Think 'Insurance' When the Credits Roll
This year's holiday movies "feature a wide range of risks," said Lori Fouché, CEO of Fireman's Fund Insurance Co., which insured more than a dozen of them.
Viewers awed by the stunts and scenery of 2011's holiday movies probably won't realize who insured those actors and movie companies against the risks involved. Fireman's Fund Insurance Company insured more than a dozen new films and pointed out Nov. 14 how 3-D technology, stunts, and foreign locales affect the overall risk level of a movie.
"This year's holiday movies feature a wide range of risks, including complex action sequences, 3-D technology, and foreign location filming that contribute appreciably to a film's overall risk," said Lori Fouché, president and CEO of Fireman's Fund. "As the industry leader, Fireman's Fund helps production companies manage unexpected risks by working closely to ensure the safety of all participants while still achieving the director’s artistic vision."
"We're seeing an increase in 3-D movies, such as 'Hugo' and 'A Very Harold & Kumar 3-D Christmas,' and Fireman's Fund continues to stay updated on the latest technologies to best underwrite and understand the risk and exposures involved," added Lauren Bailey, vice president of entertainment at Fireman's Fund.
According to the company's news release, a dedicated claims and risk services team reviews scripts in advance with studios to discuss how to shoot stunts, action sequences, pyrotechnics, and other scenes as safely as possible. "As the insurer, we're most concerned with understanding all of the safety measures in place and have risk services consultants who work closely to create a safe environment that reduces the risk for everyone involved," Bailey said.
"Action-oriented films like 'Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows' and 'Immortals' can be risky because if a cast member becomes injured and is unable to work, the production could be shut down, costing up to $250,000 a day for a major-budget film," said Paul Holehouse, entertainment risk consultant at Fireman's Fund. "In addition, filming in international locations, like Sweden for 'The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo' and Brazil for 'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1,' poses a variety of challenges, including the set, transportation of film equipment and costumes, and the potential for dealing with illness in a foreign location."
The company insured all of those movies, as well as "J. Edgar," "Tower Heist," "The Iron Lady," "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close," "The Darkest Hour," and several others coming out before the end of 2011.