Set Insurance with stunts included?

I found a new broker in Los Angeles who is giving me much better pricing than a local broker in NY who I always considered to be pricey to begin with.

I expect more insurance bids tomorrow from other brokers.

Read the fine print!! :)

I really do not know.:(

As a former insurance agent (property/casualty insurance, never dealt with this type of insurance specifically), I'll offer what advice I can. The main thing is to shop around. Don't be afraid to ask questions if you don't understand something. If something sounds fishy to you, get it in writing. Be wary of agents who don't get back to you when they say they will. Make sure there's a claims hotline you can call at any hour if you need to file a claim (the last thing you want is to have someone get injured on a night shoot or on the weekend and not be able to get in touch with your agent until regular business hours).

Make sure that you're comparing apples to apples with policies and that the agents are quoting you with the same coverage limits.

As a former insurance agent (property/casualty insurance, never dealt with this type of insurance specifically), I'll offer what advice I can. The main thing is to shop around. Don't be afraid to ask questions if you don't understand something. If something sounds fishy to you, get it in writing. Be wary of agents who don't get back to you when they say they will. Make sure there's a claims hotline you can call at any hour if you need to file a claim (the last thing you want is to have someone get injured on a night shoot or on the weekend and not be able to get in touch with your agent until regular business hours).

Make sure that you're comparing apples to apples with policies and that the agents are quoting you with the same coverage limits.

Thank you.

When it comes to insurance and business plans, I know very little. Thank you for the pointers.

I spoke with my insurance agent today who handles all of my persoanl insurance who also looked into getting me production insurance. He said it is a matter of the under writers as to how much money you can save with the insurance. He went to 3 major under writers and correctly though their pricing would be too high for little old me. He found better pricing from smaller and less known under writers willing to give the same coverage for less.

The brokers I'm dealing with in Los Angeles are very independent producer friendly and understand our needs and budget better than the big firms. I am now fully covered for 3 weeks of production, starting next week when we start rehearsing. Obviously, the brokers here have a bigger data base of under writers to draw upon than the local place I was dealing with in NY.

Can I ask what "Production Insurance" is?

Insurance for entertainers is subject to numerous catagories pending on your production. Employee insurance. Public Liability Insurance are the protocol.

What exactly does it cover?

I have a feeling it's just a mistranslation from over the pond. But it'd be good t'know.

Production liability for public property up to $1,000,000, stunt insurance, and some other coverage included.

The insurance is referred to as "Short Term Production Insurance."

Production liability for public property up to $1,000,000, stunt insurance, and some other coverage included.

Sounds about right. PLI requires at the minimum £2,000,000 in the UK.

How was the questionaire about the stunt work?

There is a section in our cover about it, it's the largest section of the booklet.

They wanted all the details. I was sure to include all the safety provissions we are taking for the actors like they are wearing real body armor, protective eyewear for protection from flying projectiles with the breakaway axe scenes, we will have a gymnastic mat hidden under a cameoflauge cover on the ground for stunts, the weapons don't fire, and we are not using pyros. We will greenscreen explosions, laser fire, and a rocket attacked in post effects. We are also using rubber knives in a knife fight under the supervision of a stunt coordinator who is a licensed martial arts instructor.

I had to laugh when one broker called me on the phone to ask if our stunt dummies are actually humans we are calling stunt dummies. I told him to go to my web site and look at the photos I posted of the stunt dummies. One is fully constructed and I'm waiting for supplies to finish the other. The dummies will take falls and direct impact blows for the actors.

There is a scene where a silver demon humter breaks an axe over a cyborg's back. Since I know the actress playing the cyborg does not have current stunt experience since she has not done stage fighting in 10 years, the cyborg stunt dummy will take the blow to the back with the axe. In the eyes of the insurance company, that does not count as a stunt because the dummy takes the place of a human.

I had to laugh when one broker called me on the phone to ask if our stunt dummies are actually humans we are calling stunt dummies. I told him to go to my web site and look at the photos I posted of the stunt dummies. One is fully constructed and I'm waiting for supplies to finish the other. The dummies will take falls and direct impact blows for the actors.

There is a scene where a silver demon humter breaks an axe over a cyborg's back. Since I know the actress playing the cyborg does not have current stunt experience since she has not done stage fighting in 10 years, the cyborg stunt dummy will take the blow to the back with the axe. In the eyes of the insurance company, that does not count as a stunt because the dummy takes the place of a human.

This made me smile :)

Claudia