2006Legal / Business Practices forum
Granada production company's refusal to insure freelance-supplied equipment like steadicams
20 years old. Gear and prices may have changed since.
What the thread found
- Granada had a policy of not insuring equipment rented from individual freelancers, only equipment sourced through established rental companies.
- When a production refused to provide insurance coverage, one operator was forced to use their own personal insurance policy.
- A workaround solution involved having the freelancer rent their equipment to the camera rental company, which then rented it back to the production, making the gear eligible for coverage under the production's insurance.
- Operators should negotiate rental contracts that make the production responsible for repair costs, replacement, and loss of income for equipment if the production does not provide insurance.
- The insurance requirement created significant leverage, as productions could not proceed without resolving the coverage issue.
Depends on
- This policy was specific to Granada in the UK and the discussion is from 2006, so current practices may differ.
- The workaround solution, while functional, was considered illogical by those involved and may not be universally accepted.
- The underlying reason for Granada's refusal to insure freelance equipment was attributed to accounting department decisions rather than stated insurance requirements.
- It is unclear whether this practice was widespread across other UK production companies at the time.