Why Stunt Insurance Can Save Your Production

Almost every movie or production has some level of stunt activity. And it is these brave men and women who can make the difference between a good scene and a great scene. Even training films often include stunts as part of the production.  However, many traditional insurance packages don’t automatically cover stunt work. We can provide the right kind of insurance for your production company.

Stunt Insurance

We can provide special stunt coverage for many of the productions you are involved in. Producers and production companies can attain coverage for the following... Stunts, aerial scenes, falls, fight scenes, recreational vehicles, water scenes, weapons, precision driving, and animals. 

Many insurance companies provide special stunt coverage packages for film productions. The insurance company provides quotes per stunts performed during film shoots.

The staff at John Hart Insurance has over 60 years combined experience in the field of entertainment insurance.  We focus exclusively on understanding the unique needs of motion picture, television, video, music and theatrical companies.  This knowledge base allows us to structure an insurance program specifically for each client that will be a balance of the best coverage and most economical solutions to help them manage the risks inherent to their unique businesses.

Best Practices for Entertainment Property Losses

Movie Insurance Update

Most every entertainment business owns business property, which may include the building in which you run your operations.  Property insurance protects the physical assets your business owns – such as computers, props, movie sets, camera equipment, office equipment, buildings, furniture, fixtures, and other property.  Every entertainment business should have a comprehensive property insurance portfolio to respond to the many risks associated with property ownership.

We hope to help you indemnify a proactive plan in the event of a fire, theft, storm, or some other kind of damage that might involve your entertainment insurance policy.  There are a number of actions you can do to help get the best possible settlement from the insurance company.

Pre-Loss Practices

• Maintain vital records
• Have photos of all buildings, major equipment, etc
• Blueprints- keep complete sets
• Property inventories
• Financial records
• Appoint key individuals as communicators
• Have emergency response plan
• Secondary locations identified

During The Loss

• Notify the insurer
• Protect the property
• Track claim costs
• Separate budget line items
• Keep records of all internal and external costs
• Make temporary repairs
• Communicate with insurer as to the use of any consultants
• Meet regularly with the agent and Insurer
• List and address key issues and concerns
• Note any changes from original design
• Will you rebuild or not?
• What might cause delays?

The staff at John Hart Insurance has over 60 years combined experience in the field of entertainment insurance.  We focus exclusively on understanding the unique needs of motion picture, television, video, music and theatrical companies.  This knowledge base allows us to structure an insurance program specifically for each client that will be a balance of the best coverage and most economical solutions to help them manage the risks inherent to their unique businesses.

Heat Stress Prevention For The Entertainment Industry

As summer approaches, workers all over Los Angles and the rest of the country will experience the risk of heat stress.  Heat stress is especially prevalent in the summer months due to climate changes in July and August. Summer is the time when outside performances and other related work increases.

Heat stress is a signal that says the body is having difficulty maintaining its narrow temperature range. The heart pumps faster, blood is diverted from internal organs to the skin, breathing rate increases, and sweating increases, all in an attempt to transfer more heat to the outside air and cool the skin by the evaporation of sweat. If the body can't keep up, then the person suffers effects ranging from heat cramps to heat exhaustion, and finally to heat stroke.

Workers at risk of heat stress include outdoor workers and workers in hot environments such as set construction, stunt workers, outside theater productions, filming and others. Workers at greater risk of heat stress include those who are 65 years of age or older, are overweight, have heart disease or high blood pressure, or take medications that may be affected by extreme heat.  Source: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Prevention Tips

• Drink water frequently and moderately. 
• Take breaks and rest periodically out of the sun and heat.
• Eat lightly.
• Do jobs that are more strenuous during the cooler morning hours.
• Utilizing ventilation or fans in enclosed areas.
• Remembering that it takes about 1-2 weeks for the body to adjust to the heat; this adaptation is quickly lost – so your body will need time to adjust after a vacation.
• Avoiding alcohol consumption. Many cases have occurred the day after a "night on the town”.
• Wear light-colored, cotton clothes, and keep your shirt on; desert nomads do not wear all those clothes for nothing.

Additional sources: CAN

We will review your entertainment insurance and compare them to your operations to make sure that you have the coverage that matches your risk.  Make sure your workers’ compensation coverage is designed to cover your legal obligations.

The staff at John Hart Insurance has over 60 years combined experience in the field of entertainment insurance.  We focus exclusively on understanding the unique needs of motion picture, television, video, music and theatrical companies.  This knowledge base allows us to structure an insurance program specifically for each client that will be a balance of the best coverage and most economical solutions to help them manage the risks inherent to their unique businesses.

How Will the New Minimum Wage Impact The Entertainment Industry

Many states and cities are enacting new minimum wage laws, and all will feel the impact.  Not only will the cost of goods go up, but also every business will see an increase in workers’ compensation costs.  Those business with a high minimum wage work force will see an even higher premium increase.

In California for example, the wage increase affects 43% of the state’s workforce and makes California’s minimum wage the highest in the country.  Oregon Just passed a statewide minimum wage as well.  Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and Vermont also increased minimum wages in 2016.

The $15 per hour may not seem like it would have much of an impact the entertainment industry, with its reliance on handsomely paid creative professionals and union presence. Caterers, prop houses, nurseries and numerous other businesses that support Hollywood productions pay many of their worker’s minimum wage or close to it, and an increase in their costs for workers would likely get passed along. (Variety.com)

Increased wages will mean increased payroll, and your workers’ compensation premiums are based on your payroll.  With increased payroll, come increased benefits, which lead to increased overall claims costs and experience mods.

