Pre-Production
Insurance & Legal Basics for Filmmakers
Insurance and legal fundamentals aren't glamorous, but they're what stand between your production and a ruinous accident, lawsuit, or claim. Learn the coverage every shoot needs, how to protect yourself with the right business structure and contracts, and how to handle it when something goes wrong.
What you'll learn
✓Understand the core insurance every production needs — liability, gear, and E&O
✓Protect yourself personally with the right business structure
✓Put the essential production contracts in place before you shoot
✓Handle claims, disputes, and on-set incidents without losing your film
Pairs with this tool
Contract Assistant
Generate the deal memos, crew agreements, and production contracts this course covers — the paperwork that protects you legally, ready to fill in and sign.
Open Contract Assistant →Course chapters
Module 1 — Foundations
I8 min
Why insurance and legal basics protect your film — and what happens to productions that skip them
Insurance & Legal Basics 101
II9 min
General liability insurance — the coverage that lets you get permits, rent gear, and film locations
General Liability Insurance
III9 min
What's inside a production insurance package, and how short-term policies work for indie shoots
The Production Insurance Package
IV8 min
Insuring cameras and gear — owned and rented — and the certificate rental houses require
Equipment & Gear Insurance
Module 2 — Core Craft
V9 min
Workers' comp and crew coverage — protecting the people on your set if someone gets hurt
Workers' Comp & Crew Coverage
VI9 min
Errors & omissions insurance — the policy distributors require, and how clearances earn it
Errors & Omissions (E&O)
VII9 min
Why forming an LLC shields your personal assets, and how filmmakers structure a production
Business Structure & Liability
VIII10 min
The core contracts every production needs — deal memos, work-for-hire, and rights agreements
Contracts Every Production Needs
Module 3 — Putting It to Work
IX9 min
Hiring cast and crew legally — employee vs. contractor, minors, and the paperwork that keeps you clean
Hiring Cast & Crew: The Legal Side
X9 min
Who's liable when something goes wrong on set — and how insurance and paperwork protect you
Liability & Risk on Set
XI9 min
When things go wrong — filing an insurance claim, handling disputes, and when to call a lawyer
Claims & Disputes
XII9 min
The insurance and legal mistakes that sink productions — and how to avoid every one
Insurance & Legal Mistakes to Avoid