Production Insurance questions

When you start a prod. co., do you get General Liability for the company which covers all projects or do you get separate policies for each project? Is general Liability the same as Comprehensive Liability?

I know there is also equipment insurance. Is that per project or per company? And what other kinds of insurance does a producer need?

Thanks everyone!
 
My company has the usual GL insurance and the owned
equipment is insured. But I have no need for CL - that
covers things like a liability suit brought against the
manufacturer and/or distributor of a product. People may
not like the movies I make but so far no one has sued me
for bodily injury or property damage because of my product.

I have no full time employees so I add to my policy on a
project basis. Each movie is a separate entity from my
prodCo and is insured separately. You will need to check
what the local rules are in order to know what other kinds
of insurance a producer needs in your area.
 
I asked because I live in NYC and everything I've done up til now has been school projects or small independent documentary projects where it was just me and the camera running around town. But next year I plan to shoot something much more professional -- with a crew, yay! -- and although NYC doesn't require permits in all cases, if you do need an official permit they require insurance.

Their rules state:
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In order for you or your organization to be eligible for a Motion Picture or Television Permit, you must present to the Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre, and Broadcasting AN ORIGINAL CERTIFICATE OF INSURANCE which is signed in ink by the Broker's Authorized Representative and which includes:

1. The name and address of the insured person or production company.
2. The Description of Operations on the certificate must read as follows: "The City of New York is named as additional insured pursuant to, or with coverage at least as broad as, ISO Form CG 20 12 (07/98 ed.)."
3. That the policy provides at least One Million Dollars ($1,000,000) [usually listed as 1,000 thousands] in US currency or its equivalent of Comprehensive General Liability for each instance of claim.
4. The name of the insurance company and of the broker, with the broker's phone number.
5. The policy number.
6. The dates for which the policy is in effect, including both the start and expiration dates.
7. That the policy may not be modified or canceled without seven days prior written notification to the Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting.
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So, apparently Comprehensive is different from regular Liability? Directorik, when you said you add people on as needed, so you mean you have to cover each person with separate policies? Also, what kind of insurance would one need to cover equipment that is rented?

Are these temporary policies that are only in force during the life of a shoot? Maybe there's a website somewhere which explains the types of insurance a filmmaker needs? Insurance always confuses me.

Thanks in advance for any insight you can offer.
 
That’s a very typical request from a city.

Contact Film Emporium. I use them exclusively and they
have a NY office 212 683 2433
So, apparently Comprehensive is different from regular Liability? Directorik, when you said you add people on as needed, so you mean you have to cover each person with separate policies?
I didn’t say I add people - I said I often must add to my policy
when employing an entire cast and crew. I do have to cover
each person I’ve hired and each person who happens by but
I don’t need a separate policy for each person.

Also, what kind of insurance would one need to cover equipment that is rented?
It’s called “rented equipment” insurance. Companies that rent
know exactly what they need as do insurance companies. When
you contact an insurance provider they will walk you through
each step to make sure you have the necessary coverage.

Are these temporary policies that are only in force during the life of a shoot? Maybe there's a website somewhere which explains the types of insurance a filmmaker needs? Insurance always confuses me.
Yes. You can buy insurance for only the life of the shoot. Much
better than a website is a phone call to an insurance company.
I, too, am always confused by insurance needs and I've been
making movies for quite a while. I've found that the best way
to get the answers for something this important is the good old
fashioned phone call to an insurance agent.
 
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