entertainment industry insurance Archives

Do THEY Have Adequate Insurance Coverage?

April 6, 2025 by Luke Gelineau

I’ve written quite a few blog posts at this point, and most of them are talking about how YOU need to make sure that you have adequate insurance coverage.

I’ve gone over everything from Workers Comp to Third Party Property Damage and everything in between. However, we haven’t talked about an important aspect of insurance: Making sure OTHER PEOPLE have adequate insurance coverage.

Read the Fine Print on the Insurance Certificate

I have a client who operates a rental house so he can rent his film equipment to others. He does some film productions of his own but the rental house business generates some nice side income. We cover his insurance needs for both businesses so he has what he needs. However, we can’t control the insurance policies of everyone that rents his equipment.

Unfortunately, he recently rented out his equipment to somebody whose policy contained an exclusion known as the “Unattended Vehicle Exclusion.” This exclusion states that the insurance policy doesn’t cover equipment kept in an unlocked car or that’s left unprotected. The bad thing was that my client didn’t know that he needed to ask about that. He had no idea that the exclusion was going to come back to haunt him later. He figured that he got a proper certificate and that’s all that’s needed, right?

I’ve already written a blog post about what rental houses should look for in a certificate. In there, I explain why it is essential that you’re on top of what your client’s insurance policy says. In this case, my client was thankfully insured by his own policy. But now his insurance company is paying out almost $80,000, and they are not going to be renewing his policy due to the increased claims.

Need More Information on Insurance Coverage?

Make sure you carefully review certificates and have a strong rental agreement, or you could be out $80k as well! Feel free to call me with any questions on insurance certificates and rental house insurance.

Happy Holidays from Equipment & Production Insurance

December 23, 2024 by Luke Gelineau

To Our Clients and Friends,

Thank you and Happy Holidays from all of us at Equipment & Production Insurance.

As 2024 comes to a close, we want to take this opportunity to thank you for entrusting us with the service of your insurance policies and financial protection. Our relationships with you took on even greater meaning this year as we navigated this strange and difficult year together.

While 2020 has been very challenging, we believe 2021 will be much better. Although the holidays may look a little different this year, all of us here at United Agencies wish you the very best of health, happiness, success, and peace during this holiday season and into the year ahead.

As always, you should feel free to contact me with any questions you might. I am always happy to help you with any of your insurance needs. Be well and please stay safe.

Sincerely,

How to Find the Right Costume Designer

February 10, 2024 by Luke Gelineau

Since films appeal to the visual, the right costuming can help “sell” your film. A director works closely with their costume designer as part of a collaborative process.

What does a costume designer do?

Once the director imparts his vision, the designer will put together sketches, images, and ideas for discussion. The designer will also take into account the setting and lights.

After the director approves the ideas, then the designer meets with Wardrobe and actors. To achieve the director’s goals, the designer depends on group input and communication

How can a director help the costume designer?

Make sure they have access to the script and character analysis.
Notate certain themes or messages that costuming can convey.
Hold regular meetings and give input throughout the process.
If there are any technical practicalities that must be considered, such as flying harnesses, make sure to point them out early.
Clearly communicate your costuming budget.

Where can you find a good costume designer?

Larger film production companies will often have full-time costume designers on staff. However, if you are producing a short film or a small theater production, you might consider hiring a freelance costume designer. Many freelancers will open accounts on Fiverr or UpWork. There, you can view their portfolios and read reviews of past clients.

If you do hire a freelance designer, then they will work for you as contract labor. Keep in mind that in the state of California, you must have Workers’ Compensation Insurance for employees, interns, AND contract labor. It’s also a good idea to ask your agent about short-term insurance to protect your costumes and sets.

How can you learn more?

To make sure your production has the best insurance protection possible, give us a call. We can guide you relative to what types of insurance you need.

The team at Equipment and Production Insurance are film, photographic & entertainment industry insurance specialists. Whether you need short-term or annual insurance, you can rely on their quick and knowledgeable assistance to meet all of your production insurance needs.

At United Agencies, We Are Here for You

March 27, 2020 by Luke Gelineau

To All of Our Customers, Friends and Family
We Are Here For You During This Challenging Time

We know everyone is feeling a bit out of sorts being isolated and “on lockdown” at the moment. But here at United Agencies and Insured Production, our teams are working harder than ever to serve you, your business, and all of your commercial insurance needs.

While our offices are temporarily closed to walk-in visits, and you may not be receiving visits from your Sales Representative like usual, we are here for you online and by phone. Reach out to us from the comfort of your office, or your home office, and gain relief in knowing a United Agencies professional is available when you need us most.

As always, you should feel free to contact me with any questions you might. I am always happy to help you with any of your insurance needs.

Sincerely,

Protect Against the Unthinkable with Cast Extra Expense Insurance

March 13, 2020 by Luke Gelineau

As an insurance agent, it is my responsibility to protect my clients. Today, that means protecting them against all of the bad things they might face on the set. There is general liability film insurance for the majority of claims. I also recommend Workers’ Comp and Third Party Property Damage. However, it surprises me when my clients don’t want to cover the worst possible scenario, the loss of a cast member. Cast Extra Expense Insurance ought to be one of the “primary insurance policies” for all film productions.

Why Do You Need Cast Extra Expense Insurance?

One of the worst things that could happen to any production is if one of the actors or crew members gets injured, becomes sick, killed, or they have to leave because of a sudden illness or death in the family. When this happens, it forces you to shut down production while you wait for them to return. It could be weeks before you go back into production. Even worse, in the case of death, it could shut down your production permanently.

In such a case, the primary concern would be for the well-being of the actor or their family, but there are real financial issues that you need to resolve in their absence. If you are filming and one of your cameras breaks, that’s unfortunate, but it’s pretty easy to replace your equipment. If you are shooting and somebody walks by the set and gets hurt, that’s terrible, but you can keep working while you settle the claim. The one thing that can hold up the entire production and cost you thousands of dollars a day is the sudden loss of an actor, director, or key member of the production.

Who is Covered by Cast Extra Expense Coverage?

Thankfully, there is insurance coverage for this worst case scenario. It’s called Cast Extra Expense. All you need to do is make a list of your key cast and crew members before your policy starts. Each person on the list needs to complete a simple medical exam. That’s it. All they have to do is pass a routine physical to make them eligible for addition to the coverage. You can start the coverage with a deductible as low as $2,500, which is nothing compared to spending tens of thousands of dollars a day while the whole crew sits on their hands.

The next time you have a production with a big-name actor attached, make sure you have more than just Workers Comp to cover their injuries. Workers’ Comp pays for their medical costs, but it won’t pay for the money you lose while they recover. In other words, Workers’ Comp covers their expenses and Cast Extra Expense covers yours.

I know that none of us likes to think about or discuss a worst-case scenario that would require this type of coverage. In fact, Cast Extra Expense can sound a little morbid or harsh, but sometimes we have to plan for the worst and hope for the best. Make sure you add this coverage onto your next production. Don’t let the unthinkable derail your production.

As always, you should feel free to contact me with any questions or for a quote. I am happy to help you with any of your insurance needs.