Filming can pose numerous challenges in the best of times, but if you plan to shoot some or all of your project abroad, you may need to contend with variables you have never encountered before. Most studios’ attention turns to plane tickets, transportation for necessary equipment, timelines, temporary housing, and more. In the shuffle, it can be easy to forget about insurance and how policy needs and accessibility may change. DICE insurance is one option for covering the gap. However, it is essential to understand how it works.
DICE insurance (which stands for Documentary, Industrial, Commercial, Educational, the types of films it protects) can wrap a film’s varying insurance needs into a single product. However, some complexities arise when cross-border productions are involved. Here are the main things your studio needs to know about how DICE insurance works for international films, so you can make sure your coverage has no gaps.
Building a Cross-Border Policy
First and foremost, studios must realize that many insurance policies may exclude some types of coverage as soon as the film team leaves the U.S. (or Canada). This may even be true of basic DICE insurance, so working with an insurance provider that understands the film industry is non-negotiable. Otherwise, you could be left with an insurance policy that does nothing for your studio.
The good news is that DICE insurance can typically be modified to cover cross-border productions. This allows its many advantages to follow the team, no matter where in the world they travel. These protections can include:
General Liability
General liability insurance is often required in order to begin filming. Without it, many venues will not permit the team to rent the space or shoot in it. For international venues, this is even more true; the risk is greater since their visitors may leave at any time and are not bound to their jurisdiction, where they could easily pursue legal action for monetary damages.
Any cross-border production should invest in general liability coverage. The main difference compared to domestic filming is that the policy may require a minimum budget for the film and may require stricter requirements for the minimum acceptable protection levels.
Equipment
A film studio’s equipment is invaluable for success; without it, the entire production can halt in a single day. Transporting equipment for cross-border productions creates particular risks that domestic teams do not experience. The chances of item loss or theft increase, and being able to replace a piece of equipment in a foreign country may be challenging.
DICE insurance can help by addressing the financial element of equipment issues. Whether this means covering the cost of a full replacement or paying for repairs, this coverage can help your team keep production on track anywhere in the world.
Cast & Crew
A studio’s cast and crew are the other essential cog in the wheel of film production. In a foreign place, injury and illness are often more common, and U.S.-based health coverage may not be accepted in your new country.
DICE insurance can help pay for medical attention across the border should valuable team members become sick or injured. Bear in mind: foreign countries may have illnesses that even well-prepared teams are vulnerable to!
Business Interruption
Traveling abroad introduces more unpredictability into a production than a U.S.-based film. What does your team do if you reserve the right to use a specific space in a foreign country, only to find that it is unavailable when you arrive? DICE insurance customized for international productions can help to address the financial ramifications of an interrupted schedule, such as paying crew to be there, finding new lodgings, or securing a new place to film.
Auto
Even if your team is simply going over the border to Canada or Mexico, you might not have access to the identical vehicles you are used to using in the U.S. DICE insurance may offer auto coverage for cross-border productions, allowing the filming crew to rent cars as needed without fear of insurance challenges in the new country.
Secure Your Production Anywhere in the World 
Whether your team plans to cross the border for the perfect film or has ambitions elsewhere, DICE insurance can be an invaluable tool for successfully managing international productions. However, it is essential to understand that a boilerplate DICE insurance policy may not address all your needs. That is why working with a film-specific insurance provider is invaluable. They have the industry experience you need to customize a DICE policy to suit your international challenges. Contact MFE Insurance for a personalized quote so you can build a policy that leaves no issue up to chance.