Hocus Focus Films, Israel, specializes in providing comprehensive production services for foreign production companies filming & shooting documentaries, fiction films, TV dramas, still photography and commercials in Israel.

INSURANCE

Every production must take out an insurance policy covering the risks inherent to filming.
Insurance policy is necessary to obtain most of shooting permits.
Generally, four types of risk are taken into account :

• civil liability
• financial loss risks
• damage to goods and equipment
• additional fees

CIVIL LIABILITY RISKS
Civil liability includes risks which are the responsibility of the policyholder in case of damage caused to a third party through personnel engaged or equipment used during a shoot. The production company, whether Israeli or foreign, must hold civil liability for itself and for third parties in case of an accident . Civil liability insurance should be taken out from the beginning of preparation straight through the end of post-production.

FINANCIAL LOSS RISKS
This refers, in case of partial loss, to the additional expenses incurred when production has to be extended in order to complete photography, and in case of total abandonment, to the expenses actually paid by the insured party until the definitive closure of the shoot. There are thus two kinds of guarantee .

PRODUCTION GUARANTEE
covers all financial loss caused by abandonment of the production due to unavailability of personnel or animals, due to flood, fire, loss or accidental damage to property necessary for the production.

NEGATIVE INSURANCE
covers financial loss caused by damage or partial or total loss of negatives during the shoot, transport or laboratory processing. Errors in handling or adjustment during the shoot are excluded. The guarantee is, on the other hand, effective where shots have been lost and have to be recreated.

DAMAGE TO GOODS OR EQUIPMENT
This applies to material damage affecting buildings, sets or equipment which causes delay. There are three types of guarantee :

• Portable goods guarantee : sets, costumes, accessories. This covers damage caused on the shoot during transport or storage.
• Constructed sets guarantee This covers partial or total destruction of the sets.
• All material risks guarantee. This concerns technical equipment (used for camera work or sound recordings), electrical and computing equipment, and extends among other things to vandalism.

ADDITIONAL FEES GUARANTEE
This covers material damage affecting buildings, sets, scale models or equipment whose partial or total destruction is likely to interrupts the production, bringing about additional expenses.

OTHER RISKS : WEATHER INSURANCE
Other than these risks the production can insure itself again bad weather, which is defined as weather conditions which render impossible "reasonable photography". Lack of sunshine is excluded except where otherwise agreed with the insurer.

COST OF INSURANCE
The cost of insurance is 2.5-4% depending on the nature of the production and the specific inherit risks. A minimum fee may apply.