Reality TV and unscripted productions have remained one of the most popular niches within film, and for good reason: viewers can never be certain what will happen, because the cast can make decisions outside the restrictions of a script. However, this can present a challenge for studios, who also do not know what choices their participants might make. Because these projects are unscripted, production insurance is a non-negotiable part of a smart insurance strategy to address the unpredictable risks of a project.
Film and TV insurance can mitigate the financial risk associated with live, unrehearsed filming. From participant injuries and equipment loss to third-party claims, highly personalized coverage keeps a project protected when the unexpected happens. Understanding these needs early helps productions stay covered, compliant, and financially secure throughout filming.
Key Takeaways
|
The Distinct Risks of Unscripted Content
Unscripted content is popular for its sudden twists and turns. However, with real participants, improvised situations, and uncontrolled locations, the potential for injury, property damage, and liability claims rises sharply. A reality show insurance policy can help to address some of these common risks, such as participants making split-second decisions that cause bodily or property harm. Liability claims are also more common in unscripted content, and studios should protect themselves both from actions taken by third-party partners and from the participants themselves.
How Video Production Insurance Can Help
Entertainment production coverage should always be customized to your specific project. Cookie-cutter policies can include significant gaps that may leave you unprotected when you need that security the most. However, in general, video production insurance for reality TV and unscripted content will include the following:
General liability
General liability insurance for film production is standard for both scripted material and reality TV. In fact, most venues and partners will not sign contracts with your team until you can demonstrate that you possess an acceptable minimum level of general liability coverage because it is so important.
General liability protection focuses on your financial interests should harm occur. For instance, because participants are not confined to specific scripted events and activities, they may trip over your equipment cords and injure themselves. Or suppose that, while following participants in public, your team damages someone’s parked car. These are instances in which general liability insurance may help.
Cast protection
Cast insurance for reality TV is meant to address unexpected issues with the people who make the show work. If an expert acting as a narrator during a docuseries falls ill, for example, filming may need to pause until they recover. Every day invites unexpected expenses, which cast insurance can address. Make sure any policy includes both behind-the-scenes and participant injury coverage, either through a rider to the policy or an additional policy.
Equipment loss
Because you cannot predict what your participants will do, protecting your equipment becomes a greater challenge. Someone who becomes angry on set may storm off, shoving a camera off its tripod on the way. If you must film participants in unusual locations (e.g., because they have wandered off), your equipment could be damaged. All of these scenarios are the purview of equipment insurance, which can help to address repair or replacement costs.
Errors & omissions
In any reality TV production, liability coverage against errors is often overlooked but is essential for long-term security. This niche of filming carries a higher-than-average risk of E&O claims, as participants may not like the way they are portrayed in the show and claim defamation. It is common, for instance, for a person to say that the way the show was edited falsely portrayed them.
Workers’ compensation
Any film project, unscripted or otherwise, should have workers’ compensation insurance. This addresses the financial repercussions should a member of the crew be injured during filming. They may fall from a ladder, slip on a wet surface, or any of a nearly limitless pool of possibilities.
Get the Reality TV Production Insurance Your Project Needs
Reality TV continues to intrigue audiences around the world for its unpredictable content, but that inconsistency can make insurance a challenge. MFE Insurance structures policies for production companies working with non-professional talent in real-world settings, from competition shows to docuseries. Contact MFE Insurance to get started on a customized blend of insurance protections that can secure your next unscripted project against the risks that threaten your studio the most.