ASK & DISCUSS INDEX

8 years, 11 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin

This is what insurance is for. The production may or may not have some, but you should certainly have your own, just in case and as backup. You should also chat to either the Muppet who dumped a tripod on your desk, or if you're not sure who it was, the DoP as head of department, remind them that other people have expensive kit, too. And when something isn't in use, keep it in a peli or flight case.

8 years, 11 months ago - Matteo di Cugno

Thank you Paddy, my insurance covers for gear stolen but not damaged, about keeping the gear in a peli, good idea! But sometime you need to have access to it quickly, but I'll try to keep it safe from now on and ask if there is an insurance beforehand.
Thank you!

8 years, 11 months ago - Dan Selakovich

You've got to speak up. Don't be a dick about it, but you have to say something. What if it's your head that gets smashed and not your gear? If there's a 10k right next to you, it's best if you talk to the AD or DP about moving to a different spot.

Film students are the absolute worst with gear and set safety. A friend of mine worked at a grip rental house, and he hated student shoots, or shoots with a lot of inexperienced people. The equipment always came back in disarray or even broken. By comparison, on union shows, the equipment came back better than it went out.

8 years, 11 months ago - Matteo di Cugno

Thanks!

8 years, 11 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin

You could ask the UPM to nominate space for each department, too, if you're on site for a while. Bit of gaffer/masking/spike tape on the floor so it's clear who is transgressing ;-)

8 years, 11 months ago - Marlom Tander

If you lend kit, get the producer to sign that they are taking on the liability of ensuring it's safe return.

If you don't entirely trust them, get them to give you a surety. Concentrates the mind most wonderfully.

8 years, 11 months ago - Matteo di Cugno

Thanks you guys for all your replies! My concern is not for equipment dry hired but for equipment damaged with me on set.
Is there any insurance I can suggest to producers and under which name does it go?

8 years, 11 months ago - David Graham Scott

My friend, nothing happened so there's nothing to talk about. What if a jet aircraft came smashing into your house? What if a kid decapitated you with a frisbee? There are many such scenarios.
Sleep well as nothing happened.

8 years, 11 months ago - John Lubran

Taking care of kit has always been a top priority for us at Moving Vision. We're just not rich enough to be in the least blase'about it. Probably 85% of the time we'll be using our own hard earned equipment and it'll not only be about protecting our assets but when in the middle of a production, particularly in a remote location, we can't tolerate any ham fisted crew. We once had a brilliant multi skilled person on our team who we were not entirely sad to part with after wrecking three cameras and quite a bit of other stuff in entirely unnecessary circumstances, and on one occasion in remote Alaska after destroying both main and back up camera the cost of that production escalated horribly. Having said that, accidents and acts of God are going to happen at some point with a busy production company majoring in challenging locations. Insurance is a no brainer.