What is Workers’ Compensation?

Workers' compensation insurance is insurance that provides lost income, medical benefits, disability benefits, and rehabilitative services for workers injured on the job or while performing work-related duties.

Why Your Business Needs Workers’ Compensation Insurance

When one of your employees gets hurt on the job or has a work-related illness, only workers’ compensation will cover them.  Health insurance benefits will not provide coverage for on the job injuries.

It is important to use an agent with commercial experience to help your business find the right combination of coverage, price, and service.

The staff at John Hart Insurance has over 60 years combined experience in the field of entertainment insurance.  We focus exclusively on understanding the unique needs of motion picture, television, video, music and theatrical companies.  This knowledge base allows us to structure an insurance program specifically for each client that will be a balance of the best coverage and most economical solutions to help them manage the risks inherent to their unique businesses

Entertainment Lability Trends For 2016 and Beyond

Today almost every production company, film distribution firm, or any business in the entertainment industry can find itself facing a liability lawsuit. A Professional Liability lawsuit can put assets at risk including business assets, resources, and in some cases the personal assets of owners. One simple mistake could cause financial devastation, as well as end a professional career. Some businesses mistakenly fail to realize that they have an exposure to professional loss.

The most important liability trends are involving intellectual property rights liability; such as copyright and trademark infringement. There is increased litigation around the unauthorized use of third party content; images, film, ant music without permission.

“Media companies are increasingly exposed to claims for copyright, right of publicity and misappropriation of ideas under implied contract. The exposure to these causes of action has increased as media companies try to generate content to keep up with the public’s consistent and growing appetite for news, information and entertainment. Internet exposures arising from third-party generated content are also a concern. These causes of action can give rise to large verdicts, settlements and defense costs. Moreover, a defendant in an intellectual property suit is less likely to prevail through motion practice or on appeal. Most intellectual property suits are likely to settle because they are economic disputes as compared to those involving claims for emotional distress and reputational damages.” P.Blake Keating, VP Media Claims, One Beacon Insurance.

Other Risk and Insurance Trends To Watch

•        Use of drones including safety and privacy
•          Suite involving social media
•          Hacking of entertainment firms form foreign countries
•          Development of internet products and copyright issues
•          Un authorized used of images in marketing or advertising

The staff at John Hart Insurance has over 60 years combined experience in the field of entertainment insurance.  We focus exclusively on understanding the unique needs of motion picture, television, video, music and theatrical companies.  This knowledge base allows us to structure an insurance program specifically for each client that will be a balance of the best coverage and most economical solutions to help them manage the risks inherent to their unique businesses.

Commercial Insurance Offers Real Solutions For The Entertainment Industry

Commercial Insurance 101

If you are involved in any entertainment operation, you know how important it is to keep your production running smoothly. There is nothing worse than an interruption in your production that may cause you to under deliver products or services to your producers, studio or networks. One very important parts of running a company, is ensuring that you have proper entertainment insurance coverage.

What Is Commercial Insurance For The Entertainment Industry?

Entertainment insurance is designed to protect your business from unforeseen losses like fire, theft, business income loss, and third party liability claims.

There are many different kinds of coverage that can be included in a commercial insurance policy, and depending on your business, you may need other specialized coverage including:

Property- including coverage for props

Business income- loss of potential income

Inland marine- coverage for drones, cameras, etc

Workers’ compensation- including injury to stunt professionals

General liability-

Professional liability- copyright infringement coverage

Automobile

Director and officers

Employment liability

It is important to use an agent with commercial experience to help your business find the right combination of coverage, price, and service.

The staff at John Hart Insurance has over 60 years combined experience in the field of entertainment insurance.  We focus exclusively on understanding the unique needs of motion picture, television, video, music and theatrical companies.  This knowledge base allows us to structure an insurance program specifically for each client that will be a balance of the best coverage and most economical solutions to help them manage the risks inherent to their unique businesses.

Your Experience Mod Is Your Workers’ Comp Identity

It is a fact that many entertainment employers actually overpay for their workers’ compensation premiums.  According to the latest reports, employers are paying around 20% more in surcharges than they need to. Most surcharges come from increases in the experience modification factor (mod).

The experience mod is a factor unique to each employer. In simple terms, this formula is designed to compare a specific employer’s historical claim and payroll data, to other employers with similar business operations. An individual employer’s experience mod is calculated using claims data compared to premiums from the three most recently completed years, excluding the expiring term.

Key points to consider

• If your losses are increasing, your mod most likely will go up even if your payroll goes down.
• The frequency of losses hurt you more than the severity of losses.
• It is important to check the calculations on the experience modification worksheet each year.
• The most common errors are incorrect or incomplete payroll data.
• Your workers’ compensation mod is the single most important factor insurers use to identify your risk.
• Your mod can be reduced through effective safety and loss control programs.

How to reduce your mod?

• Develop a safety program.
• Reward safety in the workplace.
• Start a return to work program.
• Complete regular safety inspections.
• Investigate every accident and make corrective actions if needed.
• If you suspect fraud, immediately inform the insurance company.
• A disciplinary program also should be incorporated into the safety program; it should hold employees accountable for breaking the rules.

The staff at John Hart Insurance has over 60 years combined experience in the field of entertainment insurance.  We focus exclusively on understanding the unique needs of motion picture, television, video, music and theatrical companies.  This knowledge base allows us to structure an insurance program specifically for each client that will be a balance of the best coverage and most economical solutions to help them manage the risks inherent to their unique businesses