Your Entertainment Company Needs To Understand These Three Risks

Entertainment Insurance

Every entertainment business has risks and most professionals have an understanding of their risks. But there are a few business risks that can be addressed by commercial entertainment insurance that you may not have considered.

Business Interruption- The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that more than 40% of businesses never reopen following a disaster such as a fire or earthquake. Is your business prepared to weather the storm if disaster strikes? If a fire causes your facility to be temporarily unusable, what would you do? To mitigate this risk, consider adding Business Interruption coverage to your Property Insurance policy.

Employment Practices- From the moment you begin the pre-hiring process until the final goodbyes at the exit interview, you are at risk for a lawsuit. In fact, three out of five employers will be sued by a prospective, current or former employee while they are in business. Although many lawsuits are groundless, defending against them is costly and time-consuming. Your business should take a hard look at whether it can afford to defend itself against accusations of wrongful employment practices. Employment Practices Liability that will protect your company against wrongful termination, discrimination (age, sex, race, disability, etc.) or sexual harassment lawsuit.

Errors and Omissions - Covers legal liability and defense for the production company against lawsuits alleging unauthorized use of title, format, ideas, characters, plots, plagiarism, unfair competition.

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.

John Hart Insurance Can Help Your Entertainment Business Survive an Interruption

An Entertainment Insurance Update

Have you considered the cost to you if your production had to shut down for a week, month, or even longer?  We have, and we can offer a few tips to help your entertainment business continue even in the midst of a shut down.

A production can be shut down for a number of reasons. Your business or commercial insurance policy will cover the cost to repair or rebuild your building, and replace business property.  But are you protected if it takes time to re-start production? Business Interruption Insurance keeps you financially stable during the period that you are forced to vacate.  You can continue to provide your employees with pay, and manage bills during the period in which the business cannot operate.

When considering business income, you also need to determine if you have certain risks that would require specific limits within the overall coverage. If these are not managed correctly, you may suffer a loss and not have enough insurance to ensure your recovery.

We can also provide coverage for those times when your key talent is lost. Having the right coverage when your talent is injured can stop production and cost your thousands of dollars.

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.

Even Small Productions Have Big Risks

Many think that operating a small or short term production has little or no risk. The fact is, operating a small production has just about the same risks as any other operation.  Employees can still sue you, your production can become delayed, third parties can claim copyright issues, and more. 

Entertainment liability risk is very real for small firms and it is important to have an entertainment insurance program that addresses these issues.

To protect a small production firm from potential lawsuits, entertainment liability insurance is necessary. Policies vary greatly, and they cover different classifications of risks for varying costs.

Entertainment Liability Insurance

·         Bodily Injury - Bodily injury to a third party.

·         Property Damage - Damage to a third party’s property (equipment building etc.).

·         Cast Insurance - Reimburses the production company for any extra expense necessary to complete principal photography of an insured production due to death, injury or sickness of any insured performer or director

·         Personal Injury - Injury to the mind or emotions, as opposed to an injury to property.

·         Products & Completed Operations - Liability arising out of products you sell or business operations and services conducted, excluding professional services.

·         Premises - Covers liability arising out of injury to third parties while on your premises.

·         Professional Liability – Covers legal liability and defense for the production company against lawsuits alleging unauthorized use of title, format, ideas, characters, plots, plagiarism, unfair competition or piracy. Also protects for alleged libel, slander, defamation of character or invasion of privacy. This coverage will usually be required by a distributor prior to release of any theatrical or television production.

·         Umbrella - Provides excess liability over primary auto and commercial liability policies.

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.

Why Special Event Insurance Is Needed

Every promoter or event organizer knows how important to keep the operation running right up to the very end. But bad thing happens, and that is why you need event cancellation insurance. In the event that you have to cancel or postpone your special event due to an unforeseen circumstance, John Hart Insurance can offer event cancellation protection will cover non-refundable deposits and non-reimbursable expenses.

Event Cancellation Insurance/Special Event Insurance from John Hart Insurance protects production companies from unforeseen circumstances that require the show to be canceled. It would provide funds to cover deposits and other costs that may have already been paid. Unforeseen circumstances could be related to any number of things including weather, construction at the venue, or illness of the featured speaker or entertainer. Policies can be created to protect revenues or expenses for those with insurable interests should an event be cancelled.

Event Cancellation Insurance is an important insurance to consider. If a loss occurs, John Hart will work closely with you to file documents quickly and accurately so your event can go on as planned.

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.

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.