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Anyone mixing for HBO? Equipment insurance?


sksound

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My experience with HBO is that the production company producing the show for HBO always provides a certificate of Insurance. Being an owner-operator does not change anything. All of the Grip, Electrical, Camera, Wardrobe, Office Equipment, etc., etc., will be covered by insurance policies. 

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RL: " Being an owner-operator does not change anything "

owner-operator really means you have two business relationships with the production, and two accounts:

labor, and equipment rental. they are really two distinct, separate business relationships, two different deals.  thus, as a sound person, you do not supply equipment, you use equipment the production supplies; as an equipment rental operation, you rent the production equipment, which the rental house (this may be you) requires them to insure...

 

In the other thread, I suggested that within the last 13 months that SK has been lurking on jwsoundgroup.net this has been thoroughly discussed.

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  • 1 month later...

I recently did a few days for HBO Sports.  I was told for a week or more before the job started that they would get me a certificate of insurance, but then, only a couple of days before the job, I was informed that they didn't insure owner operators.  (thanks for delaying this information to me for 7 days, I thought to myself).  So when I fished around from the line producer for more info, I was told that if I rented gear from someone else, then they would insure that.  Soooooo.....I had my friend's audio business draw up a rental agreement for my gear, as if it was theirs.  Wala!  Now it was covered. (Perhaps)

 

AND, I agree also with what Richard wrote, or a variation on that which is they must have production insurance for, well, for lots of things:  lost media, delays in production, damaged tripods, etc..... or a wireless that the talent forgot he was wearing when she jumped in the swimming pool.....

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Boy: " they must have production insurance for, well, for lots of things: .... or a wireless that the talent forgot he was wearing when she jumped in the swimming pool..... "

actually, what they are saying is that they do not provide insurance for that -- if it is owner operator equipment. " I was informed that they didn't insure owner operators "

While production is only one of many folks asking for insurance, sometimes productions figure they can minimize their insurance costs by reducing what is insured.

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One thing to keep in mind...

 

While we might trust our "friends" the UPMs and Line Producers, etc., they also work for the corporation.  It's easy enough to have a lav replaced, or to have something fixed, as it falls below most deductibles and won't raise a flag.  In the event of catastrophic loss, the incident will go above the people we know and trust to some suit in a big shiny building.  The very first thing they will do is say you're not covered, unless you have something concrete in writing.  Crossing out a clause in your deal memo is all well and good, if you have the signed copy from them.  In my experience, I sign the piece of paper, and off it goes never to be seen again.

 

It is in everyone's best interest to cover their own gear, so if something major happens, and it gets kicked up to the suits, your insurance companies can fight over who gets to pay you.  But someone will pay.

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Further, you must be sure that you or your business entity is named as an additional insured and that a copy of your equipment inventory or manifest with current descriptions and serial numbers is in the hands of the production, clearly defining what is insured. This needs to happen before you hand over any of your gear to transpo or production. You must have the certificate of insurance issued and in your hands before you begin principal photography.

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