http://www.Stunt-Insure.com is a domain name owned and managed by Brilliant Insurance Services, a California based commercial insurance agency. The programs offered focus on providing insurance for film stunts. ?I love what I do?? says David Karubian, CEO of Brilliant Insurance Services, ??each policy I write is unique and interesting. Calls kept coming in from Utah, so we obtained a license there to make the program available".
A ?film stunt? has a broad range of categories including, but not limited to, fights, falls, pyrotechnics, blanks, animals, driving, and water related scenes. Getting insurance for movie stunts can be a challenge for small production companies and ?indie producers? that don?t have huge budgets. ?That?s where we come in?? says David, ??we have the ability to provide coverage for the producers that want to do what the ?big boys? do??
There are several sections to the production insurance policy. The core requirement is General Liability, which provides coverage in the event someone who is not part of the production (a stranger) wanders on to the set and gets hurt. Of course this is an over simplified definition but is what the film permit offices require as a minimum. When getting production insurance with a stunt, there is a surcharge added to this section of the policy. Imagine walking down the street and seeing a ?knife fight? and jump in to break it up, getting hurt as a result, only to find out the fight was choreographed and being filmed.
Covering the cast and crew for their injuries falls under the section of Worker?s Compensation. This section of coverage is the hardest to obtain and is rarely bundled with the production insurance. Payroll companies and programs offered through the ?state of domicile? are really the only ways to get Worker?s Compensation coverage when stunts are involved. Exceptions to this do exist. The common misconception is that General Liability covers everyone involved, and that just simply isn?t the case.
The rented equipment also needs coverage. ??the only claim I have had, related to a gear related loss during stunt filming, involved fake blood ruining a camera during a zombie movie?most producers keep tight control of their sets?? says David.
There is also coverage available for the rented vehicles used in production. This includes lighting and grip trucks, as well as picture cars and the vehicles used by the production staff. ?Most of the claims I have seen over the years involve the vehicles?? notes David ??whether stunts are involved or not?.
Several other sections of coverage are available at a premium, but rarely purchased. With the advent of digital filming, many hazardous and risky elements are now put in the film during post-production. Digital also makes it easy for producers to make redundant back-ups of the film, reducing the need for faulty film coverage.
According to David, a recent customer named Dauren Kamshibaeff, was able to insure a feature with several insane stunts, including an actor jumping off of the Queen Mary into the ocean. ??this is what makes coming to work fun?? jokes David, ??Dauren?s job is of course more exciting than mine, but it does make the paperwork seem less tedious when I can visualize the final product? he adds.
Stunt-Insure.com provides coverage now in eleven states, and will most probably add on a few more states in the next year to come. Getting short term production insurance with stunts doesn?t have to be hard or expensive, you just have to know where to find it.
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