Typically I get calls from people who haven’t purchased film insurance for their production. They need me to write a film insurance policy from scratch. We discuss the coverage they need and find the most comprehensive coverage for the lowest price. However, recently I’ve noticed an uptick in phone calls from people who already have insurance but their agent won’t or can’t add the additional coverage they need.
Can you add personal insurance to your film insurance policy?
I’m not referring to business owners who want to add personal or general business insurance to their film insurance policies. That happens also but if you need a completion bond, health insurance, or even homeowner’s insurance, we have people who can help you with those and I will hook you up. No, what I am seeing is an increase in people who pay for “film insurance” that isn’t really film insurance.
What is the difference between business insurance and film insurance?
Here is what happens.
I get a call from someone who says they already have their own insurance policy, but their agent says they can’t add additional coverage that should be standard fare for those in the film insurance industry. I’m talking about things like Rented Equipment, Hired Auto Physical Damage, and Workers Comp.
If your agent cannot add a simple, production-related coverage to your policy, then chances are that you are not properly insured. More than likely, they did not write an actual production policy for you. Sometimes an agent will knowingly write you on a “non-production” policy simply to save you some money. They want to make the sale, and they know that if they give you a valid quote that you would probably think it’s too high. Or maybe you showed them a competing quote and they knew they had to fudge the numbers to beat it.
So, what happens if you have to make a claim? There is a chance you won’t be covered
If your agent can’t help you add a simple production-related coverage, then that’s a red flag. Give me a call right away and ask for them to send you a copy of their policy. I can check your policy and let you know if you’ve been properly insured or duped.
How to Get the Best Film Insurance Coverage
For more information on film insurance packages, contact Equipment & Production Insurance. The team at Equipment and Production Insurance are film, photographic & entertainment industry insurance specialists. Whether you need short-term, annual, post, documentary, commercial, equipment, rental house, or Workers’ Comp Insurance, you can rely on their quick and knowledgeable assistance to meet all of your production insurance needs.