The Park: Insurance Problems

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Insurance Problems

Dear Students,

We are facing a dire situation. We are at risk of losing the Student Insurance Program that covers all of our production classes. The total losses that students have accrued (over $140,000 this academic year) and several others over the last six years have threatened the entire insurance program.

We are left with only 2 options:

1. Modify the current policy.
2. Risk the complete and total termination of our Insurance Program.

Effective immediately, the insurance rules have changed for ALL Undergraduate student productions. Unfortunately, NYU can no longer issue certificates for outside vendors. As of Monday, March 9, 2009, NYU Insurance is only available for insuring Film & TV equipment and shoot locations. NYU Insurance will no longer cover any equipment rental. Students planning to rent equipment must secure their own insurance through a third party insurance carrier. A listing of preferred insurance brokers is available in the Production Office on the 9th
Floor as well as some procedural information about contacting the brokers.

In addition, all students at the Intermediate and Advanced Levels with approved projects MUST purchase the CSI (College Student Insurance) Student Personal Property Insurance facilitated by Fireman's Fund. Students are required to purchase both the basic coverage, and the Camera Equipment Endorsement with coverage up to $25,000 in order to satisfy the deductible for NYU equipment.

Information is available at http://collegestudentinsurance.com/ - click on 'Get An Online Quote Now' in the center of the page. The smallest basic personal property coverage available through CSI is $50 - which includes up to $2000 personal property coverage with a $100 deductible. Additionally, the student must pay $60 for the $25,000 3rd party camera equipment coverage, which brings the minimum cost for this insurance to $110 annually.

Thank you for your support in this difficult situation. If you have any questions, please contact your production faculty.

")'>Sheril Antonio- Assoc Dean & Lamar Sanders- Chair of Undergraduate Film & TV

So the big question is: What does this mean for our production?
It can mean a few things. It means that the cost of production may go up by another hundred dollars or so so that we can find insurance to cover the costs of outside equipment. This includes lenses and possibly a generator. Fortunately, they are still covering the cost of our locations, which means that the production dates will remain the same and our locations are still valid.

No comments:

Post a Comment

The Park

A stroke of luck hits Nick, a homeless man when he finds a ten-dollar bill on the ground at the park. His newfound fortune is short-lived when he finds himself with the obligation of taking care of Annabelle, a young girl forgotten in the park by her reckless parents. During their time together, Nick depletes his finances caring for Annabelle. It becomes increasingly evident that the relationship between the two is not simply based on obligation or responsibility, but a deep emotional connection related to each one's own sense of abandonment. They lend each other a sense of companionship and courage for the lives they know away from one another.

click HERE for a Wilton-based prospectus

Jill Sapenoff (director, writer, co-producer)

Jill is currently a 3rd year Film and Television Production major at the Kanbar Institute of Film and Television and New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. Jill has worked on more than 10 student and independent films since starting film school. She has worked as a production assistant on an upcoming Sam Mendes. Jill also worked as the assistant director and stage manager to the "Voices in Conflict" production, which played at The Public Theatre in New York, The Vineyard Theatre, and the Culture Project. Jill continued work on the production through its adaptation to television for CPTV and is credited as the Associate Producer of the televised production. Click HERE for CV.

Mike Wright (co-producer)

Michael Wright is a 3rd year Film and Television Production major at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. He has been involved in several student and independent productions, and has held the role of producer on several short films, documentaries, and a music video, both international and domestic. His most recent production role is Line Producer on "A Refugee," an award-winning 16mm color film about the Muslim/Hindu riots in Bangladesh in 2001. Michael is excited to be working with director Jill Sapenoff on "The Park", which reflects her talents as director and screenwriter. Click HERE for Michael's film, "Unfamiliar Faces."

Owen Levelle (cinematographer)

Mallory Westfall (art director, script supervisor)

Mallory is currently a junior majoring in Film and Television at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. She has had experience in student productions ranging from screenwriting to directing to camera work. She has also worked for an independent television company working on factual programming for the A&E Biography Channel. Recently she took part in a training and internship program with the BBC in London. She is very excited to be working with Jill as both an art director and script supervisor.

Nick Mann (assistant director)

Nick Mann is in his third year studying film production at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. He recently came back from a semester abroad in Dublin where he focused on screenwriting and traveling for a semester. Immediately prior he attended a summer program in Prague where he wrote, directed, and edited an a short film on 35 mm. The short film that he collaborated on for Apple's Insomnia Film Festival in 2007 came in 3rd place of over 1900 submissions. While Nick serves as an assistant director and 2nd asstant camera on student sets, his true passion is directing his own scripts.