Film & Media
Specialist production insurance for film, TV, documentary, commercial and digital media,written on both an insurance and reinsurance basis. From an independent short film to a large-scale international production, our underwriting team covers the full range of filmed media.
ABOUT OUR FILM & MEDIA INSURANCE
Production insurance that covers the additional costs when things don't go to plan
Film and media production is an inherently complex risk. Cast and crew illness, equipment failure, location issues, adverse weather on an outdoor shoot, and the sheer number of contractors and suppliers involved in any production all create exposure that general commercial insurance isn't designed to handle.
WorldWide Special Risks provides specialist film and media insurance, underwritten at Lloyd's and available on both an insurance and reinsurance basis. We write the full range of productions, from independent feature films and one-off documentaries to music videos, commercial shoots and large-scale international co-productions.
Our policies cover the additional expenses a production company incurs when a covered event disrupts or halts filming, protecting your budget, your schedule and your relationships with broadcasters, distributors and co-producers.
Cast Insurance
Additional costs if a principal cast member is unable to perform due to illness or injury
Faulty Stock & Negative Film
Covers loss or damage to exposed footage, physical and digital media
Props, Sets & Wardrobe
All risks cover for production property throughout the shoot
Equipment All Risks
Owned and hired-in equipment, cameras, lenses, sound, lighting and more
Public & Employers Liability
Covering your cast, crew, locations and third parties throughout the production
Production Cancellation
Protects your budget if filming is interrupted, delayed or shut down entirely
Written across the full range of filmed media
Our film and media underwriting team covers productions of every scale and format, on both a one-off production basis and annual programme basis for prolific producers.
Feature Films
Independent & co-productions, any budget level
Television & Streaming
Dramas, series, reality, factual and entertainment formats
Documentary
Single-subject and series documentaries, broadcast and theatrical
Music Videos
Commercial music video productions, any artist or label
Commercial & Advertising
TVC, digital and branded content productions
Corporate & Branded Content
Internal communications, product films, online content
Short Films
Low-budget, student and festival-circuit productions
International Co-Productions
Multi-territory projects requiring cross-border cover
What your film & media policy can include
Cast Insurance
Covers the additional production costs incurred if a principal cast membe, actor, presenter or performer,is unable to complete their role due to illness, injury, death or other covered circumstances. One of the most significant financial risks in any production involving named talent, and often a broadcaster or distributor requirement.
Faulty Stock & Negative Film Insurance
Covers loss, damage or destruction of raw stock, exposed or processed film, digital media, tapes, hard drives and other recorded footage, whether from equipment malfunction, accidental erasure, physical damage or any other covered peril. Protects the irreplaceable content at the heart of any production.
Props, Sets & Wardrobe Insurance
All risks cover for production property, props, set construction, costumes, wardrobe and dressing, against accidental loss or damage throughout the production period, including transport between locations. Available for owned production property and items sourced or hired specifically for the shoot.
Equipment All Risks Insurance
Covers owned and hired-in production equipment, cameras, lenses, rigs, sound equipment, lighting, grip equipment and any other technical kit, against loss, theft or accidental damage throughout the production, including transit. Can be extended to cover equipment on location worldwide for productions shooting outside the UK.
Property of Others
Extends cover to property belonging to third parties, location owners, prop houses, hire companies, artists, that is in the production's care, custody or control during filming. Particularly important for shoots taking place in private locations or where high-value third-party property is present on set.
Production Money Insurance
Covers loss of cash, cheques and other monetary instruments held by the production for day-to-day operational purposes, petty cash floats, location fees, day payments and other on-set financial transactions, against theft, accidental loss or destruction.
Production Office Contents Insurance
Covers the contents of the production office, computers, monitors, office equipment, scripts, schedules, contracts and other documents, against loss or damage. Available for dedicated production office premises and for portable office setups on location.
Production Cancellation & Interruption Insurance
Protects the production budget against the additional costs incurred if filming is interrupted, delayed or shut down due to a covered event, including cast illness, location unavailability, equipment failure, adverse weather, fire or civil unrest. Can be structured around the specific risk profile and shooting schedule of your production.
