Insurance for Post- Production

Question

Hi,

I am operating as a freelancer, and under the NEIS program in Sydney, which means I get an allowance to start my business but under their terms - the main one being I NEED to have Public Liability Insurance. I figured I might as well be insured for my equipment (laptop, protools, ilok and plugins, my drives, marantz)

I also work from home - so I need an insurance policy that covers mainly equipment under portable policy, with fire and theft and public liability.

So many insurers can't even categorise me though, or simply don't offer it.

I got a quote from AAMI and from Latitude, but wanted to hear your thoughts before signing up to anything.

Answer 1

Most of what I say might not apply at all to you, since I live in the USA, but I'll tell you what I do anyways.

I am a freelancer as well, and my studio is out of my house. I rent a house here in Florida and I have renter's insurance. When I set up the insurance, I made sure that I had pictures, records, receipts and all on file, and I totaled up the replacement value and reported it to the insurance company.

About a year later, I was up in NYC, and a cabbie sped off with a suitcase full of mics, recording equipment, one of my recorders, my laptop (luckily it was backed up!), etc... totaling about $7k of equipment. I called my insurer, and since the equipment was with me when it was stolen, even though I was 1500 miles away from the house that I was renting, they cut me a check for the amount (after proving some things and providing the receipts and pictures).

So I don't know if that helps you out at all. Maybe it might help someone else living here in the US? As a freelancer, you could probably be protected under something like this. If you actually start a company, it is most likely different. Again, I'm not familiar with Aussie law...

Hope this helps a little!