurance coverage becomes vital in the event that an employee or agent of the company is involved in an accident in their personal vehicle on company business. In that case the company and the individual can both beat significant risk.

ILLNESS COVERAGE:
Indemnifies the production company for the net loss or extra expenses necessary to begin or complete principal photography of an insured production, due to death, injury or illness of an insured artist or director. Insured persons are initially covered for accident only. The insurer will expand coverage to include illness, if the person qualifies, based upon a medical examination and questionnaire.

INLAND MARINE (for RENTED EQUIPMENT):
Historically, this broad type of coverage was developed for shipments that do not involve ocean transport. Floaters that cover expensive personal items such as fine art and jewelry or film equipment, are included in this category.

MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE:
Claims from mysterious or unexplained disappearances are not typically covered by insurance.

OCCURRENCE (SEE CLAIMS MADE):
A claim is paid if the event occurred during the policy period regardless when the claim is submitted.

PRIMARY & NON CONTRIBUTORY:
stipulates the order in which multiple policies triggered by the same loss are to respond. For example, a contractor may be required to provide liability insurance that is primary and noncontributory. This means that the contractor’s policy must pay before other applicable policies (primary) and without seeking contribution from other policies that also claim to be primary (noncontributory).

PRODUCER/DISTRIBUTOR LIABILITY:
Coverage for claims alleging unauthorized use of titles, format, ideas, characters, and plots; plagiarism; and unfair competition. Also provides coverage for alleged libel, slander, defamation of character or invasion of privacy.

RENTED EQUIPMENT, PROPS, SETS AND WARDROBE:
Camera, sound, lighting and miscellaneous rented equipment. Owned equipment is not covered. Props, sets, and wardrobe are covered. The insurable value should be the total value of your rented equipment, props, sets, and wardrobe from all vendors.Equipment insurance includes your vendors being provided with certificates of insurance naming them as loss payee in the event of a loss. Unlimited certificates can be issued.

SUBROGATE:
After the insurance company pays the insured for a claim, it has the right to recover the amount of the loss from the liable third party.

THIRD PARTY PROPERTY DAMAGE:
Covers damages to property of others while it is in the care, custody and control of the insured (i.e. damage to a house that you are shooting in). Coverage does not apply to damage caused by operation of rented or leased motor vehicles, aircraft or watercraft that are covered under props, sets, or wardrobe, or to miscellaneous equipment insurance–that is what your INLAND MARINE coverage is for.

WAIVER OF SUBROGATION:
The insurer relinquishes the right to collect damages from another party paid on behalf of the insured. The waiver of subrogation is referred to as a “transfer of rights of recovery.”

WORKERS COMP :
A system where by an employer must pay, or provide insurance to pay, the lost wages and medical expenses of an employee who is injured on the job.