What film & media insurance actually protects
Protect your production budget
A shut-down shooting day, a damaged camera, a lead actor in hospital, the additional costs these trigger can be substantial. Film and media insurance covers those incremental costs so a single incident doesn't derail the entire production budget.
Keep filming on schedule
Broadcasters, distributors and co-producers have delivery expectations. Cover supports the production in managing disruption, funding the additional shoot days, replacement equipment or alternative cast needed to bring the project back on track.
Meet broadcaster and distributor requirements
Most broadcasters, streaming platforms and distributors require producers to hold specified levels of production insurance as a condition of their commission or distribution agreement. We can arrange the cover you need to satisfy those requirements quickly.
PUBLIC LIABILITY
Protecting your production against third-party claims
Public Liability insurance covers your production company's legal liability for accidental bodily injury to members of the public, and for accidental damage to third-party property — including locations, studios and any premises used during filming.
Whether you're shooting on a public street, in a private location, or in a studio, your production creates liability exposure whenever cast, crew or equipment interact with the world outside your team. Public Liability is frequently required by location owners and local authorities as a condition of granting filming permission.
Available as part of a comprehensive production policy or as a standalone policy for shorter shoots and one-off productions.
EMPLOYERS LIABILITY
Protecting your cast and crew
Employers Liability insurance covers compensation claims made by cast members, crew, contractors and freelancers who are accidentally injured while working on your production. Film sets and locations are working environments, equipment, cables, vehicles, heights, stunts and long hours all create injury risk.
Employers Liability is a legal requirement for any production employing staff, and extends to the freelance crew and contractors who make up most production teams. It covers their legal costs and any compensation awarded as a result of an injury sustained while working on your project.
Required by most broadcasters and production agreements as a standard component of production insurance.
Frequently Asked Questions about film & media insurance
What does film and media insurance cover?
A production policy typically covers the additional costs incurred when a covered event disrupts filming, cast illness, equipment failure, damaged footage, location problems and more. It can include cast insurance, faulty stock and negative, props, sets and wardrobe, equipment all risks, production money, office contents, public and employers liability, and production cancellation and interruption cover. The specific combination depends on your production's risk profile and any requirements from your broadcaster or distributor.
Who is this cover for?
Film and media insurance is for production companies, independent filmmakers, TV producers, advertising agencies, content creators and anyone responsible for managing a production. Whether you're a sole producer on a short film or a production company managing a large-scale commission, the risks and the need for cover are similar in kind if not in scale.
Can you cover a low-budget or independent production?
Yes. We write productions across the full budget range, from no-budget independent shorts to large-scale commercial productions. The premium reflects the size and complexity of the production, so smaller projects aren't paying for cover they don't need.
Do you cover international productions or shoots outside the UK?
Yes. Through Lloyd's we can provide film and media insurance for productions shooting in over 70 countries. International shoots carry additional risk considerations, political stability, local regulatory requirements, healthcare access for cast and crew, which our team factors into the terms we provide.
Is cast insurance always required?
Cast insurance is not always legally required, but it is frequently required by broadcasters, streaming platforms, distributors and completion bond companies as a condition of their agreement. For any production with named talent central to the project, it's also simply good practice, the additional cost of shutting down or recasting a production if a lead becomes unavailable can be very significant.
Can cover be arranged for a single shoot or short production?
Yes. We can arrange cover for one-off shoots, short-term productions and single shooting days, as well as for longer productions and annual programmes. The policy is structured around your specific shooting schedule and locations rather than a generic annual period.
Do you cover one-off events or ongoing programmes?
Both. We provide one-off policies for individual events, and annual multiple-event policies for organisations running a regular programme throughout the year. An annual policy is typically more cost-effective if you're organising more than two or three events in a twelve-month period.
Need cover for a production?
Tell us about your project, production type, budget, shooting schedule and locations and our film and media underwriting team will put together the right cover.