Production insurance does more than simply protect your equipment on a shoot — it can improve your entire film or video project.
I always assumed that getting production insurance would require sitting in an insurance agent’s office and explaining the script before anxiously waiting for acceptance and a nausea-inducing bill.
Luckily, the actual process was much easier and the end result more useful than I’d imagined.
Let’s look at what production insurance can do for you.
Production Insurance Is There to Protect You
The entire purpose of any insurance is to protect the insured party (you) from severe financial loss. Without it, you are personally responsible if something goes wrong — meaning your money that has to fix it.
The primary purpose of production insurance is to protect the people, property, companies, and equipment in use during a production. It can cover everything from dropped equipment to an injury on set.
It’s easy to see why you need it, right? But there’s more.
Insurance Gets You Better Gear
Yep. Without adequate insurance, you can kiss that Alexa package and fleet of 10-tons goodbye. Rental houses almost universally require coverage before leasing you their big-ticket items. This will be the difference between getting the camera you want and settling for something less.
When you first contact your rental house, ask about the coverage requirements for the gear you want. This will help you later when you’re selecting coverage.
But, insurance does more than simply upgrade your gear.
Locations
Tired of settling for friends’ houses and dodging the cops while shooting in public? Production insurance can unlock locations that will take your production to the next level.
There is a surprising number of locations that won’t charge you to shoot onsite, as long as you have insurance that protects their property and belongings.
So, how can I fit you and your lovely production into a policy today . . . ?
Quick and Cheap Insurance
Creepy insurance jokes aside, the biggest surprise for me when getting production coverage for the first time was how efficient everything is. The last time I tried, I could only get quotes for annual coverage. But I didn’t need this as I was only doing a production or two a year. And it was expensive.
Thanks to the internet, however, you can get quotes and secure coverage the same day — usually within an hour. My favorite part is that you can get short-term coverage, which bypasses the pricey annual fees.
Here is a short list of a few online production insurance providers. Always do your own research before committing to anything with a contract — especially insurance.
- Supple-Merrill & Driscoll
- Front Row
- Allen Financial
- Abacus
- Film Emporium
- United Agencies
This should get your search started, but as any producer worth their salt will tell you, the only good policy is one custom made for your production. Communicate with the agent and all vendors, crew, and other suppliers in order to make sure you are covered and protected from all unforseen circumstances.
Trust me — knowing that your production is protected against catastrophe is worth the price of admission.