The new type of insurance came for those who at some point lose their shows due to so-called ‘racist trolls’, or better said, their stars who behave like that.
This insurance has even got a name and everyone now knows it as ‘disgrace insurance’. The most interesting thing about it is that it literally covers all the production losses which are correlated in any way with illegal behaviors and disgraceful actions coming from any member of the crew or cast.
Who is the main person in charge of this all? That would definitely be Bob Jellen. He claims how he has already written more than 4,000 of disgrace policies for this new insurance. Yet, all that he has written hasn’t been invoked much, but only for a few times (at least for now).
What actions are considered to be covered by it? Those would definitely be a murder committed by someone from a cast or a crew, sexual harassment, drug arrests and assaults.
When the insurance appeared, people have started asking what will happen with ‘Roseanne’ TV series that has been cancelled by ABC. Jellen claimed how that won’t undergo the new procedures because he won’t be able to even find an insurer who would like to cover all those expenses.
When it comes to ‘House of Cards’, its producers would actually have some sort of a valid claim if they have had a proper policy in the first place.
How much does insurance cost producers in the first place? Normally, the percentage is very small and it goes up only to 2% of their overall budget. But, with this new disgrace insurance, the percentage can be even doubled.
Is there some examples where some disaster was actually completely covered? There is. For example, Mark Ballin, known as the close partner at Claim Specialists International, claims how during a recording of one TV show in Mexico, the crew needed to stop with shooting there because someone was likely to get murdered. And yes, that was all later covered by this new type of insurance.
What does this all mean for producers? How should they behave? The best would be to keep in mind how every producer has to create a policy which contains the phrase ‘threat’. In that case, everyone can be safe about implementing disgrace insurance.
Production losses happen on a daily basis, that’s really a fact. Yet, when it comes to people, we cannot think about that in the same way.
Producers will need to think twice before recording some new TV shows/series or a movie from now on. It is clear how this new law isn’t implemented properly yet, but it is believed how it will be that way with time.
What is your personal opinion on disgrace insurance?
What changes it may bring to Hollywood?
