Cinematography Equipment Insurance

Ryan Patrick O'Hara

Ryan Patrick O'Hara

Veteran
I just bought some nice PL cinema lenses, and I'll need them insured. Curious if anyone here has film equipment insured with a good insurance company they can recommend. All of my other gear is co-owned and is under my partner's insurance. These lenses are just mine and I'm looking around at other companies before I join the insurance company my business partner uses.

Just trying to get my options. You don't need to tell me pricing or whatnot, but just overall affordability, advantages, or what you like about them.

Thanks!

-ryan
 
I use Fireman's Fund insurance through a broker in NY. The math comes out to for $100=$1 of payment not including rental coverage. For rental coverage it is around $100=30c additional.

We have been lucky to not to use our policy to this date. I cant say I care for the brokers, too slow, late to write policies or make additions....etc. I will probably swap out this year.

But your regional person/broker should be somebody else since you are in LA. You might want to ask in the creative cow business forum as well.
 
I used to be with Film Emporium but got sick and tired of everyone we spoke to there being a complete asshat. Now we're insured with Fractured Atlas at a much better rate.
 
What used to be Ohio Casualty is now Liberty Mutual. Good company. The best way to do this is to buy a general liability policy and then purchase riders on your equipment. If they travel around, this will be called inland-marine.

Grant
 
When my truck was totaled i lost 2 light kits and my home owners covered them some how. I never put them on any home owners agreement but I think it would probably be the same deal with your lens if you have a good homeowners insurance policy.
 
Steve Laramie said:
When my truck was totaled i lost 2 light kits and my home owners covered them some how. I never put them on any home owners agreement but I think it would probably be the same deal with your lens if you have a good homeowners insurance policy.
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There is usually a $5000 cap on homeowners insurance covering your business gear.
 
All-state handles all my business insurance. They are great because you have an actual agent not someone in India on the phone.
 
Yeah, homeowners insurance is not enough in this situation. Plus I need to be covered for many different things such as my personal ownership of the lenses AND when rented out. From what I can tell, these are two different insurance policies.
 
Ryan Patrick O'Hara said:
Yeah, homeowners insurance is not enough in this situation. Plus I need to be covered for many different things such as my personal ownership of the lenses AND when rented out. From what I can tell, these are two different insurance policies.
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You have to be very careful with rental insurance. Recently we had a very well established rental house loose a camera package to a very professional ring of con-man and a clause in their insurance created a loophole that did not allow them to get reimbursed.

We are not in the rental business so I have no advice for that.
 
I'm finally getting my gear insured and have been recommended Fractured Atlas by a number of people. I just got off the phone with them and they were super helpful and friendly, plus their rates seem to be reasonable. I'm going to submit my application in the next few days, but so far I've got nothing but good things to say about them.
 
Checked out Fractured Atlas.... Kind of lame that I have to pay $95/year to join the site, just to apply/get insurance for equipment. Anyone explain that?
 
Yeah, I thought it was lame too. I just did the monthly one first to get a quote. If it helps at all the quote generator on the page was accurate for my insurance, so if you're ok with that plus the binder plus the joining rate, then you're good.

Here's a few other insurance points that I found on my contract which might help clarify before you pay the joining fee:
- There's a $1000 deductible, but how it works is that you claim say $25k and they just give you $24k, so you don't have to pay first. It's mainly just so you don't declare little things like stands or clamps.
- For earthquakes/flooding/hail/etc the deductible is $10k, unless you're in California, then the deductible for earthquake is $25k.
- The policy is good worldwide, with exception of warzones.
 
Oh, with fractured atlas you also have to be with the gear, so if you lend someone your equipment and they break it, then you're not covered. So no renting without your being present. Although if you were on set with it you'd be ok. You just have to show that you were somehow in some way in control of the situation.
 
oh really... That's crazy however other places I've chexked out make you take two policies. One for the equipment you own and an identical one (amount) for people you rent to. Pay double and not be on set, or pay one policy yet always have to be on ser. Thanks for the heads up. Didn't want to pay for a quote!
 
Ryan Patrick O'Hara said:
oh really... That's crazy however other places I've chexked out make you take two policies. One for the equipment you own and an identical one (amount) for people you rent to. Pay double and not be on set, or pay one policy yet always have to be on ser. Thanks for the heads up. Didn't want to pay for a quote!
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Yup, dry/wet rentals are always considered separately. Again be careful to make sure if you get a dry rental agreement that it covers you for fraud and fraudulent theft.

I think erik olson (mod) has a rental business so you might want to contact him.
 
8 years...strong bump.

But they seem to be alive and well with tons of excellent reviews.
 
Haha, oh man.

10 years later.

For many years I was with InsureMyEquipment (https://www.insuremyequipment.com/Home/Insure-My-Equipment/) which is just a front for Heffernan Insurance. I was happy but discovered they lacked some provisions and had a cap on how much you could rent to other people vs use yourself.

I ended up switching to Athos, a couple years ago, which is the link Puredrifting posted above. Never been happier.

They are easy to understand, the online dashboard is easy to use too. I have all of my expensive gear insured with them, as well as an annual policy to rent from others. I can issue certs myself at anytime. They are definately the best.

Go with Athos. They are on it. They also work with Sharegrid and KitSplit for rentals I believe. They handle a lot of cinema-equipment clients.
 
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